[Source: NRL]
Kalyn Ponga scored a stunning hat-trick and found himself on the end of a shoulder charge which resulted in Chad Townsend being sent off as Newcastle won a fiery clash 38-10 on Friday night.
Ponga was simply untouchable in the opening 40 minutes at McDonald Jones Stadium, leaving Sharks defenders grasping at thin air as he crossed for tries in the 14th and 33rd minutes.
The gun No.1 found himself in the thick of action again in the 53rd minute when took a quick 20m tap and ran two metres before Townsend hit him front on and high, bringing players from both sides racing in to push and shove.
Referee Ben Cummins had little hesitation giving Townsend his marching orders, adding to Cronulla’s woes after Wade Graham and Toby Rudolf were placed on report in the first half for a lifting tackle.
The Sharks dug deep with 12 men to post a try in the 57th minute through Connor Tracey but there was more drama to come when Braden Hamlin-Uele also went on report for a lifting tackle.
Lachlan Fitzgibbon put the result beyond doubt when he strolled through a Briton Nikora tackle in the 67th minute to make it 26-10 and Ponga’s third took the Knights out to 32-10.
Among a host of stars for the Knights young winger Starford Toa also helped himself to a first-half double as Adam O’Brien’s men exorcised the demons of last week’s horror loss to the Warriors.
The win lifts the Knights at least temporarily to sixth spot on the ladder but the Rabbitohs will leapfrog them if they can defeat the Storm.
Josh King’s first NRL try, in his 59th match, capped a great night for the Knights.
