Sharpe to rescue as Knights keep top-four hopes alive

Jack Brady | August 16, 2026

Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga has credited the performance of Fletcher Sharpe for keeping the Knights’ NRL top-four hopes alive in their 36-26 home win over the Gold Coast.

With Sunday’s game in the balance heading into the final 20 minutes, five-eighth Sharpe took charge with a darting 55-metre dummy-half try-scoring run to extend Newcastle’s lead.

Sharpe followed up in the final six minutes with a second try, when he scooped up a wayward Titans ball to race 60 metres downfield to seal victory.

“Sharpie doing what he does today was pretty special. I’m very appreciative of him after that,” Ponga said.

“Without him, I don’t know if we play the way we did, to be honest. He broke open the game for us in the second half and when he’s streaking away it is a nice feeling.”

With a final round bye in hand and Cronulla staring down consecutive losses, the Knights sit just two competition points adrift of the fourth-placed Dolphins. 

An unlikely top-four berth would complete a remarkable 12-month turnaround for the Knights following their 2025 wooden spoon finish. 

Sunday’s 10-point win wasn’t without its issues for Newcastle with Dane Gagai failing to return after half-time with a reported hamstring injury. 

The absence of the veteran centre led to an unexpected first grade debut for Toby Winter, who three months ago was playing in the SG Ball Under-19s grand final. 

A crucial try-saving tackle by the 19-year-old on back-rower Beau Fermor proved the highlight of his maiden game. 

“It’s so awkward with a six-player bench that he sat there for three weeks and didn’t get on, but at half-time the boys all got around (Winter) which was excellent. He filled in nicely and he did his job really well in a close and tricky game,” Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook said.

“Gags wasn’t sure with his hammy. He didn’t feel great early on and was playing within himself. We’re hoping it’s nothing too major.”

A first-half Gagai double and winger Greg Marzhew’s first try all came within 18 minutes, and held Newcastle in good stead at 16-0.

But the Titans overcame a hefty penalty deficit to keep in touch with the Knights through tries for Fermor and Jayden Campbell. 

A critical intervention from The Bunker minutes into the second half prevented the Titans from hitting the lead, when it ruled that centre Jojo Fifita’s elbow hit the ball in the lead up to him scoring. 

Ill-discipline was the story of the day for the Titans and soon after led to Newcastle centre Fletcher Hunt, who had been denied by the bunker twice in the game, capping off a long-range effort to extend his side’s lead. 

Kurtis Morrin’s try in the 57th minute was countered by the Knights within four minutes when Sharpe turned the game on its head.

“Our start was unacceptable. I would love to get the start we gifted them. The penalties, the piggybacks, the six-agains, it was 20 minutes of defending our own line. That’s on us, nobody else,” Titans coach Josh Hannay said.

“I liked the grit we showed to get back into, there was a fighting spirit. The start cost us but none of the 50-50s went our way. That’s not a whinge, it just happens some days.”

Marzhew and Sharpe’s second tries rounded out the win for the Knights, despite the best efforts of Fermor and halfback Lachlan Ilias at the death.