Roosters hang on in cliffhanger finish after Kalyn Ponga plays through the pain
A star Knight battled a worrying injury for large parts of the game as the Roosters clung on for an upset victory on Thursday.
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The Roosters have hung on for a hard-fought 22-20 victory over the Knights after a thrilling finish in Newcastle.
Kalyn Ponga almost won it for his side at the death but Roosters prop Terrell May came up with an incredible slips catch to stop a grubber on the final play.
Knights fullback Ponga played through pain from the 20th minute after suffering a hip-flexor injury that significantly restricted his movement.
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Newcastle halfback Jackson Hastings scored the first try of the match in his second straight game since returning from being dropped when he crossed in the sixth minute.
It came after some soft defence from the Roosters and strong lead up work from Adam Elliott who created the initial break.
The Roosters then inexplicably let the dropout shot clock expire and Ponga booted a gift two points in front of the posts for an 8-0 lead.
But the visitors hit back with veteran winger Daniel Tupou crossing out wide and Victor Radley made it a second for the Chooks in the 23rd minute.
Roosters star Brandon Smith then caught Newcastle’s defence napping and scored the easiest of tries after some very soft defence from the hosts.
Against the run of play, Knights’ English import Kai Pearce-Paul bulldozed three defenders before finding Ponga, who put Bradman Best over to score just before halftime.
In the second half it was the Roosters who struck first when Radley broke down the middle and was brought down just short.
They then put it through the hands on the fifth tackle and Tupou stepped back inside to beat three defenders and score his second.
Elliott barged over next under the posts last to close the gap to just two points with three minutes left to play, but the Roosters held on.
The importance of Ponga to Adam O’Brien’s Knights was on full display on the night.
The superstar No. 1 was on fire to open the game until he suffered a hip pointer injury after a collision with Tupou, attempting to stop him from scoring in the 16th minute.
Ponga was seen writhing in pain when taking the kick-off moments later and was virtually unsighted to finish the first half as he nursed the injury.
It was no surprise to see the Roosters then run in two more tries in the 22nd and 31st minutes, with Ponga unable to stamp his mark on proceedings.
“He looks like he’s in discomfort, a little bit of a limp … he doesn’t look comfortable at all, real concerns here for Newcastle,” Mick Ennis said.
“They can’t lose him, he has been everything to them to start this year.”
Vision showed trainer Blake Green giving the Knights team the thumbs up after Ponga was treated at halftime, handing Newcastle a huge boost.
However, he still looked hampered after passing the ball minutes into the second period and the injury lingered.
Ponga showed glimpses of brilliance late in the game, bursting through the line with seconds on the clock, but ultimately his injury saw the Knights fall short in front of their home crowd.
Originally published as Roosters hang on in cliffhanger finish after Kalyn Ponga plays through the pain
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