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Posted:
2023-09-02 04:44:24
Original link:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-02/live-nrl-blog-dolphins-warriors-panthers-cowboys-dragons-knights/102805392
The NRL's top eight is locked in as Penrith Panthers wrap up back-to-back minor premierships.
The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders are all guaranteed to finish between sixth and eighth, with the Sharks-Raiders clash on Sunday determining who will play their elimination final at home and against whom.
The Panthers will host the New Zealand Warriors in the first week of the finals, after Penrith ended North Queensland's finals hopes with a dominant 44-12 victory at Penrith stadium.
In Saturday's opening match, the Warriors missed out on the chance to take third spot with a surprise 34-10 defeat against the Dolphins at Lang Park.
The Dolphins opened a 22-0 lead in the first half against a much-changed Warriors team to snap a six-game losing streak and end their maiden season on a high.
Warriors coach Andrew Webster said his team would not be derailed by the defeat, despite losing for the first time in seven weeks.
That defeat, coupled with the Panthers win, means Storm will take on the Brisbane Broncos in the other top-four match up.
The Storm beat the Broncos on Thursday night to extend their winning streak over Brisbane to 14 matches.
Meanwhile, Newcastle sealed fifth spot and a home elimination final with a 32-12 victory over the Dragons, their ninth win in a row.
English winger Dom Young scored two stunning tries to seal the win.
Look back on how all the action unfolded in our live blog.
Thanks for being with us
Thank you for enjoying today's NRL action with me.
Congratulations to the Panthers for yet another minor premiership.
Are they the team to beat in the finals? Hard to see otherwise.
I'll be back tomorrow for the Titans vs Bulldogs and Sharks vs Raiders matches, when the finals fixtures will be sorted.
Until then, enjoy the rest of your Saturday.
Ciao.
I can't see him getting a game next week...
The ref is out of control - he should be suspended :)
- Mike
In all seriousness, thanks for your service Ben Cummins.
Refereeing 443 NRL games is nothing to sniff at - a hugely impressive career at the top level.
Dragons vs Knights: Stats
Supporting a footy team is a horrible thing
Well done Knights, you have finally put us REDV diehards out of our misery. But we will saddle up again next season as we are a bunch of masochists.
- Richie
Yet we still keep coming back for more.
The Dragons will rise against Richie, I'm sure of it.
Newcastle seal fifth spot with 32-12 victory against St George Illawarra
Nine wins in a row for the Knights - what a stunning achievement.
They will host an elimination final next week.
Ever since they beat the Bulldogs 66-0 in Round 18, they have not been beaten.
It's an incredible run and has earned them a home final in the Hunter. Magic.
79' YOUNG SCORES ANOTHER ONE!
Oh for goodness sake this is freakish from the Englishman!
He was in mid-air again and still managed to get the ball down.
It was a wonderful break from Enari Tuala and Young does it again - not quite as miraculous as the last but still fairly ridiculous.
Gamble misses the kick, it's 32-12.
77' YOUNG SCORES A MIRACLE!
You can't call that a try! There is no way that should have been scored!
My goodness! Mosese Suli grabbed Dom Young by the shoulders, flipped him around and incredibly, Young still managed to get the ball down!
That's insane!
Upside down, reaching behind him. That should not be possible.
Not only that, but it's a record-breaking 22nd try of the season, the most in the Knights' history.
74' Tyson Gamble kicks a penalty goal
That makes it 24-12 and, more importantly, takes 60 seconds or so off the clock.
The Knights well and truly on their way to fifth spot on the ladder.
74' Blake Lawrie sent to the sin bin!
Now the Dragons lose a player!
Daniel Saifiti was tackled off the ball chasing a grubber into the in goal area.
Ben Hunt was there, so it won't be a penalty try, but we'll finish with 12 vs 12.
69' Lachlan Miller sent to the sin bin!
This is interesting!
It was another brilliant chip and regather from Ben Hunt, the Dragons broke through the Knights line and Miller made a tackle on Talatau Amone, who had passed to Tyrell Sloan as he was tackled.
Sloan was then tackled in turn but, because Miller was still completing the tackle on Amone, the Dragons half could not regather the pass back to him and it's a sin bin!
Tough for that to be a sin bin given Miller was completing a tackle in the first place, but a real chance for the Dragons here to get something out of this game!
67' What a finish!
Have the Dragons scored!?
My goodness what a finish from Mikaele Ravalawa!
He dived full stretch to his left, Greg Marzhew grabbed him, turned him over the sideline but his hip was still in the air, somehow, and he puts the ball down.
That's 21 tries in as many games this year from Ravalawa - and that has to be one of the best finishes.
Lomax adds the extras to make it a ten-point ball game, 22-12.
66' WHAT A TRY! BUT IT'S RULED OUT!
Oh that's brilliant!
Tyson Gamble dummies a kick, then chips ahead to himself, but Riley Jones gathered and passed quickly to Gamble, who raced through to score.
Unfortunately, Jones' foot was ahead of Gamble when he kicked and so he was offside.
What rotten luck - that would have been magnificent.
63' Scrappy period from both teams
The Dragons have had a couple of chances to breach the Knights line but have been unable to do so.
Meanwhile, the Knights can't seem to hold onto the ball, Oryn Keeley for one running with his head down in the line as the ball was passed to him in a somewhat embarrassing moment - he must have been expecting a kick, but it was a poor display of awareness.
It's been a lean run
As a 50 year Dragons supporter this is hard to watch. It hurts.
- Richie
I definitely understand your frustrations, Richie.
The Knights are playing superb football at the moment though - this is their best winning run for over two decades.
Wowza
Brisbane have beaten Melbourne exactly three times at Suncorp Stadium. Darren Lockyer played in all three of those.
- Josh
What are you up to next weekend, Darren?
44' Try Newcastle!
Fa'amanu Brown crashes over!
Bradman Best avoided a tackle, flicked the ball wide to Marzhew.
He offloaded to Clune, who fed Brown, who bundled three tacklers over the line.
He was short initially, but his momentum carried him over the line and it's a fair try.
Miller adds two more and pushes the score to 22-6.
41' Newcastle kick off the second half
'Hard to watch' for Cowboys
While we celebrate the Panthers, the Cowboys endured a hugely disappointing night as their season ended.
"It was hard to watch," coach Todd Payten said.
"With everything to play for and get put on the back foot, not showing any real resolve, was hard to cop.
"Seventeen plays inside our own 20 for five tries, that's not good enough at NRL level.
"To sit here after 27 weeks, we're going to watch the finals, probably for more than anything, we didn't stop enough tries."
Goodbye Ben Sutton
Tonight is the 443rd and final match of Ben Sutton's stellar refereeing career.
He has refereed 32 finals, 14 Origin matches and five grand finals.
Referees are not everyone's favourite people, but the game cannot be run without them, so thank you to Ben, and all the referees, particularly at community level that allow the game to be played.