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The Newcastle Knights dared to dream.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the season, skipper Hannah Southwell warned they were building an empire out in Newcastle, and after downing the Titans 24-18 in Sunday\u2019s decider, it is starting to ring true.<\/p>\n
The Knights were on struggle street with 35 minutes remaining, after Titans winger Jaime Chapman completed a hat-trick.<\/p>\n
But a Tamika Upton double in the final 10 minutes stole victory for the first Knights team to win back-to-back premierships.<\/p>\n
Newcastle trailed 18-12 with 10 minutes left, as the players battled to find whatever mileage they had left in their legs in 36-degree heat.<\/p>\n
But a shift in momentum came from a one-on-one steal from Young-Matilda-turned-Knights-winger Sheridan Gallagher, who ripped the ball away from Chapman in the 60th minute to help set up the first of Upton\u2019s two late tries.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Tamika Upton celebrates after scoring.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Upton\u2019s match-winner came off her own grubber in the 65th minute, with the Dally M winner completing a stunning turnaround.<\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t all smooth sailing for Newcastle.<\/p>\n Errors were the Knights\u2019 worst enemy, and they gifted Chapman all three of the Titans\u2019 tries. <\/p>\n Alarm bells would have been ringing for Newcastle coach Ronald Griffiths in the second half.<\/p>\n Nita Maynard and Rima Butler both came from the field for head injury assessments, and the following set captain Hannah Southwell was on the ground.<\/p>\n The Knights struggled to find points in the second half, with none other than Chapman holding Shanice Parker up over the line to keep the Newcastle attack at bay.<\/p>\n The opening 10 minutes was similarly all about the Titans and their dogged attack paid off with the first of Chapman\u2019s tries in the 13th minute.<\/p>\n The Gold Coast held 60 per cent possession in the opening 10 minutes, while the Knights struggled to get out of their end when they had the ball.<\/p>\n With the momentum in their favour, the Titans opted to take the extra points when Hannah Southwell was pulled up for a hair pull on Gold Coast skipper Georgia Hale.<\/p>\n But Newcastle eventually got on the scoreboard in the 24th minute when Upton orchestrated a try for winger Jasmin Strange.<\/p>\n With that, Newcastle were away, and off the back of Titans error, Gallagher scored down the right touch line thanks to the help of Parker.<\/p>\n Parker made it a double for Newcastle inside three minutes, snatching the lead for the first time ahead of half-time.<\/p>\n The Titans came out firing after the break, and almost ran away with it. If it wasn\u2019t for Upton, the Gold Coast could well be lifting their first-ever premiership trophy.<\/p>\n But Newcastle were too good in the end, and for the second year in a row, Upton walks away with the Karyn Murphy medal \u2013 a hard pill to swallow for Murphy who is the head coach of the Titans.<\/p>\nMost Viewed in Sport<\/h2>\n
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