The Illawarra Steelers delivered a statement victory in the Harold Matthews Cup Finals, upsetting the previously unbeaten Newcastle Knights 20-16 on Saturday to clinch a spot in the Preliminary Final. Elsewhere, the Tarsha Gale Cup campaign concluded with a 30-12 loss to the Newcastle Knights in Sunday’s Elimination Final.
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The Steelers crossed for four tries to three, earning a well-deserved week off as they continue their finals campaign.
Illawarra struck early, as centre Hunter Berghuis seized a fortunate bounce from Oliver Burton’s last-play kick to cross for a converted try in the fifth minute, giving the visitors an early 6-0 advantage.
The momentum continued to swing in the Steelers’ favour, as centre Destin Tuasala — the side’s leading try-scorer this season — produced a first-half double to extend the advantage to 14-0 at the break.
The minor premiers responded after halftime, scoring two tries in quick succession to close the gap to 14-12 and set up a tense finish.
Steelers captain Asher Chapman (pictured) steadied the ship when it mattered most, crossing for a crucial converted try to push the margin out to 20-12 with 15 minutes remaining.
Newcastle refused to go away, adding a late try to keep the contest alive, but the Steelers’ defence held firm in the closing stages to seal a memorable 20-16 victory.
The result marks one of the biggest upsets of the season and sees the Steelers move within one win of a Grand Final berth. They will await the winner of next week’s semi-final between the Roosters and Panthers.
[Watch] Heaven sent: Hunter Berghuis scores the Steelers first try off an Oliver Burton kick on the last play
Steelers Tarsha Gale Season Ends in Loss to Knights
The Illawarra Steelers’ Tarsha Gale Cup season has come to an end following a 30-12 defeat to the Newcastle Knights in their Elimination Final on Sunday.
A blistering first-half performance from the Knights proved decisive, with five unanswered tries inside the opening 25 minutes setting up a commanding 30-0 lead at the break.
To their credit, the Steelers showed resilience after the interval, raising their intensity and finishing strongly. Sophie Taylor crossed for the side’s opening points before Ally Hamilton added a second as the home side looked to claw their way back into the contest.
Despite a more composed second-half performance, the early deficit proved too great to overcome.