With the battle for the finals hotting up, and a logjam of teams within sight of the top eight, Wests Tigers picked up a
valuable two points with a crucial 18-10 win over St George-Illawarra at WIN Stadium on Friday night.
At first, the game bore more resemblance to a rugby union match, with the scoring coming from the kicking tee rather
than through the scoring of tries. Jamie Soward put the first points on the board with a penalty goal, and then Benji
Marshall put two goals over to put the Tigers 4-2 ahead.
In the 23rd minute, Robbie Farah put a bomb up on the last tackle, and Beau Ryan went up to grab the ball and put it
down over the line to score the opening try of the game; a try that Marshall converted from the sideline. And with
another penalty goal on the stroke of half time, the Tigers held a 12-2 lead at the break.
The Dragons burst out of the blocks after half time, forcing the Tigers into two drop-outs. And weight of possession
would take its toll, with Josh Morris crossing over to score in the corner. Soward’s conversion saw the margin reduced
to four points with still plenty of time left on the clock. And four minutes later, another penalty goal for Soward saw the
Dragons creep even closer.
But the Dragons could get no closer, and with ten minutes to go the Tigers wrapped the game up. An intercept by Beau
Ryan and a 40 metre run put the Tigers into attacking position, before offloading to Benji Marshall who raced through to
score under the posts. The conversion extended the lead to eight points, putting the game out of St George’s reach.
Only for-and-against now separates the Dragons and Tigers, the race for the finals growing ever closer.
Wests Tigers 18 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 10
Tigers : Tries – B Marshall, B Ryan. Goals – B Marshall 5/5.
Dragons : Tries – J Morris. Goals – J Soward 3/3.
Referee – S Hayne. Crowd – 14,207 at WIN Stadium.
Top spot was on the line when Manly hosted Melbourne at Brookvale on Friday night. And it was the Storm who would
emerge victorious, winning at Brookvale for the first time since 1999 as the Storm took out a 16-10 win.
There was plenty of passion in the contest, and it spilled over after a couple of big hits, with Michael Crocker and Brent
Kite coming to blows, as players from both sides ran in to remonstrate.
In the 8th minute, the Storm were on the board, after Billy Slater went for a run, drawing three Sea Eagle defenders
before off-loading to Matt Geyer for the opening try. Brett Stewart had a chance to get an instant reply for the Sea
Eagles, only for his effort to be disallowed by the video referee, retaining the Storm’s 6-0 lead.
On 17 minutes, Glenn Hall dragged two Storm defenders with him as he crossed over, getting an equalising try for the
Sea Eagles. But just moments before half time, the Storm were back in front after a thrilling 40 metre run by Israel
Folau culminated in a try in the corner, and a 10-6 lead to the Storm at half time.
The Storm out firing after half time, and Cooper Cronk outmuscled the Sea Eagle defence to score. But the Sea Eagles
quickly fought back, spreading the ball wide for David Williams to score in the corner. Matai’s conversion attempt was
unsuccessful, and the Storm had a six-point lead with still nearly half an hour to go.
The Sea Eagles continued to attack through the balance of the game, but the Storm defenders were equal to the task.
Time ticked down, but Melbourne rode out everything the Sea Eagles could throw at them, holding on for a victory; one
that sees both teams locked together equal top of the ladder.
Melbourne Storm 16 def Manly Sea Eagles 10
Storm : Tries – C Cronk, I Folau, M Geyer. Goals – C Smith 2/3. Field Goals – C Cronk 0/1.
Sea Eagles : Tries – G Hall, D Williams. Goals – S Matai 1/2.
Referee – T Archer. Crowd – 18,442 at Brookvale Oval.
valuable two points with a crucial 18-10 win over St George-Illawarra at WIN Stadium on Friday night.
At first, the game bore more resemblance to a rugby union match, with the scoring coming from the kicking tee rather
than through the scoring of tries. Jamie Soward put the first points on the board with a penalty goal, and then Benji
Marshall put two goals over to put the Tigers 4-2 ahead.
In the 23rd minute, Robbie Farah put a bomb up on the last tackle, and Beau Ryan went up to grab the ball and put it
down over the line to score the opening try of the game; a try that Marshall converted from the sideline. And with
another penalty goal on the stroke of half time, the Tigers held a 12-2 lead at the break.
