{
  "id": 10197435,
  "title": "Tearful Johns praises fans for helping Knights end grand final drought",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/tearful-johns-praises-fans-for-helping-knights-end-grand-final-drought",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-27T10:40:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-27/matty-johns-newcastle-knights-reach-nrl-grand-final/107201578"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Matty Johns, a former Newcastle Knights star, has expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards the team's fans after the Knights reached the NRL grand final for the first time in 25 years. The Knights secured a hard-fought victory over Penrith in the NRL preliminary final, despite suffering a 12-man disadvantage due to a red card to Phoenix Crossland. Johns was visibly emotional during his post-match interview, acknowledging the immense effort shown by both the players and the fans. The Knights will face the Sydney Roosters in the grand final on Sunday, October 4 at 7:30pm AEDT. Johns' emotional praise for the fans was echoed by Knights captain Kalyn Ponga, who also credited their passionate and vocal support for their team's success.",
  "summary": "Matty Johns fights through tears to praise the Knights and the Newcastle fans after a gripping and gritty preliminary final win over Penrith.",
  "key_points": [
    "Matty Johns grateful for fans' support",
    "Knights reach NRL grand final for first time in 25 years",
    "Team faces Sydney Roosters in Sunday's final"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News",
        "title": "Tearful Johns praises fans for helping Knights end grand final drought",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/27/tearful-johns-praises-fans-for-helping-knights-end-grand-final-drought-10198100",
        "published": "2026-09-27T10:40:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}