They made a meal of the preparation, but Dylan Brown delivered the goods when it mattered.
With the scores locked at 12-12 in the 75th minute, Brown kicked the first field goal of his NRL career to secure Newcastle’s 13-12 victory over the Dolphins at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
A Phoenix Crossland 40-20 kick helped the Knights regain momentum in the final 10 minutes after the Dolphins had erased a 12-0 half-time deficit, then Dolphins winger Tevita Naufahu spilled Brown’s bomb to gift Newcastle an attacking set on the visitors’ line.
Brown inches the Knights ahead
Five-eighth Sandon Smith was Newcastle’s preferred option on the fourth tackle but Smith was forced backwards and was tackled, leaving Brown to take a shot from 20 metres out.
“To have Dyl Brown kick his field goal the way he did, then the boys held on, it was awesome,” Knights coach Justin Holbrook said.
“We’re getting used to those tight wins but the main thing is we’re winning.
“It was a bit weird when Sandon all of a sudden had ice skates on and he was slipping around everywhere.
“He was obviously our first choice, then I didn’t think Dyl would take it from there, but that’s the calmness that he plays the game with – and he slotted it like he’s kicked a hundred of them, and that’s his first one.
“You know, big players in big moments, and he delivered for us.”
Speaking to Channel Nine’s Brad Fittler on the field shortly after full-time, Brown said it was his first field goal at any level since he kicked one playing SG Ball for Parramatta.
“I think I kicked it with 20 minutes to go, so it was a bit different to that one,” Brown said. “But yeah, first one in NRL, so it’s good.”
Brown's crossbar challenge
Winning their seventh game from their past eight, and fifth straight at home by single digits, the Knights (26 points) leap-frogged the Dolphins (24) into fourth position heading into their match against eighth-placed Souths (22) at Accor Stadium on Sunday.