The Dragons burst out of the blocks after half time, forcing the Tigers into two drop-outs. And weight of possession
would take its toll, with Josh Morris crossing over to score in the corner. Soward’s conversion saw the margin reduced
to four points with still plenty of time left on the clock. And four minutes later, another penalty goal for Soward saw the
Dragons creep even closer.
But the Dragons could get no closer, and with ten minutes to go the Tigers wrapped the game up. An intercept by Beau
Ryan and a 40 metre run put the Tigers into attacking position, before offloading to Benji Marshall who raced through to
score under the posts. The conversion extended the lead to eight points, putting the game out of St George’s reach.
Only for-and-against now separates the Dragons and Tigers, the race for the finals growing ever closer.
Wests Tigers 18 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 10
Tigers : Tries – B Marshall, B Ryan. Goals – B Marshall 5/5.
Dragons : Tries – J Morris. Goals – J Soward 3/3.
Referee – S Hayne. Crowd – 14,207 at WIN Stadium.
Top spot was on the line when Manly hosted Melbourne at Brookvale on Friday night. And it was the Storm who would
emerge victorious, winning at Brookvale for the first time since 1999 as the Storm took out a 16-10 win.
There was plenty of passion in the contest, and it spilled over after a couple of big hits, with Michael Crocker and Brent
Kite coming to blows, as players from both sides ran in to remonstrate.
In the 8th minute, the Storm were on the board, after Billy Slater went for a run, drawing three Sea Eagle defenders
before off-loading to Matt Geyer for the opening try. Brett Stewart had a chance to get an instant reply for the Sea
Eagles, only for his effort to be disallowed by the video referee, retaining the Storm’s 6-0 lead.
On 17 minutes, Glenn Hall dragged two Storm defenders with him as he crossed over, getting an equalising try for the
Sea Eagles. But just moments before half time, the Storm were back in front after a thrilling 40 metre run by Israel
Folau culminated in a try in the corner, and a 10-6 lead to the Storm at half time.
The Storm out firing after half time, and Cooper Cronk outmuscled the Sea Eagle defence to score. But the Sea Eagles
quickly fought back, spreading the ball wide for David Williams to score in the corner. Matai’s conversion attempt was
unsuccessful, and the Storm had a six-point lead with still nearly half an hour to go.
The Sea Eagles continued to attack through the balance of the game, but the Storm defenders were equal to the task.
Time ticked down, but Melbourne rode out everything the Sea Eagles could throw at them, holding on for a victory; one
that sees both teams locked together equal top of the ladder.
Melbourne Storm 16 def Manly Sea Eagles 10
Storm : Tries – C Cronk, I Folau, M Geyer. Goals – C Smith 2/3. Field Goals – C Cronk 0/1.
Sea Eagles : Tries – G Hall, D Williams. Goals – S Matai 1/2.
Referee – T Archer. Crowd – 18,442 at Brookvale Oval.
In an extremely tight battle for positions in the top eight, the New Zealand Warriors grabbed a vital two points, and
ensured the Broncos were no certainties to qualify, when the Warriors pulled off a 16-12 win at Mt Smart Stadium on
Saturday evening.
A penalty goal in the 11th minute gave the Broncos an early lead, but the Warriors were getting the better of the penalty
count and possession flow. For set after set the home side put the Broncos under siege, and finally the defence
cracked for Ben Matulino to find the line and score in the corner.
But Michael Witt was unable to convert, and against the run of play the Broncos were in to score just a few minutes
later, a clever offload by Karmichael Hunt finding Ben Hannant for a converted try under the posts and an 8-4 lead.
But with only a minute remaining before half time, a 40 metre break by Wade McKinnon culminated in a try under the
posts, a try converted by Michael Witt on the half time buzzer which saw the Warriors take a 10-8 lead into the sheds at
the break.
Ten minutes after half time, Jerome Ropati made a break and a 50 metre run which put the Warriors into attacking
position. And on the last tackle, a bomb went up which was grabbed by Manu Vatuvei, and a quick pass found Michael
Witt who dived over to score in the corner. Witt was unable to convert his try, but added a penalty goal a few minutes
later to put the Warriors eight points clear.
