Newcastle’s fairytale finals run is still alive but they could be forced to face the Warriors without halfback Jackson Hastings, who re-injured his ankle in a nerve-wracking 30-28 extra time win over Canberra.
In one of the most dramatic finals games in recent history, Newcastle five-eighth Tyson Gamble alleged he was bitten by Jack Wighton only for the Canberra centre to escape a send-off and be placed on report.
After his side squandered a 12-point lead in the final 20 minutes, it was left to Newcastle captain Kalyn Ponga to kick an 89th minute penalty to clinch the elimination final for his side in front of a 29,548 crowd at McDonald Jones Stadium.
His kick, in Newcastle’s first home final since 2006, ensured the Knights will head to Auckland to face the Warriors next Saturday on the back of 10 straight wins.
They will more than likely be without Hastings after the halfback missed the second half and extra time with an ankle injury.
“It doesn’t look great and I haven’t had a chance to speak to the doctors just yet,” said Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien.
“We tested him at halftime and he wasn’t going to be able to contribute in the second half.”
O’Brien nominated Adam Clune as the most likely man to step into the void, with Hastings now facing a race against the clock to line up against the Warriors.
Newcastle opened the scoring on Sunday through Greg Marzhew but the Raiders flipped the script to lead 16-6 at the break.
The expectant Knights crowd were silenced, and it was only when Wighton was placed on report for biting in the 47th minute that they found their voice again.
Referee Ashley Klein opted against sending him off in what was his 241st – and ultimately last – game for Canberra before heading to South Sydney.
“They are allegations,” said Raiders coach Ricky Stuart.
“I just hope that a great game of football isn’t overshadowed in the media by that.”
Feeling hard done by, the Newcastle crowd and players clicked into gear.
Dominic Young, Ponga and Dane Gagai helped them lay on 18 points in the space of 16 minutes to push out to a 28-16 lead.
But Canberra fought back to make it 28-28 at fulltime courtesy of Tom Starling and Matt Frawley.
“That’s Raiders DNA what you saw there,” Stuart said.
“We showed why we are a top eight team, who are unlucky not to be in the top four. I couldn’t be any prouder.”
But for all his side’s grit and fight, Stuart’s Raiders lacked a clinical edge.
Jamal Fogarty had two field goal attempts charged down with the game all square, before Canberra back-rower Hudson Young was penalised for a deliberate offside in the 89th minute.
Ponga then stepped up to kick his side into a semi-final with the Warriors.
“(The crowd) was unbelievable, so loud and I guess the enormity of that weighs on the team at times,” O’Brien said.
“I guess the opposition they’ll feel the weight of a nation on their shoulders, they’ll know what it feels like next week.”
