The Broncos have survived a nail-biting finish to hold off a brave Knights outfit 24-20 in a Suncorp Stadium thriller.
The Knights arrived in Brisbane as heavy underdogs and took it to the second-placed Broncos, leading 20-12 with 20 minutes to play, but Kevin Walters' men owned the final stages of the game, with skipper Adam Reynolds scoring the match-winner with four minutes to play.
The Round 15 clash featured an epic showdown with former and current Maroons fullbacks Kalyn Ponga and Reece Walsh going toe-to-toe on several occasions.
The respective No. 1's were both at their attacking best, each running over 200 metres and combining for 23 tackle breaks.
The Broncos looked to fire the first shot 12 minutes in when winger Corey Oates found space down the left edge, but Dane Gagai put his stamp on the match early, coming up with a superb try-saver in the in-goal.
Gagai comes up with a great try saver
Five minutes later, it was Newcastle who opened the scoring with a slick right side raid finishing with a Gagai flick pass to put Dom Young over untouched in the corner for his 13th try of the season.
The Knights looked to extend their lead in the 27th minute through winger Greg Marzhew, but were denied the four points after replays showed his elbow hitting the touchline.
Returning from a hip injury, star winger Selwyn Cobbo came to the fore, finishing off some slick inside work from Reynolds. The skipper kicked to make it 6-4.
Come the 35th minute and returning fullback Ponga stamped his authority on the match, beating Reynolds on the outside and leaving Reece Walsh in his wake to make it 10-6 at the break.
Five minutes into the second half, the Broncos took back the lead after some brilliant lead up work from Walsh setting up Cobbo for a double in the right corner.
Reece Walsh sets up Cobbo try
But Young stood up to haunt the home side in the second-half, streaming down before finding Mat Croker in support to score and finishing one of his own thanks to a perfect cutout pass from Jackson Hastings. The visitors led 20-12 with 20 minutes to play.
Come the last quarter and the Broncos comeback ignited with Brendan Piakura crossing the line for his first NRL try thanks to another try assist from a red-hot Walsh.
With the game on the line, it was Reynolds who delivered with four minutes to play, combining superbly with playmaking partner Ezra Mam to seal the match for the home side.
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Match Snapshot
- Broncos fullback Reece Walsh has chalked up 16 try assists in 13 games this season.
- Fullback Kalyn Ponga was a constant threat for the Knights, scoring a try, running for 219 metres from 14 runs and breaking nine tackles.
- 35,814 fans descended onto Suncorp Stadium for the match, the biggest home crowd against the Knight since Wayne Bennett's farewell game in 2008.
- Forward Patrick Carrigan got through a mountain of work for the Broncos with 44 tackles and 148 run metres.
- The Broncos recorded their 200th win at Suncorp Stadium.
- The Knights have won only two of their past nine games in Queensland.
- Broncos winger Selwyn Cobbo has scored eight tries in four games against the Knights.
- The Knights have not won back-to-back games since Round 1-2 in 2022.
Play of the Game
Just two minutes after the Broncos stole the lead in the first half, Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga put his side back in front with a superb solo effort. After burning Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds on the outside, Ponga stepped up to his Maroons replacement Reece Walsh, leaving the young fullback in his wake before scoring under the posts. It was a glimpse of the Kalyn Ponga Newcastle fans have been waiting to see since the star skipper returned to fullback in Round 13.
Super star on super star and Ponga wins
What They Said
Knights: Round 15
“We spoke about it in the sheds, we thought we would get a few pats on the back for the effort, but we are getting past that I hope now. We didn’t win, so we are disappointed. We have identified a couple things that we did well, it wasn’t all doom and gloom in there, but I don’t want us to be the team now that is content with just having a crack, there’s a footy team there and we have got to keep working hard at it. I thought (Kalyn Ponga) really kicked started us, especially in that second half, (he was) really busy, dangerous. There’s a fair bit to build … need to find ways to give him the ball in the right spots." - Knights coach Adam O'Brien
“Pretty happy on a personal level, I was excited to come here, was a good challenge for the team. We really put it to them. We wanted the two points ... it’s disappointing we didn’t get the two points, that’s for sure.”- Knights captain Kalyn Ponga
Broncos: Round 15
"Our best set was our first set of the game, and that just fell away. But Newcastle played some pretty good footy as well. I liked the tenacity of our group, they sort of stayed in the game even though things weren't quite working for them, they stayed in the game and managed to get the win so that was pleasing, but the way we played wasn't that pleasing but the win, that's what we came here for, for us to win and we got that result so that's good been plenty to work on." - Broncos coach Kevin Walters
What's Next
The Broncos enjoy a bye in Round 16 before hosting the Titans in a Round 17 Queensland derby.
The Knights host the Roosters at Mcdonald Jones Stadium next Saturday for a Round 16 blockbuster.