But there were some anxious moments to come for the Warriors, as with eight minutes to go Denan Kemp broke
through the Bronco defence to score a converted try in the corner. The Broncos continued to press in the final minutes,
but the Warriors hung on through the final minutes to record valuable points and keep themselves in the finals race.
New Zealand Warriors 16 def Brisbane Broncos 12
Warriors : Tries – B Matulino, W McKinnon, M Witt. Goals – M Witt 2/4.
Broncos : Tries – B Hannant, D Kemp. Goals – C Parker 2/3.
Referee – S Hampstead. Crowd – 13,007 at Mt Smart Stadium.
After months of heartbreak and disappointment, a 13-game losing streak, finally something went right for the North
Queensland Cowboys; and they took full advantage of something finally going their way as they cruised to a 36-12 win
over the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
An early try to Carl Webb kick-started the Cowboys into action, and in the 14th minute Faumina grubbered forward to
the in-goal, and Ty Williams won the race to the ball and put it down for a try and an 8-0 advantage for the Cowboys.
Prop Ray Cashmere dragged two Bulldog defenders over the line with him as he crashed over for a try under the
posts, putting the Cowboys 14-0 ahead. It was a scoreline that would remain for the rest of the first half, the game
becoming a defensive battle as the Bulldogs attempted to stop the scoreboard leaking further but rarely looking like
scoring any points themselves to reduce the deficit.
Shortly after half time, Ben Barba threw the Bulldogs a lifeline as he ran rings around the Cowboy defenders to score
under the posts. Hazem El Masri had little difficulty in adding the extras. And for the next few minutes, the Bulldogs
continued to press the line and raise hopes of getting themselves back into the contest.
But on the hour, Faumuina chased down a grubber and scored for the Cowboys, setting up a 20-6 lead and effectively
locking the Bulldogs out of the contest. And then the floodgates opened; as in quick succession, Ashley Graham and
Travis Burns got into the try-scoring action; before Ty Williams brought up his double. Months of pain for the Cowboys
had been blown away in a devastating 15-minute burst as finally the North Queensland side found the rhythm and
confidence that had deserted them for so long. Not even an intercept and 95 metre run by Andrew Emilio for a
consolation try for the Bulldogs in the final minute could dampen the smile on the Cowboy faces as finally they would
taste the fruits of victory.
It had been a lucrative financial deal for the Bulldogs to play their home game in Brisbane; but the loss of home ground
advantage cost them dearly. Their losing streak is now four games, the club playing without spirit or passion; the
walkout of Sonny Bill Williams triggering a complete breakdown of morale within the once proud club. But this was a
night for the Cowboys, when their long run of heartbreak and gloom finally came to an emphatic end.
North Queensland Cowboys 36 def Bulldogs 12
Cowboys : Tries – T Williams 2, T Burns, R Cashmere, S Faumuina, A Graham, C Webb. Goals – J Williams 4/7.
Bulldogs : Tries – B Barba, R Emelio. Goals – H El Masri 2/2.
Referee – B Sutton. Crowd – 8,549 at Suncorp Stadium.
A logjam at the top of the table has become even more congested, as Cronulla moved to equal first, joining Manly and
Melbourne at the top; after the Sharks completed a 28-14 win over Souths at Shark Park on Saturday night.
The Rabbitohs had first use of the ball after Cronulla kicked off, and Chris Sandow went perilously close to getting the
Rabbitohs off to a perfect start, kicking the ball forward on the fifth tackle and chasing the ball down; but the video
referee disallowed the try after replays showed Sandow was unable to ground the ball correctly.
Souths did get the first points of the game shortly afterwards when a penalty goal was put over. But in the 8th minute, a
solo effort by Ben Pomeroy saw him get the first try of the game, evading the Souths defenders to score under the
posts. No problem with the conversion for Luke Covell.
The Rabbitohs were getting plenty of the ball, and a lopsided penalty count was keeping them in attack, but they were
unable to penetrate the line. And against the run of play, Greg Bird showed some creativity to run rings around the
Souths defenders before offloading to give Pomeroy his second try of the night and the Sharks a 12-2 lead.
Finally the Rabbitohs got the try that had looked inevitable for so long, with a 40-20 by Sandow putting the Rabbitohs in
a deep attacking position, and Beau Falloon did the rest to score under the posts. Sandow’s conversion saw the
Sharks’ lead reduced to 12-8, and that was still the score at half time.
