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Knights coach hits out at booing fans before comeback
AAP • June 6th, 2025 8:30 am
Photo: AAP
Newcastle coach Adam O'Brien has hit out fans who booed the Knights at halftime, before the same supporters cheered his side off following a 26-22 golden-point win over Manly.
Staring down the barrel of a ninth loss in 11 games, the Knights produced their biggest comeback in 18 years to sink the Sea Eagles at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday night.
It came after the team were booed from the field after trailing 16-0 at halftime, in a match where Manly looked set to run away with a big victory.
O'Brien admitted afterwards he had been hurt by the response of fans, and claimed the win was the best he had been part of in his five-and-a-half-seasons in Newcastle.
"It's really disappointing," O'Brien said.
"For people to boo that, they don't know anything about rugby league. And they're probably the ones who cheered at the end.
"The first half we defended our hearts out. There is a really young footy team there against a very good opposition.
"I thought we were excellent in the first half ... I know people are disappointed, but they're trying their backsides off."
Thursday night marked the seventh time in 14 games this season Newcastle had entered the break scoreless.
Knights great Andrew Johns labelled it "hard to watch" in the Nine Network's commentary, as Newcastle coughed up error after error.
But they looked a different side after the break, as Dane Gagai turned back the clock and Fletcher Sharpe and Kai Pearce Paul were immense.
Kalyn Ponga also delivered when it mattered most, claiming the match-winning try early in extra time.
With Lehi Hopoate concussed early and Tommy Talau also spending time off for a HIA, Newcastle got at a Sea Eagles side who had two second-rowers in the centres.
Newcastle went from 16-0 down to 16-16 in the space of 18 second-half minutes, with two of the tries coming from long distance and another a Jack Cogger bomb.
Manly appeared to have control of the game back when Clayton Faulalo burst through the middle of the field and fellow winger Talau crossed next play.
But the Knights levelled the scores with five minutes to play when Pearce Paul found space on the right edge and Sharpe had his second.
Ponga then had the match winner in the Knights' first set of golden point when he put up a bomb, Fletcher Hunt batted it back and the Knights No.1 followed the play to score.
Manly had looked an entirely different team in the first half, with their forward pack rolling against a Knights middle who lost Tyson Frizell to concussion.
Haumole Olakau'atu was an ever-present and scored on try, while makeshift full Tolu Koula was also causing havoc.
But after the second-half collapse, the Sea Eagles' halves missed a chance to win the match in the final minute of regulation time.
With Daly Cherry-Evans set up for the field-goal shot, Newcastle's kick pressure prompted him to pass off to Luke Brooks who sent his effort wide from 40 metres out.
A Cherry-Evans field goal would have been something of a statement, with questions still surrounding his spot in Queensland's team for State of Origin II.
But instead it was kick pressure from Ponga on Brooks that crucial, before the Knights star's winning play.
"We weren't consistent in that second half," Cherry-Evans said.
"Whether it was from errors, we allowed a lot of points in through defence. We missed a lot of tackle, we allowed offloads.
"We had a few errors off our kicking game, there were a lot of things that went wrong."
