The Mole’s player ratings: One star’s awful display sums up Warriors failure
Newcastle have advanced to an unlikely NRL preliminary final berth, upsetting the Warriors in front of a packed Eden Park on Sunday afternoon.
A host of Warriors players failed to deliver under the bright lights, while some of the Knights’ big guns stepped up and led their team to a 12-10 victory.
Fletcher Sharpe celebrates a try. Getty Images
The Mole rates every player’s performance below.
Newcastle Knights
1. Kalyn Ponga: Dangerous at the back and safe under pressure before a HIA forced him from the field with six minutes to play. Rating: 7.5
2. Dominic Young: His try early in the second half was one of the game’s big moments - always a danger out wide. Rating: 7
3. Dane Gagai: Came up with a try assist and several fine tackles in a polished display. Rating: 7.5
4. Bradman Best: His wide running caused the disorganised Warriors defence all sorts of problems, combining superbly with Ponga. Rating: 8
5. Greg Marzhew: Ran for nearly 200 metres and made a couple of handy long breaks in a strong performance. Rating: 7.5
6. Fletcher Sharpe: A real game-breaker, narrowly missing two early tries before eventually scoring a key try just before half time. Rating: 8.5
7. Sandon Smith: What a buy this guy has proven to be for the Knights, replacing injured marquee man Dylan Brown and steering the team around the park well. Rating: 8
8. Tyson Frizell: His toughness and experience got the Knights through some anxious moments in a pressure match. Rating: 6.5
9. Phoenix Crossland: Inspired performance at hooker, topping the tackle count and coming up with a series of massive effort plays. Rating: 8
10. Cody Hopwood: With several established props missing, he adopted the ‘next man up’ mentality with a huge effort. Rating: 6
11. Jermaine McEwen: Continues to impress with his wide running game - one of the year’s big improvers. Rating: 7
12. Francis Manuleleua: A brave performance, playing the full 80 minutes despite taking a painful elbow injury into the game. Rating: 7.5
Knights players during the semi final. Getty Images
13. Mathew Croker: One of coach Holbrook’s no frills players who has risen to the occasion in the big games. Rating: 7
14. Harrison Graham: Only made three runs but lifted the team with his defence when tossed into the fray. Rating: 6
15. Lachlan Crouch: Ran for over 110 metres in his short stint, keeping the Warriors’ big men on the back foot. Rating: 6.5
16. Pasami Saulo: Big man didn’t get a lot of minutes but is a great prospect who will get more game time in 2027. Rating: 6
22. Dylan Lucas: Back from a badly broken ankle, he made a brief cameo at the end of the game and is certain to figure more prominently next week. Rating: 3
New Zealand Warriors
1. Taine Tuaupiki: Ran for over 200 metres, challenging the defence, but came up with a couple of major errors before falling to a HIA. Rating: 7.5
Taine Tuaupiki. Getty Images
2. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad: Failed a HIA after 47 minutes and the Warriors were better with the faster Khan-Pereira taking his spot on the wing. Rating: 5
3. Ali Leiataua: Looked like he had scored the try that tied the game up before the Bunker correctly took it off him for obstruction in the build-up. Rating: 7
22. Leka Halasima: The most dangerous player on the field in the first half, scoring a try and making a line break, but was hampered by the hamstring injury that forced him out last week, yet still scored a second. Rating: 8.5
23. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak: A typical DWZ performance, running the ball forward like a man possessed with no fear for his body. Rating: 7
6. Chanel Harris-Tavita: Laid on Halasima’s try but did little positive in attack apart from that in a disappointing showing. Awful defence, missing TEN tackles. Rating: 5
7. Te Maire Martin: Ran the ball for over 150 metres but like Harris-Tavita, fell down in the crucial game management role. Rating: 6
Te Maire Martin. NRL Images
8. James Fisher-Harris: Led the Warriors forwards strongly, making the hard yards when his team needed them. Rating: 7.5
9. Wayde Egan: Topped the tackle count but his running game was a little down on what he usually produces. Rating: 6.5
10. Mitchell Barnett: Over-played his hand with the ball when the Warriors were desperate to score, going himself rather than feeding the speed men. Rating: 5.5
11. Kurt Capewell: The veteran was outstanding in a beaten team, making three line breaks and coming up with a try saving tackle on Dom Young. Rating: 8.5
12. Jacob Laban: Suffered from a bad case of nerves on the big stage, showing little in attack and missing seven tackles. Rating: 4
13. Erin Clark: Ran for nearly 150 metres but another Warrior who couldn’t quite reproduce his regular season form in the finals. Rating: 6.5
5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira: Added some spark and pace when he came on but got little clean ball in open spaces. Rating: 5
15. Tanner Stowers-Smith: Couldn’t lift a Warriors team that was off their game on the big occasion. Rating: 5
16. Demitric Vaimauga: Had little impact off the bench with just five runs for 46 metres. Rating: 4
17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava: Showed a couple of nice touches in his 50-minute stint off the bench but was well contained by the Knights defence. Rating: 5.5