Shortly after half time, Steve Kearney threw a long, wide pass which was pounced on by Luke Covell, who had no-one
in front of him as he ran 30 metres to score out wide. But Covell was unable to convert his own try.
Ten minutes later, Ben Seymour dummied before strolling through some soft defending to cruise through for another
try. And on the hour, David Simmons intercepted and ran 50 metres unchallenged to score under the posts; giving the
Rabbitohs an unassailable 28-8 lead.
A strong 40 metre run down the wing by Nathan Merritt gave the Rabbitohs a try back, but it wasn’t enough to put the
Sharks under any pressure. And so the Sharks are level on points with Manly and Melbourne, and look a chance to get
through for their first premiership.
Cronulla Sharks 28 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 14
Sharks : Tries – B Pomeroy 2, L Covell, B Seymour, D Simmons. Goals – L Covell 4/5.
Rabbitohs : Tries – B Falloon, N Merritt. Goals – C Sandow 3/3.
Referee – B Cummins. Crowd – 12,618 at Toyota Park.
Sunday afternoon at Canberra Stadium saw the Raiders break club records as they completed a 74-12 romp over a
hapless Penrith side.
The Panthers were first on the board, with a poor pass going to ground but Rhys Wesser was on hand to scoop up the
loose ball and off-load to Michael Gordon who ran through to score. But the Raiders made a quick reply, with Marc
Herbert grubbering to the line, the ball bouncing off the uprights luckily into the arms of Terry Campese for the
equalising try.
Dane Tilse chased down a grubber for another try, but the Panthers replied quickly with a solo effort by little fullback
Rhys Wesser. At the 25 minute mark, scores were locked at 12-12, and few could have imagined the carnage that was
to come.
At the 26 minute mark, Joel Monaghan weaved his way around traffic for a try that put the Raiders in front. With that try,
the Penrith defence crumbled, and the Raiders assumed complete control for the remainder of the afternoon.
Four tries in the ten minutes before half time opened the floodgates. Trevor Thurling and Terry Campese completed
doubles, as the Raiders cruised through at will against the insipid Panther defending.
It was 38-12 at half time, and the Raiders immediately had the Panthers under pressure after half time, Tom Learoyd-
Lahrs pouncing on an errant drop-out before sending David Milne through a yawning gap to score. It was the first of six
unanswered tries for the Raiders, as they toyed with the hapless Panthers.
In the end, it was 13 tries to two in a dominant performance, the 74-12 scoreline a reflection of the home side’s
complete superiority in every facet of the game. Terry Campese, with four tries and ten conversions, finished with a
whopping 36 individual points for the game, just two short of Mal Meninga’s all-time club record. Trevor Thurling
weighed in with three tries. Eight Raider players scored tries, and it was hard to find one who lowered their colours on
the day. In contrast, Penrith were dismal, letting themselves down with soft defence, numerous knock-ons, constant
skill errors and poor decision-making and a string of silly penalties. With the win, the Raiders jump ahead of the
Panthers on the ladder, and the boost to their for-and-against seeing them also leap-frog the Wests Tigers into the top
eight.
Canberra Raiders 74 def Penrith Panthers 12
Raiders : Tries – T Campese 4, T Thurling 3, J Carney, T Learoyd-Lahrs, D Milne, J Monaghan, D Tilse, A Tongue.
Goals – T Campese 10/12, M Herbert 1/1.
Panthers : Tries – M Gordon, R Wesser. Goals – M Gordon 2/2.
Referee – J Robinson. Crowd – 6,500 at Canberra Stadium.
It’s a long shot, but Parramatta gave themselves just the slightest chance of qualifying for this year’s finals when they
completed a 28-24 win over the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Eels made the early running, and after 10 minutes they were first on the scoreboard, with Brett Finch delivering a
grubber on the last tackle which Nathan Hindmarsh chased down to score. Krisnan Inu converted the try, and added a
penalty goal a few minutes later.
The Roosters were under pressure, but fought back through a grubber by Braith Anasta which was pounced on by a
flying Amos Roberts for a try under the posts. Craig Fitzgibbon’s conversion brought it back to 8-6. And when Shaun
Kenny-Dowall crashed over out wide, the Roosters had the lead.
