Cowboys end Knights’ NRL season with bizarre late Reuben Cotter try

North Queensland are through to the second week of the NRL finals after co-captain Reuben Cotter scored a bizarre late try as they rallied to eliminate gallant Newcastle 28-16.
The 73rd minute try in Townsville came at off a Jake Clifford bomb. It was knocked back by winger Kyle Feldt, bounced off the knee of second-rower Heilum Luki and was then knocked on by Newcastle’s Daniel Saifiti.
From there Cotter went to regather but the ball hit his knee. It was hardly believable at that point. But what was believable was the determination of Cotter as he got to the ball ahead of Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga by a whisker to score.
Fellow Cowboys co-captain Tom Dearden then iced the win to set up a knockout final with Cronulla in Sydney on Friday night.
Skipper Ponga inspired the Knights like only he can to give them a 12-4 lead at the half-time break. His dazzling footwork was on show early before he set up two tries, one with a trademark burst and another with a well-judged bomb.
His teammates, battle hardened by their three do-or-die regular season matches in the leadup, were resolute in defence and conceded the one first-half try to an intercept.
Veteran Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt scored his 23rd try of the season, a new club record, when he snaffled an errant pass by fill-in centre Dylan Lucas in the 14th minute to race 85m to score.
Earlier, Ponga ghosted his way through a hole from 40m out and found hooker Jayden Brailey with a scintillating pass to give the visitors the lead.
Ponga called centre Dane Gagai to get ready for a lobbed bomb and landed it to perfection. Gagai contested, Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater and winger Fletcher Sharpe swooped.
The home crowd was stunned into silence after the Cowboys had 62% of the possession in the opening 40 minutes.
Dearden delivered a try-saving play when he rushed back to tip the ball dead when Knights second-rower Tyson Frizell seemed certain to score.
A brilliant tap-on by Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes for winger Murray Taulagi to score straight after half-time got the Cowboys back in it.
The Cowboys finally grabbed the lead when Drinkwater put prop Jordan McLean over under the sticks but the Knights hit back when Lucas crashed over. Ponga hit the uprights with the conversion to leave it level at 16-all and set up a thrilling final 15 minutes.
Ponga split them and Gagai dropped a low pass with the line open before Cotter’s heroics proved decisive. Knights prop Leo Thompson was sin-binned at the death for a late hit on Feldt.