Top rugby match ends in chaos as referee attacked and security rush to scene

15:02, Sun, Sep 20, 2026 Updated: 15:02, Sun, Sep 20, 2026

From the source The match ended in ugly scenes (Image: X: @centralNRL)

A major rugby league match in New Zealand descended into chaotic scenes as furious supporters hurled objects at the referee and his officiating team while they left the pitch following the final whistle. Newcastle Knights pulled off a surprise result, edging past the New Zealand Warriors 12-10 at Auckland's Eden Park, securing their place in the NRL preliminary finals for the first time since 2013 after claiming the wooden spoon last season.

The slender win came amid contentious circumstances, though, with two crucial rulings going against the Warriors during the closing stages. One such decision took place in the 79th minute, when Warriors centre Leka Halasima was knocked to the ground off the ball by Knights prop Tyson Frizell as he prepared to contest a high kick.

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The incident unfolded directly in front of the posts, with spectators demanding a penalty be given to enable the Warriors to draw level in the final seconds and force the match into 'Golden Point'.

Yet while the replays appeared quite conclusive, the contact was unexpectedly dismissed by referee Ashley Klein, leaving a substantial portion of the record 48,500-strong crowd incensed.

This followed Warriors star Te Maire Martin being penalised for a strip that resembled a loose carry, with bunker official Chris Butler opting not to reverse the penalty, having just changed a Knights knock-on.

The controversial conclusion to the match saw Klein and his officiating crew subjected to a chorus of boos and jeers as they departed Eden Park, with footage captured at the final whistle showing supporters hurling cans and bottles at the officials from the terraces.

Security personnel and stewards were forced to intervene to protect the refereeing team from incoming projectiles, as the officials shielded their heads and made a hasty retreat into the tunnel.

At the final whistle, Warriors head coach Andrew Webster conceded that the late rulings that went against his side were "frustrating", but maintained that they were not ultimately responsible for his team's defeat.

"It was frustrating," he said. "I feel like they were trying to find ways to take it off us.

"The last one, and two points would have drawn the game, he's [Frizell] going across Leka, pretending to try and catch the ball, which they [NRL] have told us you can't do."

The Knights will now go on to face Penrith in the preliminary final at Sydney's Accor Stadium next weekend.