A penalty goal brought the Eels two points closer, and with three minutes to go till half time, Joel Reddy flew to grab a
bomb from Kris Keating and put the ball down to restore Parramatta’s lead; Inu’s conversion making the score 16-12
at the break.
Inu put another penalty goal over shortly after half time to stretch the lead to six points. But the Eels knocked-on from
the kick off, giving the Roosters an attacking opportunity; and the ensuing set resulted in Kenny-Dowall scoring his
second try to level the scores.
The Eels took the lead back on the hour, Feleti Mateo delivering a quick pass for Joe Gulavao to score his first try in
Parramatta colours. But the Roosters again levelled the scores, with Sam Perrett being awarded a try by the video
referee.
The game was in the balance, the clock running down as Krisnan Inu burst through a line of Rooster defenders to
score in the corner and give the Eels the lead again. Inu was unable to convert, but the try was enough to give
Parramatta the lead and keep their season alive.
Parramatta Eels 28 def Sydney Roosters 24
Eels : Tries – J Gulavao, N Hindmarsh, K Inu, J Reddy. Goals – K Inu 6/7.
Roosters : Tries – S Kenny-Dowall 2, S Perrett, A Roberts. Goals – C Fitzgibbon 4/4.
Referee – J Maxwell. Crowd – 12,468 at Sydney Football Stadium.
Monday night at Robina saw Newcastle maintain their position in the top eight in style, with the Knights facing few
troubles in overcoming the Titans 32-12.
The Titans, at serious risk of losing touch with the top eight, came out strongly; and helped along by a string of
penalties, had their chances to put some scoreboard pressure on. But for all the territory they enjoyed, the Titans were
unable to make anything of their scoring chances and the score remained deadlocked for 20 minutes.
Against the run of play, it was Newcastle who opened the scoring, with Kurt Gidley turning on some pace to score
under the posts. Five minutes later, Adam MacDougall was too strong for the Gold Coast defenders as he crashed
through them to scramble over the line and put the Knights 10-0 ahead.
Jarrod Mullen at the half hour mark chipped a kick cross-field, where it was pounced on by Cooper Vuna for the
Knights to add another. But the Titans fought back in the final minute of the first half, with Preston Campbell confusing
the Newcastle defenders before offloading to Joe Rapana to cut the margin to 16-6 at the break.
In the first set of the second half, Mullen broke through the Titan defenders before his pass found Junior Sau to add
another. The Knights were on top, and could have gone even further ahead but for being twice denied by the video
referee. But ten minutes after the break, Corey Paterson found the line and the Knights were 26-6 ahead, the game all
but won.
Kurt Gidley brought up his double to put the result beyond doubt. Brad Meyers got a late consolation try back for the
Titans, but it was Newcastle’s night. The Knights’ win, their third on the trot, consolidates their position in the top eight.
But for Gold Coast, with their fourth loss on the trot, their finals hopes are in tatters and it would take something
remarkable for them to scrape into the finals from here.
Newcastle Knights 32 def Gold Coast Titans 12
Knights : Tries – J Sau 2, K Gidley, A MacDougall, C Paterson, C Vuna. Goals – K Gidley 4/6.
Titans : Tries – B Meyers, J Rapana. Goals – P Campbell 2/2.
Referee – S Lyons. Crowd – 15,136 at Skilled Park.
ensured the Broncos were no certainties to qualify, when the Warriors pulled off a 16-12 win at Mt Smart Stadium on
Saturday evening.
A penalty goal in the 11th minute gave the Broncos an early lead, but the Warriors were getting the better of the penalty
count and possession flow. For set after set the home side put the Broncos under siege, and finally the defence
cracked for Ben Matulino to find the line and score in the corner.
But Michael Witt was unable to convert, and against the run of play the Broncos were in to score just a few minutes
later, a clever offload by Karmichael Hunt finding Ben Hannant for a converted try under the posts and an 8-4 lead.
But with only a minute remaining before half time, a 40 metre break by Wade McKinnon culminated in a try under the
posts, a try converted by Michael Witt on the half time buzzer which saw the Warriors take a 10-8 lead into the sheds at
the break.
