The first of Sunday’s two matches will be a battle of the rookie fullbacks at Suncorp Stadium when the NRL’s new boys host Newcastle.
Who has this one in the bag? Will Newcastle respond without their marquee man Kalyn Ponga? Or will Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins light it up on their return home?The young Dolphins halfback has hit top form in just his second season in the NRL.
After missing the opening round defeat to the Cowboys, when he was overlooked in favour of Sean O’Sullivan, the 20-year-old has taken the reins of the side and been in top flight.His kicking game has been controlled and measured, while in his five appearances he has been credited with five try assists and six line break assists.Watch for the former Penrith junior to give rookie fullback David Armstrong a tough time.
Newcastle’s loss of star No.1 and skipper Kalyn Ponga for the next three months with a Lisfranc injury has put a huge dent in his side’s finals hopes, while their rivals remain without Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow with a hamstring concern. Instead, the clash of the custodians will be between two NRL recruits, with Trai Fuller playing just his third game for the Dolphins and David Armstrong making his first-grade debut on the other side of the halfway line.Armstrong has been prolific in the lower grades, scoring five tries from five games this season while averaging 136 running metres and five tackle busts a game.
Fresh off a thumping win over Parramatta in Darwin, coach Wayne Bennett’s men are riding high and have adapted without a host of key players – Felise Kaufusi, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Herbie Farnworth and Thomas Flegler among them.Newcastle will look to prove life without Kayln Ponga – sidelined for the next three months – still has hope, but on the back of a poor start to the season in which they have won just twice, they will need to undergo a rapid turnaround.
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