Newcastle Knights upset South Sydney Rabbitohs in NRL elimination final
Consensus Summary
Newcastle Knights stunned the South Sydney Rabbitohs in a dramatic NRL elimination final on Fri, 11 Sept, 7:50 pm, winning 20-10 at the Sydney Football Stadium. The match was defined by physical clashes, particularly between Latrell Mitchell and Dane Gagai, and a standout performance from 21-year-old Jermaine McEwen, who scored 2 tries. Newcastle, undermanned without key players like Dylan Brown and Trey Mooney, defied expectations with a strong defensive effort and late attacking plays. Cody Walker’s calf injury late in the game further hampered South Sydney’s chances. The victory marked Newcastle’s first finals win on the road since 2013, setting up a potential deep finals run. Both sources agree on the attendance of 28,152 and the significance of McEwen’s dual tries, though minor discrepancies exist in timing and venue naming.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Newcastle Knights defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-10 in an elimination final on Fri, 11 Sept, 7:50 pm
- Jermaine McEwen scored 2 tries for Newcastle in the match
- Latrell Mitchell and Dane Gagai had a physical altercation mid-game, with Mitchell throwing a punch
- Cody Walker was injured (calf) and left the game late in the second half
- Newcastle’s last finals win on the road was in 2013
- The match took place at the Sydney Football Stadium (referred to as Allianz Stadium in 7NEWS)
- McEwen scored his first try in the 6th minute
- McEwen is a 21-year-old backrower
- Dane Gagai scored a try in the 25th minute
- Dane Gagai is a 35-year-old player
- The match was part of Week 1 of the NRL Finals series
- The attendance was 28,152
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The match was described as a 'fiery elimination final' with multiple penalties and defensive errors by South Sydney
- Francis Manuleleua delivered a violent hit on Cameron Murray late in the first half, though it was technically offside
- Dom Young scored a try that was later disallowed due to a knock-on by Alex Johnston
- Bud Sullivan’s try was chalked off for a knock-on from Alex Johnston
- Brandon Smith’s last desperate effort came up short with 3 minutes left
- The Knights’ next game was scheduled for Sat, 12 Sept, 4:05 pm (Warriors vs Dolphins) and Sat, 12 Sept, 7:50 pm (Sharks vs Cowboys)
- The match included a 'six again' call that was questioned by the reporter
- The Knights won despite being undermanned, with key players like Dylan Brown, Dylan Lucas, Trey Mooney, and Jacob Saifiti missing
- Kalyn Ponga was prominent throughout the game, with Sandon Smith and Fletcher Sharpe supporting him
- The Rabbitohs had played something resembling their top side for the first time all season
- The match was described as a 'heist' by Newcastle, pulling off a surprise win
- Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook emphasized the team’s belief and confidence despite being undermanned
- The Knights’ main source of attack was their right edge, featuring Gagai and Mitchell’s battle
- McEwen’s second try came in the 62nd minute, with Young setting it up
- Jye Gray scored a late try for South Sydney but it came too late to change the result
- The match was Newcastle’s first finals win on the road since 2013
- The Knights will face the loser of the Warriors vs Dolphins qualification match next
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- ABC states the final score was 20-10 (Knights 20, Rabbitohs 10) in Article 2, but Article 1 lists the score as Bulldogs 20, Broncos 34 for a different match on Thu, 3 Sept, 7:50 pm
- ABC Article 1 mentions a '20-10 win' for Knights but also lists a '20-10' score for a different match (likely a typo or misattribution)
- 7NEWS states McEwen’s second try was in the 62nd minute, while ABC does not specify the exact minute for his second try
- ABC describes the match as taking place at the Sydney Football Stadium, while 7NEWS refers to it as Allianz Stadium (likely the same venue with different naming conventions)
- ABC mentions a '20 metres out from the Knights line' penalty, but 7NEWS does not specify this exact detail
Source Articles
Live: Mitchell throws punch as Knights strike first in fiery elimination final
South Sydney and Newcastle get the NRL Finals series underway with an elimination clash at the Sydney Football Stadium. Follow live.
Newcastle's finals win is proof the future has come
Stars were born under the finals lights as Newcastle knockout finals win over South Sydney announced the dawn of a new tomorrow.
Newcastle daring to dream after pulling off NRL finals heist on South Sydney
Souths coach Wayne Bennett unloaded on the bunker after his side was knocked out.
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