Ten minutes after half time, Jerome Ropati made a break and a 50 metre run which put the Warriors into attacking
position. And on the last tackle, a bomb went up which was grabbed by Manu Vatuvei, and a quick pass found Michael
Witt who dived over to score in the corner. Witt was unable to convert his try, but added a penalty goal a few minutes
later to put the Warriors eight points clear.
But there were some anxious moments to come for the Warriors, as with eight minutes to go Denan Kemp broke
through the Bronco defence to score a converted try in the corner. The Broncos continued to press in the final minutes,
but the Warriors hung on through the final minutes to record valuable points and keep themselves in the finals race.
New Zealand Warriors 16 def Brisbane Broncos 12
Warriors : Tries – B Matulino, W McKinnon, M Witt. Goals – M Witt 2/4.
Broncos : Tries – B Hannant, D Kemp. Goals – C Parker 2/3.
Referee – S Hampstead. Crowd – 13,007 at Mt Smart Stadium.
After months of heartbreak and disappointment, a 13-game losing streak, finally something went right for the North
Queensland Cowboys; and they took full advantage of something finally going their way as they cruised to a 36-12 win
over the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.
An early try to Carl Webb kick-started the Cowboys into action, and in the 14th minute Faumina grubbered forward to
the in-goal, and Ty Williams won the race to the ball and put it down for a try and an 8-0 advantage for the Cowboys.
Prop Ray Cashmere dragged two Bulldog defenders over the line with him as he crashed over for a try under the
posts, putting the Cowboys 14-0 ahead. It was a scoreline that would remain for the rest of the first half, the game
becoming a defensive battle as the Bulldogs attempted to stop the scoreboard leaking further but rarely looking like
scoring any points themselves to reduce the deficit.
Shortly after half time, Ben Barba threw the Bulldogs a lifeline as he ran rings around the Cowboy defenders to score
under the posts. Hazem El Masri had little difficulty in adding the extras. And for the next few minutes, the Bulldogs
continued to press the line and raise hopes of getting themselves back into the contest.
But on the hour, Faumuina chased down a grubber and scored for the Cowboys, setting up a 20-6 lead and effectively
locking the Bulldogs out of the contest. And then the floodgates opened; as in quick succession, Ashley Graham and
Travis Burns got into the try-scoring action; before Ty Williams brought up his double. Months of pain for the Cowboys
had been blown away in a devastating 15-minute burst as finally the North Queensland side found the rhythm and
confidence that had deserted them for so long. Not even an intercept and 95 metre run by Andrew Emilio for a
consolation try for the Bulldogs in the final minute could dampen the smile on the Cowboy faces as finally they would
taste the fruits of victory.
It had been a lucrative financial deal for the Bulldogs to play their home game in Brisbane; but the loss of home ground
advantage cost them dearly. Their losing streak is now four games, the club playing without spirit or passion; the
walkout of Sonny Bill Williams triggering a complete breakdown of morale within the once proud club. But this was a
night for the Cowboys, when their long run of heartbreak and gloom finally came to an emphatic end.
North Queensland Cowboys 36 def Bulldogs 12
Cowboys : Tries – T Williams 2, T Burns, R Cashmere, S Faumuina, A Graham, C Webb. Goals – J Williams 4/7.
Bulldogs : Tries – B Barba, R Emelio. Goals – H El Masri 2/2.
Referee – B Sutton. Crowd – 8,549 at Suncorp Stadium.
A logjam at the top of the table has become even more congested, as Cronulla moved to equal first, joining Manly and
Melbourne at the top; after the Sharks completed a 28-14 win over Souths at Shark Park on Saturday night.
The Rabbitohs had first use of the ball after Cronulla kicked off, and Chris Sandow went perilously close to getting the
Rabbitohs off to a perfect start, kicking the ball forward on the fifth tackle and chasing the ball down; but the video
referee disallowed the try after replays showed Sandow was unable to ground the ball correctly.
Souths did get the first points of the game shortly afterwards when a penalty goal was put over. But in the 8th minute, a
solo effort by Ben Pomeroy saw him get the first try of the game, evading the Souths defenders to score under the
posts. No problem with the conversion for Luke Covell.
The Rabbitohs were getting plenty of the ball, and a lopsided penalty count was keeping them in attack, but they were
unable to penetrate the line. And against the run of play, Greg Bird showed some creativity to run rings around the
Souths defenders before offloading to give Pomeroy his second try of the night and the Sharks a 12-2 lead.
