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 over-rule such a poor 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.
Regardless of the controversial calls, the Warriors 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 with 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 coach Justin 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.
What about the Warriors and their season? Do we still call it a success after bombing out in straight sets? It was their veteran, Kurt Capewell, and Halasima, who turns 21 on Monday, who were their standouts.
Tuaupiki came up with a brave tackle on Marzhew, but his halves were unable to put him into decent space close to the line.
The Knights would have been delighted heading into the sheds at the break with the score locked up at 6-all.
Newcastle were not great with holding the ball, but the Warriors were worse.
Halasima opened the scoring, then Sharpe hit back after a great run by Best. Young scored early in the second half when he got on the outside of his defenders, and only after the visitors were allowed go on the attack because of an Watene-Zelezniak error courtesy of a brutal Manuleleua hit.
Centre Ali Leiataua thought he had locked up the scores midway through the second half, but Eddie Ieremia-Toeava was ruled to have obstructed Sharpe.