NRL 2024 round 24: Cronulla Sharks 19 d. Newcastle Knights 18

Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien refused to pull any punches with his assessment of the refereeing in his team’s golden point loss to the Sharks.

Ronaldo Mulitalo scored a late try to take the game to golden point. Picture: NRL Photos

In the aftermath of Newcastle’s likely season-ending golden point loss to Cronulla, “shocked” Knights coach Adam O’Brien refused to pull any punches.

Following the epic finish at PointsBet Stadium where Daniel Atkinson’s late strike kicked the Sharks into outright fourth spot, O’Brien landed a killer blow of his own.

Despite increasing a two-point lead to 18-10 after Phoenix Crossland was sin-binned for repeated ruck infringements as the halftime siren sounded, with their season on the line, fatigue eventually caught up with Newcastle in the dying stages.

Ronaldo Mulitalo scored a late try. Picture: NRL Photos

“I’d be shocked if anyone agreed with the decision,” said O’Brien.

“That was the third infringement for the half. I think we had one for offside at a scrum, which happens a lot, and we only had one for slowing the ruck down.

“And on the third one, he puts a bloke in the bin. Is that a harsh standard? That’s just the third infringement for the game and he goes to the bin.

“I haven’t seen that all year. This team’s fighting to stay in the competition and then you get that done to you. Fair dinkum, it’s ridiculous.”

Cronulla’s win came only after an extraordinary period just before the 80 minutes expired.

Kalyn Ponga looked to have kicked his side to a win when his field goal soared between the posts only for the referee to give the Sharks a penalty after the Knights appeared to send out a blocker to protect Ponga’s shot.

Moments later the Sharks marched down the field and appeared to have kicked their own matchwinning drop goal only for another the referee to again penalise the attacking side for deploying blockers.

Phoenix Crossland was sent to the bin just before halftime. Picture: NRL Photos

“I thought Kalyn’s kick was fine,” O’Brien said of his skipper’s kick in the 77th minute with the scores locked at 18-all.

“And I thought Cronulla’s was a field goal as well. The rule was explained to us over summer, but Graham Annesley (NRL head of football) will find a way to dress it up.”

With patchwork halves and the late withdrawals of Kayal Iro and cult hero Tom Hazleton, Craig Fitzgibbon’s outfit overcame a halftime deficit to get the job done.

Despite injured playmakers Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall watching on, five-eighth Atkinson had a packed PointsBet crowd in the palm of his hand from the outset. Busy as always, the No.6 crossed in the opening minutes, then grubber kicked for Briton Nikora to make it 10-0 in as many minutes.

Backed by a howling southerly, Newcastle fired back through Englishman Kai Pearce-Paul and winger Greg Marzhew to lead 12-10 at halftime.

And despite the change of ends a 12-man Knights increased the lead to 18-10 before halfback Phoenix Crossland returned in the 50th minute.

In a whirlwind finish, returning winger Ronaldo Mulitalo dived into the left corner in the 73rd minute, but it was Atkinson’s night as he levelled the scores with a booming side line conversion, before stepping up again for the killer blow.

PONGA CLASS

With a revolving door of Knights halves this season, Kalyn Ponga has often been left scratching his head for opportunities.

But the Origin star’s efforts to give Newcastle an unlikely 12-10 halftime lead was a showcase of breathtaking brilliance. A clever tip-on sent Fletcher Sharpe charging down the right sideline, then in the next play he bobbed up on the left, scorched the oncoming defence to sent Greg Marzhew across untouched.

The Sharks stay in the top four. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

SHIRE HOODOO

Newcastle hadn’t tasted success in the Shire since 2014, and the only surviving member from that day was Dane Gagai.

In a running battle with Sharks heavyweight Siosifa Talakai, the Maroons veteran had his hands full to open the second half. Talakai could have put the home side in front after the break, but fumbled the ball over the line.

Then still a man down, Gagai doubled Cronulla’s pain with a bustling individual effort that put his side eight clear in time for Crossland’s return.