Live stream: SG Ball Cup semi-finals, Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers

Penrith powered into the SG Ball Cup grand final on the back of an authorative 19-point win over the highly fancied Knights. RELIVE all the action from our LIVE STREAM.

The Panthers booked their ticket to the SG Ball Cup grand final with a mature semi-final performance against the Knights.

Penrith led by six points at half time before another two tries and a field goal in the second half saw them overcome the Novocastrians 25-6.

Second rower Aston Warwick and centre Angelis Hotere-Papalii scored the first two tries for the Panthers before Knights half Mitch Henderson grabbed one back just before half time.

Tensions got a little heated between the Panthers and Knights.

The Knights had two players sent to the bin in the early stages of the second half, with hooker Noah Nailagoliva the first to go straight after the break before backup dummy half Taj Blackman was sent for 10 in the 38th minute.

The Panthers scored a couple of tries through Keagan Russell-Smith and Harry Hassett to kill off the Knights before Isaiya Katoa knocked over a one-pointer right on full time.

The Pennies will meet the Roosters in the grand final after they trounced the Bulldogs 32 to 12.

The Panthers had lost to Newcastle in the final round of the regular season in a match that decided who would finish second and earn a week off, but their coach Scott Thompson said that wasn’t discussed in the lead into the semi-final.

“It was just about our performance,” he said.

“We didn’t think that we played to our best last time [we played the Knights], but it is what it is, I think if you go on revenge missions I think you can lose track of what you’re trying to do as a team.

“We beat Illawarra in perhaps our best performance of the season last week and they were able to back that up again today.”

The Panthers got away early and the Knights couldn’t reel them in.

A mature Panthers performance was too much for the Knights.

GAME PREVIEW

Newcastle head of pathways Garth Brennan admits the Knights’ SG Ball team is under no illusions about the enormity of the task of landing back-to-back wins over Penrith to book a place in the under-19s grand final.

The Knights knocked off the Panthers 32-18 in the final round of the competition on April 9 in a battle for second spot, earning the Novocastrians a week off in the finals.

Penrith then outclassed the Steelers last weekend to set up a rematch with Newcastle for a place in the decider at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium.

The blockbuster clash between the Knights and the Panthers under the Netstrata Jubilee Stadium lights will be streamed live and exclusively on The Daily Telegraph website from 6.45pm.

Newcastle and Penrith are the top-two point scorers in 2022 with the sides’ joint total of 518 points just two fewer than the bottom-five teams combined.

Garth Brennan working with the Newcastle junior representative squads in the pre-season. Picture by Liam Driver.

Former Gold Coast NRL coach Brennan said Newcastle are going to need to step up another level from the round 9 match, adding the impending big wet could see the contest between the two packs come to the fore.

“We are under no illusions, Penrith are a good side so we will have our work cut out,” Brennan said.

“Both sides will improve from that game and I don’t think we have played the best we can yet. We know Penrith will be better so we will also have to be better.

“Penrith are a big and powerful side and they have a lot of strike power in their backline so in these games, especially in wet conditions, whatever pack stands up will go a long way to deciding who wins it.

“If our pack can get on top, it will allow the likes of (backs) Fletcher Sharpe, Ethan Ferguson and Chris Vea‘ila to do what they do well.”

Newcastle Knights SG Ball fullback Fletcher Sharpe scored six tries in their 70-point rout of the Dragons earlier this season. Picture: Bryden Sharp/NSWRL

Brennan doubts Saturday’s showdown will be a high-scoring affair given the inclement weather forecast.

“Both sides put on a great performance two weeks ago,” Brennan said.

“But going off the weather report, it could be a wet night on Saturday so I think it could be a bit closer.

“Both teams are capable of scoring points, but the weather conditions could end up playing a role.”

The side that takes out this epic clash will square off with the winner of the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury in the grand final.

Easts and Canterbury go head-to-head at 11.45am on Saturday in the second of six junior representative semi-finals at Kogarah Oval.

Originally published as Live stream: SG Ball Cup semi-finals, Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers