Deprived of their superstar Dylans and with their season teetering, Kalyn Ponga issued a reminder to the NRL that the Knights were far from a spent force as long as he remained in the action.

The Newcastle skipper proved a Suncorp Stadium menace, often leaving the Brisbane Broncos defence clutching at him in desperation as he orchestrated a 30-6 triumph to keep them embedded in the top eight.

Ponga’s first-half exploits were enough to signal his intent – producing a pair of linebreak assists while also shrugging off a tackle and firing a pass for Dom Young to score as the Knights took a 14-0 half-time lead.

It was an opening stanza which left the Broncos pondering which footy gods they angered as Adam Reynolds (concussion) and Xavier Willison (leg gnash) missed most of the match, and Deine Mariner and Reece Walsh were both sent to the sin bin.

Both Broncos’ sin binnings were contentious – Mariner deemed to have pulled Jermaine McEwen off an attacking chance, while Walsh was pinned for a hair pull on Young after joining a fight McEwen (also sent for 10 minutes) added fuel to as an unnecessary instigator.

When Ponga wasn’t terrorising the Brisbane defence, his remaining attacking linchpin Fletcher Sharpe was doing all he could to offset the season-ending injury losses of Dylan Brown and Dylan Lucas.

It took less than three minutes for Sharpe to shrug off three defenders and open the scoring with the scything run, before going on to finish with 168 running metres and two linebreaks, before he pounced on a loose ball and scoring his second to close out the contest.

The Broncos were left to rue a slew of wasted opportunities – a dropped pass by Josiah Karapani with the line in sight the most obvious in the first half, while Ben Hunt’s forward pass early in the second term for Kotoni Staggs to barge across also deemed forward.

Only a few minutes later, a Walsh cutout pass for Grant Anderson gave them another opportunity, only for the latter to be pushed into touch by Greg Marzhew before being able to ground the ball.

From the very next set, a break from Young down the right-hand touchline ended up in Ponga’s hands, with the Queensland Maroons No.1 finding an offload for Phoenix Crossland to score.

Brisbane stayed in the fight through some Walsh magic – the marquee man jumping into dummy-half and helping unleash Mariner, before the star fullback gathered the kick ahead to score.

But a dropped ball from Mariner coming out of trouble sealed their fate – a brilliant put down in the corner from Marzhew after a Bradman Best flick pass ending any hopes of a Broncos’ comeback.

The win keeps the Knights just one win shy of the top four, with a bye still to come in round 27.

A new star emerges

Remember the name: Francis Manuleleua.

Newcastle appears to have unearthed one of rugby league’s most promising young forwards, with the 22-year-old backrower producing a miracle pass and showcase of physicality to put his name in lights.

One week on from what was a breakout performance from the rising star – in which he scored, set up a try and made two linebreaks in a one-point loss to the Roosters – Manuleleau ensured he would remain on pundits’ lips on the Knights’ run to the finals.

His 100 running metres and 31 tackles said enough. But it was an instinctive and ridiculous 20-metre cutout pass during broken play for Marzhew to cross in the corner that will be replayed in highlight reels for the rest of the season.

His tackle in the shadows of half-time on Pat Carrigan, forcing a knock on with his pressure from the inside as the Broncos went on the attack one last time, was another sign of the potential eight-game Kiwi prospect possessed.

While the loss of Lucas to a serious ankle injury has been a dagger-blow to the Knights’ top four hopes, Manuleleua, has presented enough hope to the Newcastle faithful that they had an X-factor in their pack to challenge the best of the competition.

What’s left for Broncos to salvage?

Has the time come for Broncos coach Michael Maguire to begin planning for season 2027?

Brisbane will welcome a quartet of recruits next year – Jonah Pezet, Mitch Barnett, Shawn Blore and Knights rival Dane Gagai all joining the Red Hill rebuild. But after Willison was forced from the action within six minutes, the lack of depth through the middle was made glaringly clear.

Payne Haas, who will join South Sydney from next season, was easily the most dangerous forward for Brisbane with 111 running metres, although the unheralded Jaiyden Hunt (143 metres) punched above his weight. The medical retirement of Corey Jensen – who suffered a pulmonary embolism – has left the club without the same front-row partnership that delivered premiership glory in 2025.

Rookie enforcer VJ Semu played the most minutes of his fledgling NRL career – running for 50 metres and making 33 tackles from 39 minutes. He needs to keep being exposed to this level to put him in the best position possible to make use of his 110kg frame regularly next year.

Reynolds’ category one concussion ruling will keep him out of next week’s Battle of Brisbane against the Dolphins. That will likely thrust Tom Duffy into the fray, and there is an argument he should be given the rest of the campaign to prove he is the long-term successor to the retiring champion.

Brisbane’s ruck manipulation has also been lacking in 2026, but looked far more potent when Billy Walters – in his second NRL game back from a ruptured ACL – was thrown into the action. He was denied a try assist by a Ben Talty knock on, and has been tipped to ink a contract extension.

Whatever decision Maguire makes, it has gotten to a stage where forward-planning must be a priority.