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Newcastle Herald

National

Renee Valentine

Quick plays: All you need to know from a weekend of sport in Newcastle

Jonathan Carroll Gosford (Organization) Hockey Norths (Organization) Tigers Hamilton (Organization) Wanderers Rugby Union Broadmeadow Newcastle

Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League grand final action between Norths and Gosford at Newcastle International Hockey Centre on Saturday. Picture by Jonathan Carroll

Major semi-final action in NPLM NNSW between Maitland and Broadmeadow at Cooks Square Park on Sunday. Picture by Jonathan Carroll

Newcastle District Women's Hockey Association grand final action between Gosford and Tigers. Picture by Jonathan Carroll

Hunter Rugby Union preliminary final action between Hamilton and Wanderers at No.2 Sportsground on Saturday. Picture by Jonathan Carroll

As the Newcastle Knights powered into an historic first NRLW finals series with a convincing 22-point win over the Dragons, a number of local teams clinched championship glory in an action-packed weekend of sport in Newcastle.

In a preview of this weekend's qualifying final, the Knights gained a psychological advantage against St George.

Teenage halfback Jesse Southwell continued to impress in her maiden season of NRLW while multi-sport talent Jess Gentle also turned heads with a try-scoring effort on debut.

Last-minute heartbreak

Gentle was a noticeable absence from the Charlestown side whose NPLW Northern NSW season ended in painful circumstances on Sunday.

Azzurri conceded two stoppage time goals to lose their elimination semi-final with Newcastle Olympic on at John Street Oval.

Olympic twice came from behind to take a euphoric 3-2 victory and line up a preliminary showdown with Broadmeadow.

Magic did not play poorly despite a five-goal loss to a clinical Warners Bay, who progress directly to the October 2 grand final.

The Panthers continued to show their range of goalscoring capabilities in the 6-1 win at John Street Oval.

Magpies soar into grand final

In NPLM NNSW, Maitland came from behind to secure a 4-1 win over Broadmeadow in the major semi-final at Cooks Square Park on Sunday and seal another grand final appearance.

Flynn Goodman proved the star of the show, stepping in for an injured James Thompson and scoring a hat-trick.

Magic now face Lambton in the preliminary final after the Jaffas ended Olympic's season on Saturday.

City prevail again in arm wrestle

They were virtually untouched on the way to a seventh grand final appearance in Black Diamond Cup Women's, but Newcastle City were made to fight tooth and nail for a sixth flag against an energetic and defensively resolute Killarney Vale on Saturday.

The Bombers took a narrow lead into the final break but City's experience came to the fore in the fourth quarter to seal a three-point win.

In the men's title decider, Killarney Vale broke a 15-year premiership drought in beating competition heavyweights Terrigal-Avoca. The Panthers were playing in an astonishing 10^th straight grand final.