They may have just entered the top eight for the first time since March, but could the Newcastle Knights now emerge as the team to begin a finals charge that runs deep into September?
The Knights claimed a scrappy 16-14 win over Cronulla on Sunday, with a 72nd-minute penalty goal from Jake Clifford proving the difference in a closely-fought affair.
The gritty win lifts Newcastle into the top half of the ladder for the first time since round three, when they had fallen into a seemingly never-ending season-long slumber.
But the return to full health of stars Kalyn Ponga and Mitchell Pearce has coincided with a season-high three-game winning streak, and resulted in arguably their best form of the season.
Adam O’Brien’s side is now in seventh spot with three games left in the season.
The victory may have come at a cost, however, with key front-rower Daniel Saifiti suffering a left knee injury that could hamper the Knights’ quest to make the finals.
The Sharks fought valiantly but lacked the class to ice their opportunities, sorely missing their own star players in Wade Graham, Matt Moylan and the now-departed Shaun Johnson.
They now remain in 10th spot, two points behind eight-placed Gold Coast.
Cronulla must’ve missed the pre-game weather report, with Newcastle retrieving the ball after kicking off into a strong northerly at Moreton Daily Stadium in Redcliffe.
It resulted in the fastest try in three years, Enari Tuala touching down after just 35 seconds.
But Cronulla worked feverishly to overcome its horror start, flexing its muscle in defence and narrowed its ball-playing to claim the final two tries of the half.
The result was a four-point lead at the break, with a Briton Nikora offload ending in Jesse Ramien opening the Sharks’ account, before Ronaldo Mulitalo was on the end of a Connor Tracey kick.
An acrobatic Tuala four-pointer levelled the contest early in an arm-wrestle of a second-half, where both teams traded penalty goals to set up a tense finish.
Clifford then sealed the win with a penalty goal late.
Sharks coach Josh Hannay was upset with a handful of contentious decisions, including a penalty for driving a Knights player back into the in-goal moments before Clifford’s match-winning kick.
“Every game, that’s part of the game. For that to be a penalty, they march up the other end and kick the winning goal from that,” he said.
“There were some tough decisions on us today.
Saifiti blow
Saifiti went down in agony after bearing the weight of Sharks prop Aiden Tolman on his left leg following a charge close to the tryline late in the second half.
The NSW State of Origin prop attempted to play on for a handful of plays before limping off soon after, instantly raising concerns about his availability for the rest of the season.
“I think he’s had the same one previously. The positive he got back in the line, the negative he didn’t stay in the line for too long,” O’Brien said.
David Klemmer, who was arguably the Knights’ best with a team-high 168 metres off the bench, is the logical replacement, but faces a nervous wait on the match review charge sheet.
Final straight
The result leaves a logjam of six teams within two points of each other in the race to the finals.
Newcastle faces lowly Canterbury and Brisbane in the final three weeks, sandwiched around a clash against Gold Coast, while Cronulla meet the Wests Tigers, Broncos and Melbourne.
“They said this game wasn’t going to be tough, that we don’t have a tough run in,” O’Brien said.
“It was a tough game. Everybody’s fighting to get into that back half of the eight, so it is tough. It’s disrespectful to think teams can’t turn up and give you your best footy.”
The Knights may have to fight on without Klemmer, who was put on report for a crusher tackle on Ramien, while teammate Mitch Barnett was also cited for a high shot on Nikora.
Sharks prop Braden Hamlin-Uele could also be in trouble for dangerous contact.
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