King Kyle: Feldt inspires Cowboys to finals triumph against Knights

Kyle Feldt helped ensure his NRL career would last at least another week after inspiring the Cowboys to a 28-16 win against the Knights in Saturday night's elimination final in Townsville.

Feldt, who is departing to finish his career at St Helens, scored North Queensland's only first half try and played a key role in the match winner by Rueben Cotter as the Cowboys over-powered the Knights.

The veteran winger ran 281 metres, including an intercept try and a long range break before tapping back the ball from a kick for Cotter to put the Cowboys ahead in the 73rd minute.

The Cowboys will now meet the Sharks in Sydney next weekend for a place in the qualifying final against Penrith.

Newcastle superstar Kalyn Ponga was threatening every time he ran the ball, but Feldt had him covered in the early exchanges, knocking down a pass from a scrum and intercepting a Dylan Lucas pass to race away for the opening try.

However, that was the only time the Cowboys looked like scoring in the first half as Ponga and the Knights gained control of the game.

Jayden Brailey levelled the scores when he dived over for a 22nd minute try after Ponga sliced between Val Holmes and Reece Robson before turning the ball inside to the Newcastle hooker.

Winger David Sharpe then extended the visitors lead 10 minutes later when he picked up a loose ball after North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater spilled a Ponga bomb near his own tryline.

Trailing 12-4 at halftime, the Cowboys needed to score first in the second term and they did, with Holmes tapping on a pass from Tom Dearden to send winger Murray Taulagi over in the 45th minute and converting from out wide.

The home team then regained the lead in the 53rd minute after Drinkwater held a pass up for prop Jordan McLean to charge into a gap near the Newcastle line and score. 

Lucas levelled the scores at 16-16 after the Knights travelled the length of the field on a seven-tackle set by shifting the ball before English second-rower Kai Pearce-Paul broke into the clear.

Pearce-Paul linked with halfback Phoenix Crossland, who passed to Lucas and the backrower-turned centre - filling in for the injured Bradman Best - stepped inside to score.

Ponga's conversion hit the uprights, and he then blew another chance to put the Knights ahead with a pass that was too hard to handle for Dane Gagai after making a long-range break.

Feldt burst into the clear from his own end of the field in the ensuing set and then tapped back a kick for Cotter to score in the 73rd minute.

Knights prop Leo Thompson was sinbinned for a high tackle on Feldt and five-eighth Tom Dearden took advantage to seal the win with a 79th minute try.