The revival of the Bulldogs has been one of the big success stories of this season, and the Bulldog tale took another
turn for the better as they outlasted North Queensland to take a 22-12 away win over the Cowboys at Dairy Farmers
Stadium on Friday night.
The Cowboys were first on the scoreboard after 10 minutes, with Carl Webb offloading to put Johnathan Thurston into
space for the opening try. Josh Morris got the try back for the Bulldogs to put the game back onto level terms, but the
Cowboys were looking stronger around the ground. The Bulldogs suffered a blow when Jarrad Hickey was concussed
in a head clash, having to be stretchered from the field and playing no further part in the game. And worse was to come
for the Bulldogs shortly after the stretcher break, when Willie Tonga strolled over for the easiest of tries. The Cowboys
could have extended their advantage even further only to be controversially denied a second try to Tonga by an
obstruction call from the video referee.
The Cowboys led 12-6 at half time, but in the opening set of the second half Hazem El Masri weaved his way around
the bamboozled Cowboy defenders to score in the corner, and backed up his effort with a sensational conversion from
the boundary line to level the scores.
The Bulldogs were in front shortly afterwards, thanks to a penalty goal. And on the hour, the lead was extended as
Bryson Goodwin made a break and ran 30 metres to score under the posts. The conversion and a penalty goal in the
dying minutes of the game completed a golden night for Hazem El Masri, with a try and five goals. And for the Bulldogs,
their hopes of a strong position in the finals grow ever stronger; but the news wasn't so good for the Cowboys, whose
finals aspirations are now in severe jeopardy with just three rounds to go.
Bulldogs 22 def North Queensland Cowboys 12
Bulldogs : Tries - H El Masri, B Goodwin, J Morris. Goals - H El Masri 5/5.
Cowboys : Tries - J Thurston, W Tonga. Goals - J Thurston 2/2.
Referees - S Hayne, J Robinson. Crowd - 18,199 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Gold Coast retained their grip on third place, and all but ended Souths’ finals hopes, when the Titans completed a 22-
14 win at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
The game was scoreless through the early minutes, but not for a lack of effort. Three times the video referee was called
on to make a ruling, once for the Rabbitohs and twice for the Titans. And three times the appeal for a try was
dismissed, and so the score remained deadlocked despite both sides creating scoring chances.
But the game exploded into controversy in the 12th minute, when Titans’ fullback William Zillman was placed on report
after Souths’ Jamie Simpson complained that he had been bitten by Zillman. Although the referee didn’t see enough
with the naked eye to be able to make a sin bin or sending off call, the video evidence will give Zillman a tough case to
answer when the matter comes to the judiciary this week.
Shortly afterwards, the Rabbitohs spread the ball out wide, and Colin Best crossed over the line to score the opening try
of the game. Chris Sandow’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful. But it didn’t take long for the Titans to reply, with
Mark Minichiello crossing the line; and despite suggestions of obstruction behind the play, the video referee gave the
Titans the benefit of the doubt.
Minichiello brought up his double on the half hour mark, the video referee again giving them the benefit of the doubt. But
the Rabbitohs within a couple of minutes had replied, Chris Sandow making a break and scoring under the posts. And
on the stroke of half time, Fetula Talanoa scored in the corner; and although Sandow was unable to convert, the
Rabbitohs had taken a 14-12 lead to half time.
Four minutes after half time, Mark White crossed over to restore the lead for the Titans. The game then tightened up for
a scoreless half hour, in which both sides defended resolutely. The Titans searching for the match-winner, the
Rabbitohs desperate in their quest to regain the lead and keep their finals hopes alive.
turn for the better as they outlasted North Queensland to take a 22-12 away win over the Cowboys at Dairy Farmers
Stadium on Friday night.
The Cowboys were first on the scoreboard after 10 minutes, with Carl Webb offloading to put Johnathan Thurston into
space for the opening try. Josh Morris got the try back for the Bulldogs to put the game back onto level terms, but the
Cowboys were looking stronger around the ground. The Bulldogs suffered a blow when Jarrad Hickey was concussed
in a head clash, having to be stretchered from the field and playing no further part in the game. And worse was to come
for the Bulldogs shortly after the stretcher break, when Willie Tonga strolled over for the easiest of tries. The Cowboys
could have extended their advantage even further only to be controversially denied a second try to Tonga by an
obstruction call from the video referee.
The Cowboys led 12-6 at half time, but in the opening set of the second half Hazem El Masri weaved his way around
the bamboozled Cowboy defenders to score in the corner, and backed up his effort with a sensational conversion from
the boundary line to level the scores.
The Bulldogs were in front shortly afterwards, thanks to a penalty goal. And on the hour, the lead was extended as
Bryson Goodwin made a break and ran 30 metres to score under the posts. The conversion and a penalty goal in the
dying minutes of the game completed a golden night for Hazem El Masri, with a try and five goals. And for the Bulldogs,
their hopes of a strong position in the finals grow ever stronger; but the news wasn't so good for the Cowboys, whose
finals aspirations are now in severe jeopardy with just three rounds to go.
Bulldogs 22 def North Queensland Cowboys 12
Bulldogs : Tries - H El Masri, B Goodwin, J Morris. Goals - H El Masri 5/5.
Cowboys : Tries - J Thurston, W Tonga. Goals - J Thurston 2/2.
Referees - S Hayne, J Robinson. Crowd - 18,199 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
Gold Coast retained their grip on third place, and all but ended Souths’ finals hopes, when the Titans completed a 22-
14 win at ANZ Stadium on Friday night.