Finally the Rabbitohs got the try that had looked inevitable for so long, with a 40-20 by Sandow putting the Rabbitohs in
a deep attacking position, and Beau Falloon did the rest to score under the posts. Sandow’s conversion saw the
Sharks’ lead reduced to 12-8, and that was still the score at half time.
Shortly after half time, Steve Kearney threw a long, wide pass which was pounced on by Luke Covell, who had no-one
in front of him as he ran 30 metres to score out wide. But Covell was unable to convert his own try.
Ten minutes later, Ben Seymour dummied before strolling through some soft defending to cruise through for another
try. And on the hour, David Simmons intercepted and ran 50 metres unchallenged to score under the posts; giving the
Rabbitohs an unassailable 28-8 lead.
A strong 40 metre run down the wing by Nathan Merritt gave the Rabbitohs a try back, but it wasn’t enough to put the
Sharks under any pressure. And so the Sharks are level on points with Manly and Melbourne, and look a chance to get
through for their first premiership.
Cronulla Sharks 28 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 14
Sharks : Tries – B Pomeroy 2, L Covell, B Seymour, D Simmons. Goals – L Covell 4/5.
Rabbitohs : Tries – B Falloon, N Merritt. Goals – C Sandow 3/3.
Referee – B Cummins. Crowd – 12,618 at Toyota Park.
Sunday afternoon at Canberra Stadium saw the Raiders break club records as they completed a 74-12 romp over a
hapless Penrith side.
The Panthers were first on the board, with a poor pass going to ground but Rhys Wesser was on hand to scoop up the
loose ball and off-load to Michael Gordon who ran through to score. But the Raiders made a quick reply, with Marc
Herbert grubbering to the line, the ball bouncing off the uprights luckily into the arms of Terry Campese for the
equalising try.
Dane Tilse chased down a grubber for another try, but the Panthers replied quickly with a solo effort by little fullback
Rhys Wesser. At the 25 minute mark, scores were locked at 12-12, and few could have imagined the carnage that was
to come.
At the 26 minute mark, Joel Monaghan weaved his way around traffic for a try that put the Raiders in front. With that try,
the Penrith defence crumbled, and the Raiders assumed complete control for the remainder of the afternoon.
Four tries in the ten minutes before half time opened the floodgates. Trevor Thurling and Terry Campese completed
doubles, as the Raiders cruised through at will against the insipid Panther defending.
It was 38-12 at half time, and the Raiders immediately had the Panthers under pressure after half time, Tom Learoyd-
Lahrs pouncing on an errant drop-out before sending David Milne through a yawning gap to score. It was the first of six
unanswered tries for the Raiders, as they toyed with the hapless Panthers.
In the end, it was 13 tries to two in a dominant performance, the 74-12 scoreline a reflection of the home side’s
complete superiority in every facet of the game. Terry Campese, with four tries and ten conversions, finished with a
whopping 36 individual points for the game, just two short of Mal Meninga’s all-time club record. Trevor Thurling
weighed in with three tries. Eight Raider players scored tries, and it was hard to find one who lowered their colours on
the day. In contrast, Penrith were dismal, letting themselves down with soft defence, numerous knock-ons, constant
skill errors and poor decision-making and a string of silly penalties. With the win, the Raiders jump ahead of the
Panthers on the ladder, and the boost to their for-and-against seeing them also leap-frog the Wests Tigers into the top
eight.
Canberra Raiders 74 def Penrith Panthers 12
Raiders : Tries – T Campese 4, T Thurling 3, J Carney, T Learoyd-Lahrs, D Milne, J Monaghan, D Tilse, A Tongue.
Goals – T Campese 10/12, M Herbert 1/1.
Panthers : Tries – M Gordon, R Wesser. Goals – M Gordon 2/2.
Referee – J Robinson. Crowd – 6,500 at Canberra Stadium.
It’s a long shot, but Parramatta gave themselves just the slightest chance of qualifying for this year’s finals when they
completed a 28-24 win over the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Eels made the early running, and after 10 minutes they were first on the scoreboard, with Brett Finch delivering a
grubber on the last tackle which Nathan Hindmarsh chased down to score. Krisnan Inu converted the try, and added a
penalty goal a few minutes later.
