Arabic version: الإشادة بجماهير نايتس بعد بلوغ النهائي الكبير

According to ABC News, former Newcastle Knights star Matty Johns became emotional while praising the club’s supporters after the team defeated Penrith 22-14 to reach the NRL grand final for the first time in 25 years.

The Knights played more than half of the preliminary final with 12 men after Phoenix Crossland was sent off for a hip drop that broke Nathan Cleary’s leg. Penrith led 14-6 at half-time, but Newcastle defended strongly and scored three second-half tries to secure a grand-final meeting with the Roosters.

Johns said on Fox Sports that he was happy for supporters who had endured difficult years. “They’ve had to put up with a lot of shit for a lot of years to get back to where they are now,” he said. He also credited the large Newcastle contingent at Stadium Australia, despite train disruptions that forced many fans to seek alternate travel routes.

Coach Justin Holbrook said the crowd helped lift his side after Crossland’s dismissal. “We went down to 12 and then 30,000 make you feel like you’ve got 14 out there,” he said. Captain Kalyn Ponga said the supporters were “a big reason” for the win and that the side would need them again next week.

Newcastle last appeared in a men’s grand final when Andrew Johns led the club to victory over the Eels in 2001. The Knights will play the Roosters on Sunday, October 4, from 7:30pm AEDT.