Knee of god drama divides NRL as Cowboys KO Knights in chaotic scenes

The North Queensland Cowboys have been touched by the NRL gods after a miracle moment just when they needed it to avoid elimination.

The North Queensland Cowboys will live another day after edging out the Newcastle Knights 28-16 in a chaotic clash at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

At 16-all with seven minutes left, the Cowboys scored through captain Reuben Cotter in absurd scenes.

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In a sign the rugby league gods were truly on North Queensland’s side, a bomb was knocked down by Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt, before the ball ricocheted around on the ground.

Daniel Saifiti then knocked the ball on into Cotter with the ball bouncing off his knee and into the in-goal.

Referee Todd Smith sent it up as a double knock on, but the Bunker awarded the try, clearing the play and claiming it had not touched Cotter’s hand, bouncing off his knee and into the in-goal.

He then raced Kalyn Ponga to the in-goal, grounding it momentarily before the Knights fullback.

But some fans didn’t believe the try, with some claiming “even Cotter thought he touched it”.

Others questioned how it could be awarded when there were plenty of bodies in every angle shown on the broadcast.

Some straight up suggested it came off his hands.

Clear as mud. Photo: Fox Sports

That seems to have been the angle. Photo: Fox Sports

Cotter got there first. Photo: Fox Sports

Speaking after the game on Channel 9, Cotter admitted he wasn’t sure it was a try — but not because he knocked it on.

“So off the knee, and then I though KP touched it first,” Cotter said.

“Obviously the footage showed me getting there first but definitely didn’t touch it off the knees.”

On Fox League, Greg Alexander called it “unbelievable”, saying it “might propel the Cowboys into the second week against the Sharks.”

Which it did, but not before Knights forward Leo Thompson was sin binned for an ugly high shot on the Cowboys’ Kyle Feldt saw him sin binned late.

And the Cowboys capped the win with a Tom Dearden try at the death.

It’s a brutal loss for the Knights after Kalyn Ponga had a masterful first half gave his side a 12-4 lead at the break.

But with the score locked at 16-all, Ponga had a moment he admitted in the press conference he’d like back.

He cut through the line and came to Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater throwing a poor pass well out in front of Dane Gagai on the outside, butchering what would have been the go-ahead try.

The result means the Cowboys will head to Sydney to face the Sharks next Saturday, while the Knights will go home and think about what could have been.