The Newcastle Knights are 80 minutes away from an NRL Grand Final after producing one of the biggest wins of their 2026 campaign, defeating the New Zealand Warriors 12-10 at Eden Park to book a place in the preliminary final.

The result has Newcastle dreaming of a return to the biggest stage, with the Knights now facing a massive showdown against the Penrith Panthers on Sunday at Accor Stadium.

It has been a remarkable turnaround for Newcastle. After finishing the 2025 season with the wooden spoon, the Knights climbed to seventh on the ladder this year and have now knocked over both South Sydney and the Warriors during their finals campaign.

A tough road ahead

Standing between Newcastle and the Grand Final is the Panthers a side that has dominated the NRL finals landscape in recent seasons.

Penrith have reached five of the past six preliminary finals and are chasing another Grand Final appearance, while Newcastle are playing in their first preliminary final since 2013.

Adding another layer to the contest is the return of Nathan Cleary.

The Panthers halfback has been named at No.7 despite suffering a bone stress injury to his foot during Penrith’s qualifying final victory over the Roosters. Cleary has had an extra week to recover following Penrith’s week off.

Newcastle have confirmed they will stick with the same 19 man squad that defeated the Warriors, with coach Justin Holbrook rewarding the group that delivered the pressure packed victory in Auckland.

Can the Knights cause another upset?

Newcastle’s challenge is enormous, but they have already shown during these finals that they are capable of winning under pressure.

Their 12-10 victory over the Warriors was built around defence and composure, with the Knights holding their nerve in a hostile Eden Park environment to secure their place in the preliminary final.

Now they get another chance to prove themselves against one of the competition’s most experienced finals teams.

For Newcastle fans, there is also plenty of history riding on the result. The Knights have not won a preliminary final since 2001 the same year the club last lifted the premiership trophy.

Sunday’s clash will also be the first finals meeting between Newcastle and Penrith since the Knights entered the competition in 1988.

One game. One opportunity. One step from the Grand Final.

Can the Knights keep the fairytale alive? 🔴🔵

Panthers v Knights — Sunday, September 27 | Accor Stadium