The nib Newcastle Knights are through to a fourth straight NRLW preliminary final after recording a dominant 34-20 win over the Gold Coast Titans at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Dominant from the opening whistle, the Knights never relinquished control of the contest, with an elite kicking performance from Jesse Southwell giving the Titans no hope of mounting a comeback.
The Knights will now immediately turn their attention to next Sunday afternoon, with a showdown looming with the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.
How it played out:
A Titans mistake from the kick off set the tone for the opening proceedings, with Yasmin Clydsdale's side immediately starting on the front foot.
Just two minutes into the game, Fane Finau powered over the line after a smart kick from Southwell triggered a lovely exchange of passes from the home side.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Knights doubled their advantage with Keighley Simpson crossing for her fourth try in just two games since making her NRLW debut.
Fane Finau Try
With an 8-0 lead early, it was over to Southwell to continue turning the screws.
Precise kicking and elite game management saw the No.7 take full control of the game, with the Knights dominating possession with over 60% of the ball in the opening half.
The Kotara Bears junior added four more points to her side's lead through a pair of penalty goals, before Olivia Higgins broke the hearts of her opponents with a try right on the stroke of half time to blow the advantage out to 18-0.
It was more of the same after the break, with Shanice Parker crossing to give the Knights an unassailable 24-0 lead.
Shanice Parker Try
From there, the Titans threatened to mount some resistance.
Tries to Jasmine Solia and Sarina Masaga, along with a double to Phoenix-Raine Hippi, got them somewhat of a foothold in the game. However, any hope of a miracle was quickly snuffed out.
A try to vice-captain Kayla Romaniuk, along with a second for Parker, both sent the home crowd home happy and set up a mouth-watering clash with Brisbane next Sunday.
What's next:
The Knights will now face the Broncos in a rematch of the 2023 preliminary final at Suncorp Stadium next Sunday.
Kick off times and ticketing details will be confirmed in the coming days.
