NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 12 NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 38 
TOM SMITH, McDonald Jones Stadium, Saturday 

JACKSON FORD celebrated his 100th NRL match in style as the Warriors pumped the undermanned Knights to continue their unbeaten start to 2026. 

However, it wasn’t a happy start to life at the New Zealand club for former Leeds back-rower Morgan Gannon whose NRL debut, after being an unused sub in their first two games, lasted only five minutes due to a failed head-injury assessment. 

The Englishman suffered numerous concussion issues during his time with the Rhinos, even sitting out a full season in 2024, and will be hoping they don’t similarly affect his time down under.

Minus injured stars Kalyn Ponga, Dylan Brown and Fletcher Sharpe, the Knights were no match for the rampant New Zealanders, led by milestone man Ford who tallied a game-high 236 running metres plus a try. 

Red-hot halfback Tanah Boyd continued to fill the number-seven jumper with aplomb, as regular half Luke Metcalf prepares to return from his ACL injury, and gun prop Mitch Barnett made a fruitful return from a ten-month ACL lay-off of his own. 

Sin-bins to Fletcher Hunt and Trey Mooney didn’t help Newcastle’s cause. 

The Knights had made a strong start to life under former St Helens and Gold Coast coach Justin Holbrook, downing North Queensland in Las Vegas then Manly at Brookvale. 

But losing Ponga (hamstring) and Brown (knee) turned this clash into a mismatch. They’ve now lost their last seven at McDonald Jones Stadium, last saluting on home turf way back on June 5, 2025. 

Hunt and Tyson Gamble covered Holbrook’s big-name absences, while Francis Manuleleua joined the bench for his NRL bow. 

The Warriors travelled across the Tasman eager to defend their unbeaten start to 2026, after racking up 40-plus points in defeats of heavyweight rivals the Roosters and Raiders in Auckland to kick-off their campaign. 

Andrew Webster also had to cover for concussed pair Chanel Harris-Tavita and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, naming Taine Tuaupiki at fullback and first-gamer Luke Hanson at stand-off. As well as Barnett, Marata Niukore also came back from a calf complaint. 

Newcastle opened the scoring early when Hunt came from the clouds to collect a Gamble bomb. 

But the Warriors returned serve as Erin Clark crossed untouched thanks to a deft Boyd pass. 

New Zealand skipper James Fisher-Harris dropped the ball over the line before a Boyd penalty goal squared things up 6-6. 

The Bunker denied the visitors again, after Ali Leiataua grounded a Boyd bomb from an offside position, but there was no denying Ford on the end of a neat Barnett pass. 

Referee Liam Kennedy dispatched Hunt to the bin for repeated team infringements, and Leka Halasima cashed in off a Hanson pass seconds before the break. 

Pasami Saulo was the next Warrior to have a try chalked off due to an error in the build-up, but the Kiwi club eventually broke through when a Boyd line break supplied Fisher-Harris. 

The inspired halfback then grabbed a four-pointer for himself, before Greg Marzhew gave the hosts a glimmer of hope in the left corner.

However, the Warriors regained the momentum, and tempers frayed with five minutes to go when Mooney collected Boyd’s kicking leg to earn an early shower. 

Tuaupiki booted that penalty goal then gift-wrapped Hanson a try on debut, with Ford taking the conversion in his milestone game. 

GAMESTAR: Tanah Boyd continued his rare run of form, scoring a try, setting up two more and kicking expertly on the back of the Warriors’ dominant pack. 

GAMEBREAKER: Taine Tuaupiki handed debutant Luke Hanson a try on the stroke of full-time, then 100-gamer Jackson Ford booted the conversion, to round out New Zealand’s big win. 

MATCHFACTS

KNIGHTS
1 Fletcher Hunt
2 Dom Young
3 Dane Gagai
4 Bradman Best
5 Greg Marzhew
18 Tyson Gamble
7 Sandon Smith
8 Jacob Saifiti
9 Phoenix Crossland
10 Trey Mooney
11 Dylan Lucas
12 Jermaine McEwen
15 Mat Croker
Subs
13 Tyson Frizell
14 Thomas Cant
16 Pasami Saulo
17 Francis Manuleleua
19 Harrison Graham (not used)
21 Cody Hopwood (not used)

Tries: Hunt (4), Marzhew (66)
Goals: Smith 2/2
Sin bin: Hunt (33) – repeated team offences, Mooney (76) – dangerous tackle

WARRIORS
1 Taine Tuaupiki
2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
3 Ali Leiataua
11 Leka Halasima
5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
6 Luke Hanson
7 Tanah Boyd
8 James Fisher-Harris
9 Wayde Egan
10 Jackson Ford
12 Jacob Laban
18 Morgan Gannon
13 Erin Clark
Subs
14 Sam Healey
15 Demetric Vaimauga
16 Tanner Stowers-Smith (not used)
17 Marata Niukore
20 Alofiana Khan-Pereira (not used)
23 Mitch Barnett

Tries: Clark (13), Ford (30), Halasima (39), Fisher-Harris (52), Boyd (55), Hanson (80)
Goals: Boyd 5/6, Tuaupiki 1/1, Ford 1/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 6-4, 6-6, 6-12, 6-18; 6-24, 6-30, 12-30, 12-32, 12-38

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Dylan Lucas; Warriors: Tanah Boyd

Penalty count: 4-10
Half-time: 6-18
Referee: Liam Kennedy
Attendance: 21,682