The Newcastle Knights take out the 2023 NRLW Premiership with a 24 - 18 win over the Gold Coast Titans. Massive congratulations to both sides for putting on a fantastic display of rugby league.
The Newcastle Knights are able to defend their kingdom and win their second NRLW Grand Final in as many years. Tamika Upton has now won four of the six NRLW Grand Finals that have been played in the competition's history.
The Titans can't hold on and drop the ball with 34 seconds remaining.
The Titans take the short kick-off and win the ball back to make these last 2 minutes absolutely intense!!
Jesse Southwell slots it to make it 6 the difference with 2 minutes and 14 seconds to go!
Tamika Upton chases her own kick and grounds it in goal to put the Knights in front
The Titans have won two games this season with a field goal... but an error from Chantay Kiria-Ratu sees the Knights get themselves some great field position with 5 to go...
The New-Castle chant is breaking out across Accor Stadium as they hope to get their girls home in the last 6 minutes
Southwell doesn't miss this time with a perfect kick to bring the scores back to 18-all with just over 5 minutes left in this one
Destiny Mino-Sinapati has failed her HIA and will not return in this match.
The Newcastle Knights are able to capitalise on the strip and send their fullback and Dally M winner, Tamika Upton, over for a try of her own in the Grand Final
Sheridan Gallagher strips the ball from Jaime Chapman and giving the Knights the front-foot with 9 and a half minutes to go.
Great tackle by Shannon Mato
Jesse Southwell went for the 40/20 but was just outside the 40m line.
55 minutes in and possession is still at exactly 50:50... with 18:29 to the Knights and 18:56 to the Titans. Both sides are still completing above 80%.
The Titans were potentially offside in that play, but then got a penalty for another hair pull. This could be a bit of a game changing miss by the touch judge here.
The Titans have needed to do a back-line shuffle with 3 players currently out for at least 15 minutes under HIA protocols... with only 17 minutes of the game left, they may not see much more game time.
Rima Butler and Nita Maynard both undergoing head injury assessments and now Destiny Mino-Sinapati is being patched up after copping an elbow, a knee and a head slam in that try-saving tackle!
Destiny Mino-Sinapati is also being taken for a HIA
Amazing defence by the Titans with Jaime Chapman fighting to hold up Shanice Parker over the line.
Tamika Upton kicks it over the dead ball line and hands the Titans a seven-tackle set with 20 minutes left in this one.
Jessika Elliston is on report for a high tackle.
There was some concern for Laishon Albert-Jones who went down awkwardly in a tackle, but we're back up and playing.
Titans take the lead back through a successful conversion from Rilee Jorgensen
A great play from the scrum sees Jaime Chapman bag herself a Grand Final hat-trick!!!
Great kick pressure from the Titans forces a knock-on by Jasmine Strange and the Titans get the ball in great field position again.
Rilee Jorgensen swings it wide and we have another missed conversion.
Jaime Chapman has a double in the grand final to bring the scores level
We're back underway at Accor Stadium for the last 35 minutes of the NRLW season.
Top 5 tacklers so far: - Georgia Hale 21 - Brittany Breayley-Nati 19 - Chantay Kiria-Ratu 18 - Laishon Albert-Jones 16 - Hannah Southwell 15
Top 5 players for all run metres: - Evania Pelite 143 - Yasmin Clydsdale 124 - Jessika Elliston 110 - Shannon Mato 104 - Tamika Upton 95 -
Possession is split straight down the middle with the Titans having the ball for 11.28 and the Knights for 11.36! Both sides are playing with high completion rates with 93% to the Knights and 86% to the Titans.
Abigail Roache dropped a great ball from Tamika Upton who was trying to get her five-eighth into open space, but no dice.
This will be the last set of the first-half and Newcastle are back at their best.
Jesse Southwell hands Sheridan Gallagher the kicking tee, but she can't convert either.
The Knights have capitalised on their third attacking opportunity in the last few minutes, sending Shanice Parker over for another 4-pointer for the side.
