Newcastle Advances to First Grand Final in 25 Years

Newcastle are through to an NRL grand final. Can you believe it?

And for the sake of next Sunday’s decider being competitive, it was probably best Penrith lost.

Who knows what kind of team the Panthers would have fielded against a full-strength Sydney Roosters given their injury toll, headed by Nathan Cleary’s broken leg.

A 12-man Knights team caused one of the great September boilovers with a 22-14 win at Accor Stadium.

Cleary suffered a suspected compound fracture of his left leg in the 35th minute after an ugly hip-drop tackle by Phoenix Crossland. The Knights hooker was sent off as Cleary was rushed to hospital.

Cleary was relegated to the bench at the start of the game because of concerns over stress fractures in his right foot – but the injury to his left leg, which ended up in an awful position, ended his afternoon, crushed hopes of a fifth premiership and will end his World Cup hopes on home soil.

Blaize Talagi hobbled off with an Achilles injury late in the game, Dylan Edwards played on with a PCL injury he suffered in the first half, and Isaah Yeo was doing his best with one pec.

The loss of Cleary was impossible to ignore. Some of the Panthers’ last-tackle options were ordinary. None was worse than Tom Jenkins’ decision to kick on the first tackle.

Coach Ivan Cleary said of the scenes involving his son after the game: “He’s in hospital now, just waiting for surgery. He’ll have to get the other foot done as well because that was broken as well.

“I went and saw him at half-time and saw the whole crew – my family – in there. That was hard and a bit emotional.

“All I know is he watched the game in the ambulance. It made him feel worse.

“In hindsight, when all the boys went around to the medicab, I got a bit emotional there, and thought it was cool. I didn’t know it was a compound fracture. I can’t explain what happened in the second half.

“I’d rather congratulate the Knights, [coach] Justin Holbrook ... they thoroughly deserve to be in a grand final.”

The absence of a calm playmaker was evident as Penrith continually pushed for points late, only for Sandon Smith to score a long-range intercept try to secure one of the great Newcastle wins.

Smith had scored a try earlier in the half when Penrith’s Billy Phillips was penalised for a high tackle on Fletcher Sharpe, and the playmaker decided to tap and run while the Panthers had their backs turned.

Penrith argued a quick tap was not allowed when there had been an act of foul play.

Referee Gerard Sutton told Edwards: “It wasn’t quick, foul play had been cleared, and you had plenty of chances to reload.”

Penrith should have been more alert, and it summed up their afternoon.

Newcastle are through, and they thoroughly deserve to have their moment in the sun. Nobody gave them a chance coming into the finals series, but they are riding a Merewether-like wave of confidence.

Holbrook should take a bow for coming in and taking last year’s wooden spooners all the way to the big dance.

And to think he will do it against the club where he was assistant coach last season.

Captain Kalyn Ponga was a star, with his brutal shot on prop Moses Leota with four minutes remaining nothing short of inspirational. He was also involved in a remarkable play to deny Casey McLean from scoring late.

Smith, a former Roosters player, bagged a double, back-rowers Jermaine McEwen and Francis Manuleleua play with no fear, and centres Bradman Best and Dane Gagai will ask plenty of questions of Roosters opposites Billy Smith and Rob Toia.

Judging by the sea of red and blue among the 57,102 inside Accor Stadium on a drab Sunday afternoon, the Newcastle locals genuinely believe they can party like it is 2001.

Crossland became the first player sent off for a hip-drop tackle, with Sutton explaining to Ponga: “Initially he’s up high, he makes a definite action to twist. He comes down on the leg with weight. There’s extreme risk of serious injury. You’re off.”

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