What a massive finish we saw in NRL Finals Week 3 down at Accor Stadium on Sunday, 27 September! The Newcastle Knights pulled off a stunning upset, taking down the ladder-leading Penrith Panthers 22–14 in a fiery clash.
Coming into the match, the markets had the Panthers heavily fancied in the head-to-head at 1.42 after drifting from 1.29, while the Knights saw late backing to firm from 3.5 down to 2.94. Punters who backed Newcastle's grit were duly rewarded as the visitors rolled their sleeves up and delivered when it counted most.
How the match played out
The Panthers entered this fixture boasting an impressive season record of 19 wins and a strong home presence at Accor Stadium, but the Knights had other ideas. Newcastle brought plenty of intensity right from the opening whistle, ultimately outscoring the minor premiers to claim a famous eight-point victory at the final siren.
The total points line was set at 40.5 points, and the combined 36 points fell just underneath that mark in a tight, high-stakes finals encounter. With this result, the Knights advance further into September, while the Panthers' season comes to an abrupt end.
How the tips went
Let's take a fair look at how our published selections fared in this Finals Week 3 showdown. Transparency is everything, so we grade every pick strictly against the final whistle.
Our first published selection was Penrith Panthers in the Head to Head market at 1.27. That tip resulted in a loss as the Panthers fell 22–14 to the visiting Knights.
Our second published selection was Penrith Panthers -10.5 in the Line market at 1.90. That tip also resulted in a loss, given the Panthers not only failed to cover the double-digit margin but dropped the match outright.