Southwell misses her second of the day and scores are locked with 4 minutes until half-time.
The Titans edge defence was compressed, allowing the Knights winger to get over for their second try of the game.
The Titans are unsuccessful with their challenge with Kasey Badger claiming that Shaylee Bent dropped the ball clean...
The Titans are challenging the rule of knock-on, claiming that there was a Knights' player with her hand on the ball.
Destiny Mino-Sinapati is taken high by Shanice Parker
Just on 8 minutes left in this first half and the Titans are ahead by 4.
Unlike last week, where she slotted 5/5, Southwell misses this one from the sideline.
An amazing cut-out pass from Tamika Upton sees Strange go over in the corner for the Newcastle Knights' first try of the game.
A penalty sees the Knights finally get into some decent field position and sees them now 20 metres from the Titans line for the first time.
Is Evania Pelite part cat?! It appears that she has multiple lives as she is back up and running after appearing to be in a lot of pain!! That's the power of adrenaline!!
Canfield makes it 8 - 0 after 20 minutes.
Hannah Southwell is on report for the hair pull
The Knights discipline is letting them down in this game with a hair pull within kicking range and the Titans opting to go for 2.
Evania Pelite is limping in back play once again.
The Knights only made 21 metres in their last attacking set.
A phenomenal run by forward, Jessika Elliston, to see the Titans finish yet another set within metres of the Knights line.
The Titans are throwing everything at this Newcastle side and staying on top of them. Evania Pelite has already run over 100 metres this game!
The Titans have a great set after points making another 64 metres and kicking from well inside Knights territory.
A beautiful kick from Canfield!!
Chapman runs a great line and is the first to score in this year's NRLW Grand Final!
Another penalty due to poor discipline handing the Titans excellent field position.
Evania Pelite appears to be running freely again after that earlier concern.
Jaime Chapman makes a line break and gets 5m out before Destiny Mino-Sinapati gets close but is tackled on the last just metres out.
Tamika Upton is just too good and picks up a great kick from Chantay Kiria-Ratu and gets herself out of the in goal
Amazing tackle from Hannah Southwell on Evania Pelite
Laishon Albert-Jones makes up for her error with a try-saving tackle and the Knights get the ball back on their line.
An error from Laishon Albert-Jones sees Newcastle turn the ball over in their half, giving the TItans great field position.
An error from Laishon Albert-Jones sees Newcastle turn the ball over in their half, giving the TItans great field position.
Despite the fact she looks quite uncomfortable, Evania Pelite takes a Jesse Southwell bomb and gets her winger into the play.
It appears that fullback, Evania Pelite, is in a lot of distress after reeling out of a tackle. The Titans player has a lot of strapping on both legs to start this game.
Newcastle Knights make only 34 m in their first attacking set and the Titans are now on the attack again and earn themselves the first penalty of the game after Belinda Sharpe called the tackle complete.
Gold Coast make 56 m in their first attacking set and put up a bomb that was taken well by Upton.
We're underway here at Accor Stadium with the Gold Coast Titans having first use of the ball.
The Newcastle Knights are also now out on the field to defend their 2022 NRLW Premiership. They come in to this game favourites after only dropping one game all season.
The Gold Coast Titans are taking the field ahead of their first appearance in the NRLW Grand Final. Last year this side received the wooden spoon in a HUGE turnaround for the side.
Both teams will line up 1 - 17 as per the program. This sees both teams also field the same 17 players that played in their qualifying final.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Belinda Sharpe
Touch Judges: Rochelle Tamarua, Mitchell Currie
Video Referee: Kasey Badger
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (24)
Tries: Jasmine Strange, Sheridan Gallagher, Shanice Parker, Tamika Upton (2)
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Jesse Southwell (2/4), Sheridan Gallagher (0/1)
Penalty Goals:
GOLD COAST TITANS (18)
Tries: Jaime Chapman (3)
Field Goals:
Two Point Field Goals:
Conversions: Zara Canfield (1/1), Rilee Jorgensen (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Zara Canfield (1/1)