Chances blown in golden point draw

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Corey Parker of the Broncos scores a try against Newcastle. Source: Tony Feder / Getty Images

JOVIAL Newcastle coach Wayne Bennett suggested the draw was as good as a win.

His Brisbane counterpart Anthony Griffin was just as happy with his side's effort and character.

Neither side won but both camps seemingly left as winners on Friday night after a dramatic golden point match ended in an 18-all stalemate at Hunter Stadium.

Brisbane could be accused of letting the game slip after they led 18-10 with less than nine minutes left.

The Knights could be accused of wasting a glut of second half possession with aimless attack at times before finally unlocking the Broncos' defence twice in six minutes to square things up in regulation time.

In the end, had Bennett not replaced halfback and goal kicker Tyrone Roberts in those final 10 minutes, he may have landed one of the goals make-shift kicker Craig Gower missed to win his side the game.

But maybe neither side deserved to win.

Knights five-eighth Jarrod Mullen missed with four field goal attempts while Brisbane's radar was also off in the desperate final minutes with Ben Hunt and Peter Wallace failing with two attempts during golden point as the sides desperately tried to break the deadlock.

"We did what you want your football team to do. Not to give up and keep at it," Bennett said.

"As far as I'm concerned, that one point for us in the position we are in is as good as a win."

But he had this to say about golden point.

"At the end of the night, we both walked away with one point each and we get on with life.

"For the life of me, I can't see why the game doesn't stop at 80 minutes. I hope in the future we get to that point."

The Brisbane camp was upbeat after the result, even if it means they now need to win all of their five remaining games to reach the play-offs.

Prop Josh Maguire and halfback Ben Hunt were among their stars.

"I was very proud of the effort. We showed a tremendous amount of character," Griffin said.

On his team's play-off chances, skipper Sam Thaiday said: "We're coming. We're not doing any sums at the moment. We are just trying to play some tough footy."

Backrower Beau Scott crossed with eight minutes to go for the Knights to get them back into the contest before Dane Gagai put Aku Uate over in the corner with two minutes left.

With Roberts off, Gower was forced to step up.

He missed his first from a handy position before completely fluffing his sideline conversion attempt at 18-all which would have won Newcastle the game.

After a horror start to the game, Brisbane recovered to dominate the back end of the first half to lead the Knights 12-6 at the break.

Newcastle, who lost winger James McManus with a back injury in the build up, looked on their game early after catching the Broncos napping down their right edge.

McManus's replacement Kevin Naiqama was put into space by his centre Joey Leilua with the play breaking down 10 metres from Brisbane's line.

But from the play-the-ball, Jarrod Mullen's deftly placed grubber bounced up beautifully for prop Zane Tetevano to be the unlikely try recipient.

Tyrone Roberts converted for a 6-0 advantage.

But that was the only joy for the home side, who were loose both with and without the football for the majority of the half.

Brisbane weren't a whole lot better but with halfback Ben Hunt calling the shots, they looked the more dangerous and created the more opportunities.

Centre Justin Hodges took advantage on one of those chances in the 13th minutes when he strolled through Roberts' tackle close to the line off a Scott Prince pass to score an easy try which Prince converted to tie things up.

Hodges got over the try-line again five minutes later only to be held up by Naiqama and Brisbane went close again when winger Corey Oates intercepted a Darius Boyd pass and took off up field.

He seemed set to score when he evaded a Mullen cover tackle before Roberts came from the clouds to put him into touch with a great try saving tackle.

But the relief for the Knights was shortlived.

With four minutes left in the half, Hunt found Corey Parker on an angled run and he beat Beau Scott and Boyd to cross in a handy position for Prince to convert.

Right on half time, Hunt chipped and regathered but his kick for his outside men rolled into touch.

The Knights weren't without their injury worries with Scott limping from early in the game and Mullen also hampered by a leg problem.

Newcastle fought hard half early in the second half to drag themselves back into the game but lacked any real quality with the football and found some desperate Brisbane resistance.

But midway through the half, a ray of light.

Out of nothing, Leilua forced his way over in the corner, pushing off Hodges in the process to get his side back into the game at 12-10.

But no sooner had they done so, Brisbane prop Josh Maguire burst through a poor Scott tackle and found Jack Reed for a try in the corner to put the Broncos back in command.

Prince converted from the touch line for a 18-10 lead.

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