The Newcastle Knights played against the Gold Coast Titans in the NRLW grand final of 2023. The Knights won the game 24-18, even though they were losing at two different times in the match. Tamika Upton, who scored two tries and helped with two more, was a big part of their success. The Knights won their second consecutive championship.
Tamika Upton had a fantastic game, and she won the Karyn Murphy medal for the second time in a row. The game was played in very hot weather at Accor Stadium in Sydney, so they had cooling fans and slushy machines to help the players stay cool. The Gold Coast Titans started strong with good plays, but they couldn’t score any points. The Knights, who were the top team in the regular season, didn’t start well and had trouble getting out of their own side of the field for the first 10 minutes. The Titans did a good job of keeping the ball away from Jesse Southwell, one of the Knights’ key players.
The Titans finally scored the first points of the game in the 14th minute when Lauren Brown passed the ball to Jaime Chapman, who ran fast and scored a try. The Titans played well and extended their lead with a penalty goal from Zara Canfield. But the Knights got a penalty, and they used the opportunity to score a try through Jasmin Strange. The Knights tied the game just before halftime with a try from Sheridan Gallagher. Shanice Parker also scored for the Knights, giving them a 12-8 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Titans scored again with another try from Jaime Chapman, completing her hat-trick. They were leading 18-12. The Knights had a chance to come back with some penalties, but they couldn’t take advantage of them. Finally, Tamika Upton made a big play, and Jesse Southwell kicked the conversion to tie the game at 18-18. With just a few minutes left, Tamika Upton scored her second try after a kick and a lucky bounce. The Titans tried to come back but made a mistake, and the Knights secured their second consecutive championship.
So, the Newcastle Knights won the NRLW grand final by coming back twice and defeating the Gold Coast Titans 24-18. Tamika Upton was a star player for the Knights, and they managed to win despite some challenges in the game.
Image Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/sep/24/tamika-upton-stars-as-knights-beat-broncos-to-reach-nrlw-grand-final