Newcastle defeat South Sydney 20:10 in NRL finals series in Australia
Australian club Newcastle Knights defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs 20:10 in a National Rugby League (NRL) finals series match at Sydney Football Stadium. It was Newcastle's first away win in a playoff match in 13 years, ABC News Australia reports.
Before the game, the Knights were unable to rely on Dylan Brown, Dylan Lucas, Trey Mooney and Jacob Saifiti due to injuries. At the same time, the team secured the victory thanks to its young players, ABC notes.
McEwen's two tries
One of the main heroes of the match was 21-year-old second-rower Jermaine McEwen, who scored two tries. He also helped organize the Knights' defence on the right edge of the field against the opponent's strong left-side attack.
McEwen's second-row partner Francis Manuleleua made a heavy tackle on Cameron Murray near the end of the first half. The contact itself was clean, according to ABC, but Manuleleua was offside.
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Thirty-five-year-old centre Dane Gagai scored a try in the 25th minute and had a notable match-up with Latrell Mitchell. Among Newcastle's other players, ABC highlighted Tyson Frizell, Kalyn Ponga, Sandon Smith and Fletcher Sharpe.
Walker's injury and controversial moments
South Sydney lost Cody Walker to a calf injury at the start of the second half. Walker is an important part of the team's left edge, so his early exit was a loss for the Rabbitohs.
There were several controversial episodes in the match. Bud Sullivan's try was disallowed because of an Alex Johnston knock-on, although, as ABC notes, the incident could have been interpreted as a ball strip. The outlet also indicates that Dom Young's try could have been disallowed.
Three minutes before the final whistle, Brandon Smith came close to scoring a try that could have made the closing stages more tense, but he failed to reach the in-goal area. It was South Sydney's first appearance in the finals series in four years, but the team was eliminated after its opening match.