The Roosters were under pressure, but fought back through a grubber by Braith Anasta which was pounced on by a
flying Amos Roberts for a try under the posts. Craig Fitzgibbon’s conversion brought it back to 8-6. And when Shaun
Kenny-Dowall crashed over out wide, the Roosters had the lead.
A penalty goal brought the Eels two points closer, and with three minutes to go till half time, Joel Reddy flew to grab a
bomb from Kris Keating and put the ball down to restore Parramatta’s lead; Inu’s conversion making the score 16-12
at the break.
Inu put another penalty goal over shortly after half time to stretch the lead to six points. But the Eels knocked-on from
the kick off, giving the Roosters an attacking opportunity; and the ensuing set resulted in Kenny-Dowall scoring his
second try to level the scores.
The Eels took the lead back on the hour, Feleti Mateo delivering a quick pass for Joe Gulavao to score his first try in
Parramatta colours. But the Roosters again levelled the scores, with Sam Perrett being awarded a try by the video
referee.
The game was in the balance, the clock running down as Krisnan Inu burst through a line of Rooster defenders to
score in the corner and give the Eels the lead again. Inu was unable to convert, but the try was enough to give
Parramatta the lead and keep their season alive.
Parramatta Eels 28 def Sydney Roosters 24
Eels : Tries – J Gulavao, N Hindmarsh, K Inu, J Reddy. Goals – K Inu 6/7.
Roosters : Tries – S Kenny-Dowall 2, S Perrett, A Roberts. Goals – C Fitzgibbon 4/4.
Referee – J Maxwell. Crowd – 12,468 at Sydney Football Stadium.
Monday night at Robina saw Newcastle maintain their position in the top eight in style, with the Knights facing few
troubles in overcoming the Titans 32-12.
The Titans, at serious risk of losing touch with the top eight, came out strongly; and helped along by a string of
penalties, had their chances to put some scoreboard pressure on. But for all the territory they enjoyed, the Titans were
unable to make anything of their scoring chances and the score remained deadlocked for 20 minutes.
Against the run of play, it was Newcastle who opened the scoring, with Kurt Gidley turning on some pace to score
under the posts. Five minutes later, Adam MacDougall was too strong for the Gold Coast defenders as he crashed
through them to scramble over the line and put the Knights 10-0 ahead.
Jarrod Mullen at the half hour mark chipped a kick cross-field, where it was pounced on by Cooper Vuna for the
Knights to add another. But the Titans fought back in the final minute of the first half, with Preston Campbell confusing
the Newcastle defenders before offloading to Joe Rapana to cut the margin to 16-6 at the break.
In the first set of the second half, Mullen broke through the Titan defenders before his pass found Junior Sau to add
another. The Knights were on top, and could have gone even further ahead but for being twice denied by the video
referee. But ten minutes after the break, Corey Paterson found the line and the Knights were 26-6 ahead, the game all
but won.
Kurt Gidley brought up his double to put the result beyond doubt. Brad Meyers got a late consolation try back for the
Titans, but it was Newcastle’s night. The Knights’ win, their third on the trot, consolidates their position in the top eight.
But for Gold Coast, with their fourth loss on the trot, their finals hopes are in tatters and it would take something
remarkable for them to scrape into the finals from here.
Newcastle Knights 32 def Gold Coast Titans 12
Knights : Tries – J Sau 2, K Gidley, A MacDougall, C Paterson, C Vuna. Goals – K Gidley 4/6.
Titans : Tries – B Meyers, J Rapana. Goals – P Campbell 2/2.
Referee – S Lyons. Crowd – 15,136 at Skilled Park.
| ROUND 23 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 15th August Brisbane v St George-Illawarra (7:30pm, Suncorp Stadium) Melbourne v Sydney Roosters (7:30pm, Olympic Park) Saturday 16th August NZ Warriors v Cronulla (5:30pm, Mt Smart Stadium) North Queensland v Gold Coast (7:30pm, Dairy Farmers Stadium) Penrith v Bulldogs (7:30pm, Penrith Stadium) Sunday 17th August Canberra v Newcastle (2:00pm, Canberra Stadium) South Sydney v Manly (3:00pm, ANZ Stadium) Monday 18th August Parramatta v Wests Tigers (7:00pm, Parramatta Stadium) |
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