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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
National
Renee Valentine

Quick plays: All you need to know from a weekend of sport in Newcastle on August 13-14, 2022

NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League action between Norths and Maitland at Newcastle International Hockey Centre. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
NPLM NNSW action between Newcastle Olympic and Lambton Jaffas at Darling St Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Black Diamond Cup AFL match between Newcastle City and Terrigal at Hawkins Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers
Newcastle Rugby League match between Lakes and Macquarie at Cahill Oval. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

There was plenty of drama following another disappointing loss for Newcastle Knights fans over the weekend.

Knights legend and NRL Immortal Andrew Johns was highly critical of the side's edge-defence in his post-game analysis after Newcastle went down 28-10 to the Brisbane on Saturday night.

"Some of the defensive decisions out there, you just shake your head - it's not even reserve-grade stuff," Johns said on the Nine Network.

Other rugby league experts suggested Newcastle should dispense with Anthony Milford and allow Phoenix Crossland to finish the season at five-eighth.

Before the game, the Knights new director of football Peter Parr had revealed his plans to turn the club around.

In more positive news, the Knights NRLW side announced last week Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jesse Southwell would join sister Hannah as the club finalises their roster on a team hoped to feature in finals. They are set to kick off this weekend.

Pickers go back-to-back in Newcastle RL

At a local level, it was a tense final round of Newcastle Rugby League with the top five decided but the order in which they finished the regular season not.

Macquarie captain Liam Higgins admitted he was keeping a close eye on the result between Maitland and Cessnock while his match was still playing out.

The Pickers ended up securing back-to-back premierships.

Finals begin this weekend with the Scorpions to meet Central at St John Oval in Saturday's qualifying semi-final while the Goannas play Souths at Cessnock Sportsground in Sunday's elimination semi-final.

Falcons clinch home-court advantage

The Newcastle Falcons will stage NBL1 East men's and women's play-off games at Newcastle Basketball Stadium on Saturday night after a dramatic final round of the regular season at the weekend left both teams in third position.

The Falcons women have lost key player Chyra Evans for their finals campaign. The 18-year-old flew to the United States on Friday to take up a college basketball scholarship with the University of Michigan.

Souths produce clean sweep of netball titles

Souths Lions claimed minor premierships across all three grades in Newcastle netball's Greater Bank Series following last-round results at National Park on Saturday.

The finals series begins this weekend and all season form is out the window with a number of NSW Premier League players expected back after limited court time this campaign.

Souths will play University of Newcastle in the major semi-final and Nova Thunder meet West Leagues Balance in the do-or-die minor semi-final.

Wildfires go down fighting in Jack Scott Cup

Proud coach Joey De Dassel is confident his young Hunter Wildfires women's side will be better for their Jack Scott Cup finals experience.

The Wildfires pushed defending premiers Sydney University to the limit, going down 15-10 in the semi-final at Sydney Uni No.2 Oval on Saturday.

It was only Hunter's second season in the Sydney women's premier rugby union first division and the first time they had featured in the top grade finals series.

Wildfires captain Peta Salter told the Newcastle Herald that the finals appearance showed how far the team had come in a short amount of time.

Meanwhile, in Hunter Rugby Union over the weekend, an emotion-charged Nelson Bay came from 14-7 down to stun Maitland 21-14 at Marcellin Park and breathe life into their faint play-off hopes.

Plenty at stake in NPL NNSW

A stoppage-time goal from Vince Unie kept Newcastle Olympic in the top five and helped Maitland take control at the top after a NPLM NNSW catch-up round packed with late drama.

Olympic and Lambton drew 1-1 while the Magpies produced a goal deep in stoppage time to beat Broadmeadow 3-2.

Maitland's women kept alive their finals hopes in NPLW NNSW with a 1-0 win over Mid Coast at Cooks Square Park on Sunday.

It was their second win in four days and moved the fifth-placed Magpies to within two points of Newcastle Olympic in fourth.

What else happened

The Newcastle Northstars named a grandstand after Don Champagne to honour one of the club's most influential figures.

In their last home appearance of the AIHL season, Newcastle beat Brisbane Lightning 4-3 in an exhibition game.

Norths took another step towards securing the minor premiership in Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League ahead of a top-of-the-table battle this weekend.

Killarney Vale sealed their first minor premiership in more than two decades of Black Diamond Cup AFL with a massive 179-point win over Singleton.

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