Newcastle are limping into the NRL finals with prop Trey Mooney ruled out for the rest of the year in another blow for the Knights.
The club revealed on Wednesday that Mooney had suffered a fractured shoulder blade in last week's loss to the Warriors and would not play again in 2026.
His absence follows a long-term suspension to fellow front-rower Daniel Saifiti, who was hit with a four-game ban for a high tackle in the 46-32 defeat in Auckland last Sunday.
Mooney and Saifiti have been the Knights' first-choice front-row pairing for the majority of the year and their absences will be keenly felt.
Newcastle are already without State of Origin forward Dylan Lucas and five-eighth Dylan Brown, but received some welcome news with Francis Manuleleua being cleared of a fractured arm.
Manuleleua failed to finish the Warriors loss, though scans revealed the edge forward had only dislocated an elbow and could be a chance to feature for the Knights in their elimination final.
On a bye in the final round of the season, Newcastle will hope South Sydney lose to a heavily-rotated Sydney Roosters side this week in order to net a home elimination game in week one of the finals.
