Andrew Johns Criticises ‘Subpar’ Dolphins as Newcastle Thrash Them

Andrew Johns offered scathing criticism of the Dolphins following their 26-12 defeat to Newcastle.

Kristian Woolf’s tenure as head coach has started off on a troubled path, as the Dolphins once again found it difficult to keep pace with a spirited Knights side.

While they made three fewer errors and conceded one less penalty than the Knights, the visitors’ lack of discipline became their most significant downfall at crucial times.

James Schiller crossed the try line unmarked in the ninth minute to score first for the Knights, but Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow seemed to respond for the Dolphins shortly after.

Commonly known as ‘The Hammer’, Tabuai-Fidow was denied a try when the Bunker ruled that Felise Kaufusi had obstructed a defender in the lead-up.

This miss opened the way for Schiller to score again, and soon after, Bradman Best and Dane Gagai capitalised on a classic performance from Kalyn Ponga.

“I haven’t seen the Knights play this slick in a long time,” Johns commented during coverage on Nine.

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Jeremy Marshall-King was penalised for a roll-ball just before the halftime break, marking the second time the red and whites faced punishment for this infringement that evening.

“Once again, discipline is the issue; that’s twice tonight… really poor,” Johns said. “They’ve all been made aware throughout the offseason—there’s a clear need for improvement.”

This error proved detrimental for the Dolphins, allowing Gagai to celebrate another try.

The hooker seemingly hadn’t heeded the warning, as he was again penalised in the second half while the Dolphins sought to mount a late comeback.

“I would have him at training doing a thousand of those until he gets it right,” Johns suggested.

“This is all about training habits… if it’s not practised, cheap penalties will keep occurring like we saw tonight,” Cameron Smith concurred.

Isaiya Katoa attempted to rally his team in the final moments, but their efforts bore no fruit.

Even with Kai Pearce-Paul receiving late orders to leave the field, the Dolphins’ hopes of a recovery were extinguished as the Knights held on to secure their second win of the 2025 season.