rugby league

A win over the Warriors would see the Knights equal the club record of 11 in a row, set back in 2001-02 when an Immortal named Johns was the hottest ticket in town.

After sending the Knights faithful home happy on Sunday, Adam O'Brien's men now need to find a way to win in a hostile environment in Auckland against a Warriors outfit that showed plenty of grit in its loss to the Panthers.

Not only are the Storm coming off a demoralising defeat but they also have the added anguish of Ryan Papenhuyzen's fractured ankle to deal with as they look to put their premiership campaign back on track.

Perhaps most alarming for coach Craig Bellamy was his side's disjointed attack, with star halves Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes throwing very little at the Broncos in a performance far removed from they dished up for most of the season.

After extra time was required to separate the two sides, who were tied at 28-28 at the end of normal time, it was a Hudson Young penalty for offside which presented Ponga with the chance to kick his side to a 10th straight victory and confirm a showdown with the Warriors in Auckland on Saturday.

It was a finals game without precedent, marred by an allegation of biting made by Tyson Gamble against Jack Wighton, but which will be defined by so much more.  

Across an 80 minutes in which they had to overcome the second-half sin-binning of captain James Tedesco and the loss of backline stars Joseph Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaali'i to injuries, the Roosters charged down two field goals in the dying minutes which would likely have sent the game to golden point, after Walker had put them in front with a clutch drop goal. 

Making it all the more impressive, Walker was playing through an ankle injury which earlier in the game had him in visible discomfort. 

With James Fisher-Harris laying the line for superstar Nathan Cleary to take control of proceedings, the Panthers had the match well in hand when they led 20-0 at half-time.

Penrith struck the first blow in the fifth minute when Cleary went to the line and found prop Moses Leota who sent a perfectly timed long pass out to Brian To'o for his 18th try of the season. Cleary converted for a 6-0 lead.

The Tricolours simultaneously kept their own season alive and ended the premiership hopes of arch-rivals the Rabbitohs last week with a 26-12 win, and heading into Finals Week One only the Knights are riding a better run of form than Trent Robinson’s men.

Cronulla too have enjoyed a strong final month to the regular season, winning four of their last six, and will be battle-hardened after emerging 24-6 winners over the Raiders in a match which for the opening hour had the intensity of finals football.

The Panthers could scarcely have been more impressive in their Round 27 demolition of the Cowboys and they head into the finals series brimming with confidence and self-belief.

The absence of five-eighth Jarome Luai had the potential to throw the premiers off kilter but as they have done for the past four seasons they seamlessly slotted in a replacement player in Jack Cogger and barely skipped a beat.

Trailing 20-0 with seven minutes remaining at Suncorp Stadium, the Storm had Papenhuyzen taken from the field on a medicab after he came reeling out of a tackle in agony.

With Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan providing the muscle and Reece Walsh the magic, the Broncos snapped a 14-game losing run against the Storm to earn themselves a week off.

Early mistakes by Nick Meaney and Eli Katoa put the Storm under serious heat and the Broncos capitalised through Kotoni Staggs, who left four defenders in his wake on a powerful charge to the tryline. 

While the Storm got up for a 32-22 victory last Thursday at Suncorp Stadium, for a win which lifted them past the Warriors into third spot, that can’t be used too much as a yardstick given both sides will look vastly different as they welcome back the stars they opted to rest in Round 27.

The game will be Brisbane’s first finals appearance since 2018, while for the Storm it’s a case of business as usual as they prepare to play in the post season for the 13th year in a row and do so as a top-four side for the seventh time in the past eight seasons.