2 weeks Ago By Josh Callinan
DYLAN Lucas appears one step closer to an NRL return. Login or signup to continue reading The Prime Minister's XIII and Indigenous All Stars representative, who has been sidelined for over a month because of a hamstring injury , will travel to New Zealand with the Knights squad. The Newcastle Herald understands Lucas joins all 17 players from Sunday's loss for a flight across the Tasman ahead of an Anzac clash against the Warriors in Christchurch.
Whether or not second-rower Lucas actually takes the field on Friday remains to be seen. The 24-year-old last lined up in round two on March 13, before picking up the issue at training the following week. Lucas became part of the club's crowded casualty ward.
Fellow forwards Adam Elliott (calf), Jack Hethrington (shoulder) and Jacob Saifiti (calf) have yet to return from their most recent issues a fortnight ago. It's unclear whether that trio will make the NZ trip. However, playmaker Jack Cogger, himself recovering from surgery to repair a dislocated finger suffered on April 6, needed his passport this week.
Phoenix Crossland (ankle) and Tyson Gamble (nose) both come into consideration for the April 25 encounter despite getting hurt during a 34-14 defeat by the Sharks at McDonald Jones Stadium on Easter Sunday. Knights hooker Crossland left the field in the 32 nd minute and never returned while No.7 Gamble, in his come back from pre-season back surgery less than two months ago , played out the whole game.
Cronulla duo Teig Wilton and Cameron McInnes avoided suspensions despite being charged by the NRL judiciary on Monday. Wilton was hit with dangerous contact for a first-half tackle on Gamble. First-time offender James Schiller escaped with a $1000 fine for a grade-one careless high tackle, which saw the Newcastle winger sin-binned early in Sunday's second half.
Knights pivot Jackson Hastings, who missed the previous round for the birth of his baby daughter, featured in NSW Cup on the weekend. An estimated 22 players will now travel to New Zealand. It's a tough five-day turnaround for the club, who have now lost four straight after opening the 2025 campaign with back-to-back wins.
Newcastle players caught the bus down a traffic-jammed M1 on Monday afternoon before flying out of Sydney first thing on Tuesday morning. Friday's 6pm fixture on the country's South Island against the Warriors, who edged out the Broncos in a golden-point thriller over the weekend, will be followed by a trek to Brisbane for Magic Round. The Knights meet the Rabbitohs at Suncorp Stadium on May 3.
My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald. I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury. My name is Josh Callinan and I'm a sports journalist at the Newcastle Herald.
I started with the newspaper in 2016 after a decade at the Maitland Mercury. Daily Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update.
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