Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Newcastle, last year’s wooden spooners, are through to a preliminary final against Penrith.
But the big talking point out of their epic 12-10 win over the New Zealand Warriors in front of 48,511 fans at Eden Park was the failure to award the home side a penalty in the final minute.
Leka Halasima, one of the Warriors’ best despite playing on one leg, appeared to be run off the ball by Tyson Frizell when he chased a kick.
Referee Ashley Klein refused to award a penalty in real time and the Warriors had lost their captain’s challenge, which meant the bunker could not intervene.
Fans, however, will be wondering why the bunker could not use its powers to step in and overrule the on-field decision.
The Warriors could have kicked a penalty goal from close range to level the scores.
Only minutes earlier, Warriors playmaker Te Maire Martin was also penalised for stripping the ball from Greg Marzhew when the Knights winger appeared to drop it.
Angry fans launched projectiles on to the field in the direction of Klein after full-time.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster said of the calls, including a third one involving an Ali Leiataua knock-on: “It’s frustrating. I thought they were trying to find ways to take it off us.
“The last one [with Frizell], he’s going across Leka, pretending to try and catch the ball, which they told us you can’t do.
“That could have drawn the game and gone to golden point, who knows … at the end of the day, you make your own luck in this game, and we had enough opportunities to win that game.”
Knights coach Justin Holbrook became frustrated with the grilling from journalists about the contentious calls, and when pressed on the Frizell incident, said: “I didn’t notice that. Thanks.”
“I’m not here to comment on the result [of the decisions],” he said. “We were fantastic today. The Warriors have had a great year; they were enormous. There wasn’t much in the game. But I want to thank our players.
“We played with 100-odd fans here out of 50,000, we knew how many were watching at home. I’m really happy with the win.”
Regardless of the controversial calls, the Warriors, as Webster touched on, produced far too many poor options at the end of their sets.
How is it a team that averaged almost 30 points a game all season could only come up with three tries in two finals on home soil?
One of those tries featured individual brilliance from Halasima when he somehow stayed in the field of play to plant the ball down and get around Dom Young.
Prop Mitch Barnett found himself going down the short side on two occasions late in the tackle count, and came up with a grubber in the first half that gifted Newcastle a seven-tackle set that led to a Fletcher Sharpe try.
The Knights were brave with Kalyn Ponga forced off the field in the dying stages for a head injury assessment.
Ponga confirmed to Fox League after the game he had passed his HIA and would be fit for next Sunday’s clash against the Panthers.
“I feel good, I feel proud, I feel like crying,” Ponga said.
“Everyone counted us out about five or six weeks ago. To represent our town with so much pride, it’s an awesome feeling.
“I can’t wait to get back to Newcastle and get on to next week.”
Nobody expected Newcastle to get past South Sydney in an elimination final last week. Nobody gave them a hope against the Warriors either.
As long as they have Ponga they have to be a hope. He is a big-game player whose bomb defusals were first class, and his captain’s challenges bang on.
Dane Gagai was placed on report for a high shot on Taine Tuaupiki, who was forced off the field for a HIA.
Phoenix Crossland was brilliant diving on the ball in desperation late in the game. Sharpe was brilliant in attack and defence, Gagai and Bradman Best asked plenty of questions on the edges, as did their young back-rowers, Jermaine McEwen and Francis Manuleleua.
Even Dylan Lucas made his comeback from a serious ankle injury in the final 12 minutes.
One man who should take a bow is Holbrook, who has breathed new life into the Hunter club. The players love playing for him, and he is now 80 minutes away from a decider.
