NRL Analysis: Knights Attack Preview, Lewis Dodd & Magic Round Watchlist

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The NRL spends a lot of time looking to grow the game and expand it across the country, but Magic Round is a weekend for the freaks² . Nine games of footy spread across four days in one of the best sports stadiums in the country, surrounded by like-minded individuals and pubs.

It’s footy heaven.

And while the lure of adult beverages will eventually reduce the analytical eye we hope to cast over the weekend, there are still some things we can try to focus on throughout Round 9.

The first game on Saturday might be our best bet despite its lack of magic on paper.

In the Newcastle Knights, we’ve got the worst attacking team in the NRL. Their coach is under pressure, and a poor result could be the end of it. Meanwhile, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have lost three on the bounce. A fourth quickly cancels out their hot start to the NRL season in a competition that sees two points separate 7th from 16th heading into Round 9.

Knights v Rabbitohs Preview

How Adam O’Brien and the Knights approach the game isn’t for anybody. As the cries of “why didn’t they contest the kick” grow louder weekly, the Knights are one of the most consistent catalysts. They’re happy to play the long game, kick to corners, and force their opposition into making mistakes.

The problem has been what they do on the end of those mistakes.

Newcastle have scored 72 points this season. For context, the Parramatta Eels, who became early wooden spoon candidates, have scored 117 points in as many games.

While many will demand a significant change to the Knights' play, this isn’t the week to make drastic adjustments. Their style profiles well against the Rabbitohs, and we will get a clear indication this week of whether or not the players believe in it.

Souths aren’t a strong yardage team. If there is a week when kicking to corners and playing the territory game can work against, it’s this one.

We do need to see some more creativity, but nothing we haven’t seen before. The Knights have played with Kalyn Ponga on the ball, and Fletcher Sharpe is floating more to the right side each week. They’re tinkering, but have yet to land on a winning formula.

There have been glimpses, though, and I particularly liked how Mitch Pearce described this play on the Sixes & Sevens Podcast¹ .

“There was one try there that he set up from the left scrum line to the right edge, skipping across the field, dropping defenders under.”

“He was beating A, B and C defenders at ease because he’s got so much skill. I think that style of footy, halves getting their hands on the ball - they’ve got quick halves - allow them to get across the field dropping blokes under, which I think will create a bit more ruck speed with their middles.”

I’m not even sure the Knights got this one right in the end. Jacob Saifiti neither runs a drop nor a lead inside three. Regardless, Ponga gets to the four-man and creates the advantage out wide.

Looking back at the try Ponga created against the Dolphins, you can see him playing a leading role in creating the ruck speed, which leads to the try-scoring action.

If Ponga isn’t dropping players under to create momentum, he can create it himself for others to play behind. Sharpe popping up down the short side in this scenario with his speed and ability to break tackles is an exciting action.

Similarly, Sharpe poking his nose through for Ponga can cause havoc for any defence not active down shortsides.

I’d still like to see Sharpe and Jack Cogger stacked on the right side with Ponga faced with four on the left. It puts pressure on the fullback to nail his numbers and ensures the defence needs to be across both sides of the ruck.

Given the frailties of the Rabbitohs’ edges in recent weeks, the Knights can find a lot of success by generating momentum through the middle for Sharpe and Ponga on the edges. From there, we might finally see some life in the Knights attack.

For the Rabbitohs, I’d like to see Lewis Dodd given a crack. Jack Wighton has been ruled out, and Souths desperately need direction.

Dodd's arrival from the Super League as an unknown on reportedly decent coin has caused some strange commentary—most have yet to see him play. However, he looks like their best option for right now.

At worst, he has a strong kicking game - something Souths have lacked all season. Against a Knights team looking to play for territory, Dodd is a useful counter.

“Dodd is a left-foot kicker and, alongside Jonny Lomax in the halves, took on a lot of the long-range kicking duties with St Helens.

He has a strong left boot out of yardage. While he spent a lot of time ball-playing in the middle of the field throughout a set, Dodd does a good job of organising the play to where he can kick off his left boot on the left side of the ruck by the last tackle.

Closer to the line, he’s able to hang up attacking kicks for his wingers or pin the opposition in the corner to start a yardage set. He doesn’t have a Matt Burton bomb but he has reasonable control over his high attacking kicks from just over halfway.”

The Wayne Bennett factor is huge in this one. He’s at the home he built, and his team has their backs against the wall. He’s named a team that suggests more of a power game with Euan Aitken in the centres and Jai Arrow in the middle. Expect the Bunnies to look to match the Knights in their arm-wrestling approach in a low-scoring encounter.

Magic Round Watchlist

The Moses Flow: Circumstances surrounding Parramatta’s game against Wests Tigers allowed Mitchell Moses’ return to fly under the radar. The bye since has had a similar impact. His control of the side and his ability to get everyone around him into shape had the Eels looking like a totally different team.

The Dolphins Spine: Kodi Nikorima is playing some of the best football of his career, Isaiya Katoa continues to turn heads with his maturity on the ball, while Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has found his feet in 2025. With Jeremy Marshall-King returning, the Dolphins are on an exciting trajectory. They have an excellent opportunity to pick up an ‘away’ win and a big scalp in the Roosters here.

Dragons Attack: The expectation for many will be that Kyle Flanagan will play on the ball more with Lachlan Ilias dropped. While he might register a couple more touches to end sets through his kicking game, expect the Dragons to look fairly similar to the first eight rounds. Lyhkan King-Togia comes into the #7 jersey after starting the NRL season in reserve grade. Importantly, the Dragons’ reserve grade side takes the same approach in attack as their first grade side. King-Togia shouldn’t cause too much disruption to what I think is a dangerous attack in this first game back.

ICYMI - The Panthers Game Plan: The Penrith Panthers aren’t themselves at the moment. Their depth has been stretched, and the once formidable game plan has come unstuck as a result.

Their error numbers are particularly telling.

Penrith’s dynasty was built on maintaining possession, a relentless kick chase, and suffocating their opponents. They led the NRL in possession in four of the last five seasons and finished inside the Top 4 in completion rate every year.

In 2025, however, they’ve coughed up the ball 98 times (third-most) and rank a middling 9th in completion rate.

The Panthers are the headline act against the Broncos on Sunday evening at Magic Round. I’m expecting to see them buy into their long game approach more than ever by limiting the errors, relying on Nathan Cleary’s kicking game, and using a win over the Broncos at Suncorp to reignite their season.

1  It still blows my mind that Mitch Pearce and Todd Carney are producing some of the best rugby league content out there.

2  Remember when people really kicked up a stink about the first Magic Round?