Newcastle stun Penrith with 12 men to reach first Grand Final in 25 years
Down to 12 men for more than half the match, Newcastle Knights beat Penrith Panthers 22-14 at Accor Stadium on 27 September to reach the 2026 NRL Grand Final.
It is Newcastle's first Grand Final in 25 years. They will face the Sydney Roosters for the title, after a preliminary final — rugby league's semi-final, where the winner goes straight to the decider — that few outside the Hunter saw coming NRL.com.
Twelve months ago Newcastle finished last on the ladder. That wooden spoon was their fourth in 11 seasons, and it followed years of thin returns: five winning seasons since 2003 and just one finals win since 2013 The Guardian.
The turnaround has come under Justin Holbrook. He took charge after Adam O'Brien was sacked midway through his sixth season. Holbrook had previously coached the Gold Coast Titans and spent two years as a player in Newcastle.
Penrith were supposed to be the wall. They were playing a seventh straight preliminary final. A win would have sent them to a sixth Grand Final in seven seasons. They had also won nine of their last 10 games against Newcastle.
At half-time, the script held. Penrith led 14-6, with Blaize Talagi crossing in the 11th minute among their two tries to Newcastle's four on the night. Then the game broke open in the most painful way.
In the 35th minute, Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland was sent off for a hip-drop tackle on Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary. A hip-drop is a banned tackle where the defender drops his weight onto the back of the ball-carrier's legs. Cleary suffered a reported compound fracture in the incident The Guardian.
Newcastle had to play almost 45 minutes a man short. In league, with only 13 players and six tackles to make ground each set, that usually means exhaustion and defeat. Newcastle already arrived short-handed. Playmaker Dylan Brown missed the match. Starting props Jacob Saifiti and Trey Mooney were also out. Back-rower Dylan Lucas played on after fracturing his ankle in round 21.
They had reached this stage with a gritty 12-10 win over the Warriors. Against Penrith, they found another gear. Halfback Sandon Smith was named by the club as the master of the 12-man win, scoring twice including a late interception try to seal it Sky Sports. Winger Dominic Young also crossed, while fullback Kalyn Ponga produced a huge driving tackle that dumped Penrith prop Moses Leota on his back.
Fox Sports called the 22-14 result one of the greatest upsets of the modern era Fox Sports.
What makes this stand out is the speed of the rise. Newcastle are trying to match what the Sydney Roosters did in 2010, reaching the Grand Final a year after finishing last. For fans, this means a straight shot at ending a 25-year wait for a decider.
