Top rugby match ends in ugly scenes as referee attacked and security intervene

A top rugby league match in New Zealand ended in shocking scenes as angry fans threw projectiles at the referee and his officiating team as they walked off the pitch at full time.

Newcastle Knights caused an upset as they defeated the New Zealand Warriors 12-10 at Auckland's Eden Park, advancing to the NRL preliminary finals for the first time since 2013 having picked up the wooden spoon last season. The narrow victory came as the game drew to a close in controversial fashion, however, with two key decisions going against the Warriors in the final moments.

One of those decisions came 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 happened in front of the posts, with supporters calling for a penalty to be awarded to allow the Warriors to level the scores in the closing seconds and send the game to 'Golden Point'.

However, while the replays were fairly damning, the contact was surprisingly cleared by referee Ashley Klein, leaving much of the record 48,500-strong crowd up in arms.

It came minutes after Warriors star Te Maire Martin was penalised for a strip that looked like a loose carry, with bunker official Chris Butler deciding not to overturn the penalty, having just overturned a Knights knock-on.

The controversial end to the game meant that Klein and his team were heavily booed and jeered as they made their way off the field at Eden Park, with footage taken at full-time showing fans throwing cans and bottles towards the officials from the stands.

Security guards and stewards can be seen stepping in to try to shield the refereeing team from the projectiles, with the officials covering their heads as they quickly head into the tunnel.

At full-time, Warriors coach Andrew Webster admitted the late decisions that went against his team were "frustrating", but went on to say that they were not the reason that his team lost the game.

"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 face Penrith in the preliminary final at Sydney's Accor Stadium next weekend.

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