Harrison Graham is set to go from a development deal to an NRL grand final in just six months after Newcastle's first-choice hooker Phoenix Crossland was referred straight to the judiciary.
Crossland was sent off in Sunday's 22-14 preliminary final win over Penrith after affecting a hip-drop tackle on Nathan Cleary that left the Panthers halfback with a compound ankle fracture.
Cleary, who has undergone surgery, faces a long road to recovery, and the severity of his injury could impact the length of Crossland's ban.
On Monday, the NRL's match review committee referred Crossland to the judiciary, meaning the length of the No.9's suspension will be dictated by the panel on Tuesday evening.
Ryan Couchman was the last player to be referred to the judiciary for a hip-drop tackle in March.
The St George Illawarra forward was handed a four-game suspension after Parramatta lock J'maine Hopgood was left with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Crossland will miss the grand final, but could be back as soon as round one, if the Knights are able to count Rugby League World Cup fixtures in his suspension.
The 26-year-old Crossland is a six-cap New Zealand international and was locked in a three-way with the Dolphins' Jeremy Marshall-King and Brandon Smith of South Sydney for the Kiwis' No. 9 jersey.
In the short term, Newcastle are expected to turn to Graham, who arrived at the Knights over the summer on a development contract.
Graham was the first signing the Dolphins made ahead of their inaugural season.
The 25-year-old was upgraded to a top-30 spot at Newcastle midway through this season after excelling from the interchange.
"I put my best foot forward in that last year (at the Dolphins), I learned so much over my three years there," Graham told AAP.
"I can't thank (recruitment manager) Peter O'Sullivan enough.
"He gave me the opportunity at the Dolphins and then gave me an opportunity with the Knights, and to be honest I didn't really know much about coming down here.
"To look back on it now and reflect in the last couple of weeks, it's just crazy to see how far we've come as a group, and how far I've come as a player.
"If you'd have asked me 12 months ago about playing for Newcastle in a grand final I wouldn't have believed it."
Graham has mainly been a bench specialist for the Knights this season, only starting two NRL games in 2026.
"I feel ready for it. It's pretty clear what my role is within this team now, and yeah, I get to do it for another week, which is the best thing," he said.
