Newcastle Knights' duo Kalyn Ponga and Jayden Brailey are in doubt for the club's clash against the Dolphins after the pair suffered concussions against the Wests Tigers on Sunday, while two forwards also loom unlikely.
Brailey and Ponga, the Knights' co-captains, both left the field in the first-half of their Sunday afternoon clash at Leichhardt Oval, leaving Tyson Gamble and Phoenix Crossland to fill-in for the remainder of the match.
The spine duo may have to stand in for longer than the remainder of the match however, with just a five-day turnaround until Newcastle's first home match of the season, a Friday night match against the unbeaten Dolphins.
Ponga was ruled out with a category one concussion just 80 seconds into the contest after attempting a tackle, meaning the five-eighth was immediately ruled out of the match.
The former fullback suffered three concussions in six weeks last year, ruling him out indefinitely, and was also dragged off the field by the independent doctor last weekend after copping a head knock, though passed his HIA.
After yet another knock, Adam O'Brien air on the side of caution, and leave his marquee man out of the 22-man squad named on Tuesday afternoon.
Brailey was the second casualty of the afternoon, leaving the field after 14 minutes after copping a knock whilst making a tackle, however it was ruled a category two concussion, meaning the hooker could undergo a HIA to return to play.
It mattered little after the rake failed the assessment, and left the Knights down half their spine for the remainder of clash.
It's an unhappy hunting ground for Brailey, who tore his ACL during a Round 2 match at Leichhardt Oval in 2020.
Tyson Frizell left the field midway through the second-half with a sudden leg injury after receiving the ball from a Dominic Young bat-back.
The most intense moment of the clash came in the 65th minute after Jacob Saifiti was sent off for laying out Jake Simpkin, catching the hooker high and forcing the No. 14 from the field of play.
With the charge sheet for Sunday's matches set to be released on Monday, it's near certain that the front-rower will be rubbed out of Newcastle's first match against Wayne Bennett's side, and likely see Mat Croker thrown into the side.
Fox Sports' sideline commentator Jake Duke reported that the prop reportedly ran up to the hooker in the tunnel after being sent, to hug the 21-year-old, and apologise to the youngster for the incident.
Ponga and Brailey will both go through the NRL's concussion protocols, while Frizell and Saifiti will learn of their immediate availability in the coming days.
