Ronnie Griffiths arrived at the helm of a winless Newcastle outfit wanting to recapture what it meant to be a Knight. So like Allan McMahon, Malcolm Reilly and those who went before him, he relied on three things: talent, toughness, and plenty of tomorrows.
They found talent in Tamika Upton, the fleet-footed fullback who may well be the best No.1 in the game, and a 17-year-old halfback in Jesse Southwell who needed dispensation just to play in this competition. They found toughness in Millie Boyle and Caitlan Johnston, who come charging off the back fence and take three defenders with them every time.
And on Monday, they’ll wake up as NRLW premiers.
The Knights bounced back from a slow start to beat the Parramatta Eels 32-12 and win their first women’s premiership – going from worst to first within two seasons – in front of an NRLW record 42,921 fans at Accor Stadium on Sunday.
When Upton darted through to score on the other side of the break, even despite Kirra Dibb’s wayward boot, it seemed Newcastle’s unblemished grand final record at the top level would remain intact.
The Eels were hanging on for dear life before lock Simaima Taufa scored from a quick tap to revive their hopes of an upset, and soon the Knights were asked to repel wave after wave of attacking raids.
Gayle Broughton looked as though she had scored a try that could bring the Eels level, but the Parramatta fullback pushed Yasmin Clydsdale in the back and denied her a chance to play at a bouncing ball.
Takairangi, Southwell and Clydsdale all crossed inside the final five minutes to claim the Knights’ first top-tier title since 2001.
Few could have foreseen such a shift in the competition’s balance of power after these expansion clubs finished in the bottom two just months prior. With four more clubs entering the fold next year, the landscape will shift once more.
Watch the NRL grand final exclusive, live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now.
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
