Jones leaves legacy

Despite the victorious Newcastle Knights bursting the balloons and spiking the punch with three late tries, Warriors league halfback Stacey Jones still left Ericsson Stadium a winner.
Jones' final home National Rugby League match Saturday night was billed as the legendary halfback's farewell party to the club he's served for 11 years.
And he didn't disappoint. Unfortunately for the 17,000 raucous fans, the officials also turned party poopers with Jones having three tries disallowed.
The Knights eventually prevailed 16-4, handing the struggling Warriors a fourth consecutive loss in a drama-packed night which few pundits would have predicted.
Jones did everything but win the match, crossing the tryline three times, only to see a potential hat-trick wiped out.
Under-siege Warriors coach Tony Kemp reserved some special praise for the France-bound Jones as he summed up the thoughts of many.
"I'll wake up in the morning and have a smile on my face," Kemp said.
"Stacey Jones paid me the ultimate compliment before the game saying this is the best year he's had at the club for 11 years.
"I've that much respect for this little bloke. Tonight he left in a way he shouldn't have left, but it was still Stacey Jones' night.
"Let's not forget New Zealand's lost an icon. But we've gained a folklore."
Saturday's game will etch a place in the club's annals as an astonishing farewell for Jones, 29, who heads to Super League club Union Treiziste Catalan in October.
Jones' final home game was running to script as the Warriors held a slim lead for 60 minutes and dominated the opposition for long periods.
But then the game's other great halfback, Andrew Johns, sparked a remarkable passage of play for the Knights.
Three tries in seven minutes saw the cellar-dwellers storm past the hosts and rain all over Jones' parade.
When asked for his reaction to the night's events, Jones replied in his typical non-effusive fashion.
"That's the way it went and you can't do anything about it."
"It was frustrating, we were dropping the ball and turning it over and when we did get over the line it was disallowed. It was disappointing, but as I said it's just the way it went."
The drama started in the 23rd minute when video referee Steve Nash ruled Warriors wing Simon Mannering had obstructed a player before Jones scrambled to the tryline.
In the 55th minute referee Jason Robinson ruled a double movement on Jones after he scored under the posts, the most contentious call of the night.
Three minutes later Jones was denied again when Nash ruled obstruction after Jones bumped into second rower Awen Guttenbeil en-route to scoring.
Kemp later fired a broadside at the officials which may see him slapped with a $10,000 fine after coming close to receiving a breach for criticising referees earlier this season.
"I suppose tomorrow the first thing I'm going to do is issue (NRL referees boss) Robert Finch with a breach notice. That sums up our year.
"There's a rule that stipulates decisions should go towards the attacking team. It just seems we're under so much scrutiny and I want (NRL chief executive) David Gallop to tell me why."
While Kemp fumed at their lack of tries, Knights halfback Andrew Johns sparked the visitors' revival after the Warriors led 4-0 at halftime.
In the 60th minute five-eighth Brad Tighe ran 50m off a Johns bust to score, and was quickly followed by Kurt Gidley and Clint Newton tries in the 64th and 67th minutes to seal the win.
The Warriors should have won the match, but Sione Faumuina, following a 40-20 kick from Jones, lost the ball over the line early in the first half and Louis Anderson was also denied by Nash.
Jones instigated the Warriors' only try in the 15th minute when wing Manu Vatuvei, after his burst down the right flank, caught a Jones bomb.
The Little General may never play at Ericsson Stadium again, but his name will be a permanent fixture after a West Lounge Stand was renamed Stacey Jones just before kickoff.? NZPA