NRL finals updates: Injury crisis hits Panthers as second player ruled out

The Knights are back to the promised land!

For the first time since 2001 the Knights are into a decider!

Sandon Smith took an intercept and ran the length of the field after the Panthers just couldn’t find a killer blow when attacking. It was clear how much Nathan Cleary’s exit had.

Smith managed to out-run Brian To’o and it’s emotion for Kalyn Ponga, Justin Holbrook and every Knights player and fan.

The Knights are up and about!

Moses Leota hit the ball up and Kalyn Ponga smashed him, flattening the big prop.

Then the next play, Sandon Smith tackled Lindsay Smith who knocked the ball on in attacking territory.

The fatigue is clear because both sides keep coughing up the ball.

It has been confirmed Blaize Talagi injured his Achilles.

Casey McLean was over the line and the Panthers celebrated like he scored.

But the Bunker replay shows he didn’t get it down. That’s only the first tackle though.

The young centre looks gone here.

He went down with a no-contact injury and that definitely looks like an Achilles injury.

Nathan Cleary shakes his head while Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards deliver a strong message to their side.

Talagi has to be helped off the field as Liam Martin heads back on to the field with Luke Garner likely to go to centre.

“That’s terrible news for Blaize Talagi,” Phil Gould said.

Wow, what on earth just happened?

The Panthers conceded a penalty for a high tackle. As everyone argued, Sandon Smith did a quick tap when the backs of the Panthers were turned.

Penrith fired up while Gerard Sutton spoke to the touch judges before awarding a try.

Phil Gould makes the point you can’t do a quick tap on foul play. That one might need some explaining.

Smith converts his own try and the lead is 16-14.

“That is a magic moment,” Gould said.

Thomas Jenkins has now dropped the ball coming out of his own line.

What is going on?

The Panthers just produced one of their most bizarre moments ever.

A scrum off the 40 metre line and Thomas Jenkins tried to put a kick in. It was a shocker and went right into the Knights with possession conceded.

“I cannot believe that play, if it’s not the worst kick in rugby league history, it’s in the grand final,” Andrew Johns said.

Phil Gould added: “What the hell was that?”

That was an absolute shocker.

This Knights team can move the ball around, can’t they?

They stunned the Panthers with a right-side play and kept moving the ball before Dom Young reached out and put the ball down.

Bizarrely the referee sent it up as a no-try due to Young being short of the line.

The replay showed it was easily on the line, with the touch-judge right there.

“Not even close to a no try,” Phil Gould said on Nine.

Sideline reporter Brad Fittler said one of the passes was forward from his vantage point but it doesn’t matter, the Knights have some momentum.

Justin Holbrook was fired up in the coaching box too.