There are just 80 minutes left in St George Illawarra’s NRL season and it can’t come quick enough for the team who looked a world away in their 42-18 loss to Newcastle on Sunday.
A loud ‘New-ca-stle’ chant rang around McDonald Jones Stadium as the finals-bound Knights heaped more misery on the Dragons in their last home game of the year.
Four errors in the first half had the Knights up 24-0 after just 25 minutes including woeful kicks out on the full and two knock ons from the kick off.
And when NSW prop Daniel Saifiti crashed through soft defence under the sticks to score their fourth unanswered try, he made sure Dragons star Tyson Frizell knew where he’d be next year.
The Origin (and soon to be Knights) teammates exchanged a few words in the heat of the moment but it didn’t look like a welcome address.
Leading 30-6 at the break, the Knights went on with the job in the second half with each side scoring twice.
In front of some of the club’s premiership heroes on old boys day, the Knights put on an attacking masterclass through Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga.
And when the camera flashed on 1997 premiership winning captain Paul Harragon in the crowd, he was grinning from ear to ear at the show.
Ponga was rested in last week’s loss to Sydney Roosters but was all the better for it on Sunday.
The star fullback set up two tries and scored one of his own, while Enari Tuala scored a double and Jacob Saifiti and Gehamat Shibasaki all got on the board.
It was a miserable performance from the Dragons, but Zac Lomax and Cody Ramsey were shining lights.
Lomax, in particular, who scored a double, while Corey Norman scored after Ramsay made a line break down the touchline.
The Knights are set to play their first finals series since 2013, and could host their first home finals game at McDonald Jones Stadium since 2006.
That destiny is now in their own hands sitting one point above South Sydney on the ladder with a game to play.
The Knights will now face Gold Coast on Friday, who are on a four-game winning streak, needing a win to cement at least sixth place.
Should they beat the Titans, the Knights will face Wayne Bennett’s Rabbitohs in the first week of the finals in Newcastle.
Ironically, Bennett was the last man to get the Knights to the play-offs in 2013.