The Newcastle Knights disappointing start to the NRL season has been compounded by a serious injury to its star player Kalyn Ponga.
With Adam O’Brien’s men languishing in 15th spot on the ladder, it’s the last thing the club needs.
The Hunter outfit, with just two victories to its credit in 2024, fell victim to an in-form Canterbury Bulldogs 36-12 at Accor Stadium on Sunday 21 April.
And, the coaching staff’s fears for Ponga were confirmed less than 24 hours later.
Scans revealed the Dally M Player of the Year suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot during the round seven match.
It means the Newcastle captain is expected to be sidelined for a lengthy stint.
“Kalyn had scans on Monday morning confirming he has a Lisfranc injury,” Knights director of football Peter Parr said.
“The next steps will include seeing a surgeon and setting an injury management program.
“Unfortunately, at this stage, it appears to be a long-term setback, with a return to play likely to be months rather than weeks.”
Anzac Day now shapes as the next challenge for Newcastle, with the team travelling to Brisbane to face the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium.
Wayne Bennett’s charges sit in third position on the table following an outstanding 44-16 win over the Parramatta Eels in Darwin.
Meanwhile, the Knights have entered an early guilty plea for Jack Hetherington, accepting a one-week suspension for contrary conduct.
The forward was seen remonstrating with Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney in the tunnel after the two players were sin-binned.
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