Knights, Bulldogs eliminated from NRL title contention
NORTH Queensland are through to the second week of the NRL finals after cocaptain Reuben Cotter scored a bizarre late try as the Cowboys rallied to oust gallant Newcastle 2816.
The 73rd minute try in Saturday night’s elimination final in Townsville came off a Jake Clifford bomb. It was knocked back by winger Kyle Feldt, bounced off the knee of secondrower Heilum Luki and was then knocked on by Newcastle’s Daniel Saifiti.
From there Cotter went to regather, but the ball hit his knee. It was hardly believable at that point. But what was believable was the determination of Cotter as he got to the ball ahead of Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga by a whisker to score.
Fellow cocaptain Tom Dearden iced the win with a final try as the Cowboys set up a semifinal clash with Cronulla in
Sydney on Friday night.
Skipper Ponga inspired the Knights like only he can to give them a 124 lead at the halftime break. His dazzling footwork was on show early before he set up two tries, one with a trademark burst and another with a welljudged bomb.
Veteran Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt scored his 23rd try of the season, a club record, when he snaffled an errant pass by fillin centre Dylan Lucas in the 14th minute to race 85m to score. Earlier, Ponga ghosted his way through a hole from 40m out and found hooker Jayden Brailey with a scintillating pass to give the visitors the lead.
A brilliant tapon by Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes for winger Murray Taulagi to score straight after halftime got the Cowboys back in it.
The Cowboys finally grabbed the lead when Drinkwater put prop Jordan McLean over under the sticks, but the Knights hit back when Lucas crashed over. Ponga hit the uprights with the conversion, leaving scores level at 1616 and setting up a thrilling final 15 minutes.
Ponga split them and Gagai dropped a low pass with the line open before Cotter’s heroics allowed the Cowboys to go clear.
Melbourne lived up to their status as minor premiers by marching into an NRL preliminary final, skipper Harry Grant bagging a hattrick in a thumping 3710 victory over Cronulla.
The fourthplaced Sharks matched the Storm early in their Saturday afternoon clash at AAMI Park, only trailing 1410 at halftime.
But Melbourne did not allow Cronulla to add to that tally while skipper Grant added 12 of his own points, scoring three secondhalf tries.
Will Warbrick also added his second for the day as the home side finished in style.
Nathan Cleary turbocharged Penrith’s pursuit of a fourth straight NRL premiership as the Panthers booked a preliminary final berth by manhandling the Sydney Roosters on the way to a 3010 win on Friday night. In their farewell game at Panthers Stadium before its redevelopment, Ivan Cleary’s men ensured the 21,483 packed into the venue went home happy after a onesided qualifying final victory over the Roosters.
And in a further encouraging sign for the Panthers, halfback Cleary showed no hints of rust on his return from a shoulder injury. Penrith’s No 7 was given an early mark, taken off with four minutes to go as the Panthers earned the right to enjoy a week off before their preliminary final at Accor Stadium.
Manly have advanced to the second week of the finals and ended Canterbury's Cinderella season with a comefrombehind 2422 win in the sides' elimination final at Accor Stadium.
The Bulldogs controlled long stretches last night’s match, but a runaway try from Tolu Koula helped put the Sea Eagles on top during the final 10 minutes. Bulldogs fiveeighth Matt Burton had two chances to level the scores in the final two minutes, but his attempts at twopoint field goals both pulled up short and the Sea Eagles held on.
The Sea Eagles will meet the Roosters for a semifinal at Allianz Stadium next Saturday night, with the Bulldogs left to regroup following heartbreak in their first final since 2016. — AAP