Newcastle scramble home to book NRLW grand final spot

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Newcastle are on the cusp of history and the question is whether anyone can stop them.

With a crowd of 12,500 in their ears at McDonald Jones Stadium, the Knights stormed to their second consecutive NRLW grand final after defeating the Broncos 30-24 on Sunday afternoon.

Now, the Knights women are hunting back-to-back premierships, a haul that would draw them level with the men’s side and a feat which escaped the famous teams helmed by the Johns brothers Matthew and Andrew.

Fullback Tamika Upton put on a masterclass with a try, three line breaks and three try assists, but the Knights won’t be celebrating. They almost didn’t get there.

Newcastle’s second-half defence was poor, and Brisbane killed them with offloads and big run metres leaving the Knights fortunate to walk away with the win.

After putting 18 unanswered points on the visitors in as many minutes, the Broncos reinvigorated their attack with their first try in the 28th minute and stormed home to make the difference just six points at full-time.

Knights prop Caitlan Johnston celebrates her try.Credit: Getty

Despite the scrappiness of the second half, Newcastle’s first 35 minutes were textbook.

It took just four minutes for hooker Olivia Higgins to draw first blood, with a burrowing try that raised serious questions about Brisbane’s defence.

Before the Broncos knew what was happening, skipper Hannah Southwell and prop Caitlan Johnston had burst over for a try each to open up the 18-point lead.

Their attack sharp and defence impenetrable, it took 25 minutes before the Knights made an error, an impressive statistic given they had two-thirds of the possession inside that time.

The Knights are into a second consecutive grand final where they will face either the Roosters or Titans.Credit: Getty

Brisbane were being asked all the questions but had none of the answers.

But when the Broncos did get their first points the momentum shifted and the Knights were left in the dust having used all their trump cards in the opening 20 minutes.

Mele Hufanga and Gayle Broughton teamed up down the left-hand side to test the struggling Knights’ defence, and their players rumbled over the home side’s defensive line to have a last-gasp attempt at victory.

When Lauren Dam scored a double in the final 10 minutes, the Newcastle crowd raised the volume, worried Brisbane skipper Ali Brigginshaw would pull something out of her back pocket to send the game to golden point.

But in the end, the early second-half try from Upton proved the difference, and with Tiana Davison’s try in the final five minutes, the Knights just managed to hold on to the grand final spot they thought they had sealed in the first half.

Watch the NRL Grand Final Exclusive Live and Free on Channel 9 and 9Now.

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