The game was scoreless through the early minutes, but not for a lack of effort. Three times the video referee was called
on to make a ruling, once for the Rabbitohs and twice for the Titans. And three times the appeal for a try was
dismissed, and so the score remained deadlocked despite both sides creating scoring chances.
But the game exploded into controversy in the 12th minute, when Titans’ fullback William Zillman was placed on report
after Souths’ Jamie Simpson complained that he had been bitten by Zillman. Although the referee didn’t see enough
with the naked eye to be able to make a sin bin or sending off call, the video evidence will give Zillman a tough case to
answer when the matter comes to the judiciary this week.
Shortly afterwards, the Rabbitohs spread the ball out wide, and Colin Best crossed over the line to score the opening try
of the game. Chris Sandow’s conversion attempt was unsuccessful. But it didn’t take long for the Titans to reply, with
Mark Minichiello crossing the line; and despite suggestions of obstruction behind the play, the video referee gave the
Titans the benefit of the doubt.
Minichiello brought up his double on the half hour mark, the video referee again giving them the benefit of the doubt. But
the Rabbitohs within a couple of minutes had replied, Chris Sandow making a break and scoring under the posts. And
on the stroke of half time, Fetula Talanoa scored in the corner; and although Sandow was unable to convert, the
Rabbitohs had taken a 14-12 lead to half time.
Four minutes after half time, Mark White crossed over to restore the lead for the Titans. The game then tightened up for
a scoreless half hour, in which both sides defended resolutely. The Titans searching for the match-winner, the
Rabbitohs desperate in their quest to regain the lead and keep their finals hopes alive.
It was 20-6 at the break, and the Roosters needed to bring up first points in the second half if they were to have any hope of getting back into the
game. But their best efforts came to nothing, and in the 54th minute it was the Sea Eagles who would open the second half scoring as Matt Orford
intercepted and ran 70 metres to score.
That try opened the floodgates and the tries flowed. Michael Robertson found himself unchallenged to run in for the softest of tries, then Jake King
also had open space in front of him for another easy try. Robertson again faced minimal opposition as he ran in his double; and even with Iwi
Hauraki taking a late consolation try, this was a comprehensive win for the Sea Eagles and another chapter in the Roosters’ season of woe.
Manly Sea Eagles 44 def Sydney Roosters 12
Sea Eagles : Tries – M Robertson 2, D Williams 2, J King, M Orford, G Stewart. Goals – M Orford 6/6, J Lyon 2/2.
Roosters : Tries – I Hauraki, S Kenny-Dowall. Goals – C Fitzgibbon 2/2.
Referees – J Maxwell, B Sutton. Crowd – 9,968 at Sydney Football Stadium.
A stunning upset on Saturday evening saw Canberra come from behind to knock off ladder leaders St George-Illawarra 24-12 in a spiteful clash
at Canberra Stadium.
There were some hard hits early, but it wasn’t until after the opening try of the game that the game really warmed up. It came after 15 minutes,
with Ben Hornby creating a chance for Brett Morris, who ducked a tackle to score the opening try. Jamie Soward’s conversion attempt was
unsuccessful, but a minute later it was on. After Terry Campese had given away a penalty, a fight broke out, which saw St George’s Dean Young
given 10 minutes in the sin bin.
A minute later, Josh Miller landed a massive bump on Michael Weyman, and the big Dragon prop was knocked senseless; and it was all-in with
fists flying in a huge mellee. Weyman was taken off on the medicab, and played no further part in the game.
The action kept happening, as Josh Dugan looked to have capitalised on the Dragons being a man down as he crossed the line and put the ball
down, but the try was over-ruled on the video replay. Shortly after the half hour mark, Terry Campese found himself banished for a ten-minute spell
in the sin bin; Jamie Soward landing a penalty goal to put the Dragons 6-0 ahead.
Campese returned to the field early in the second half after his ten minutes were up, but his next touch was a disaster as his attempted chip
forward on the last tackle was a shocker, going into the arms of St George’s Darius Boyd who ran 80 metres to score and give the Dragons a 12-
0 lead.
But four minutes later, the Raiders were back in the contest, with Jarrod Croker slipping through a tackle and running 30 metres to score under
the posts. Daniel Vidot a few minutes later also managed to break through some poor attempted tackling, and in the blink of an eye the Raiders
had drawn level.
Shortly before the hour, Dane Tilse put in an individual effort as he threw a dummy and broke through a gap to score, and suddenly the Raiders
had taken the lead. Tempers flared again, Justin Poore and Josh Miller coming to blows, and a penalty goal attempt was awarded to the Raiders,
which Terry Campese put over to extend the lead to 20-12.
After a hard-hitting and spiteful game so far, the Dragons’ tempers failed them in the final minutes. Jeremy Smith was given a 10-minute exile,
and two more penalty goals to the Raiders saw the final margin extend to 24-12; the Raiders having picked up a hard-fought win, the Dragons not
only the shock of defeat but also the worse for wear after a much harder and more physical contest than they could possibly have anticipated.
Canberra Raiders 24 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 12
Raiders : Tries – J Croker, D Tilse, D Vidot. Goals – T Campese 6/6.
Dragons : Tries – D Boyd, B Morris. Goals – J Soward 2/4.
Referees – B Cummins, B Suttor. Crowd – 19,350 at Canberra Stadium.
Parramatta kept their slim finals hopes alive on Saturday night, stretching their winning streak to five games and making up plenty of ground on
the for-and-against with a convincing 40-4 win over the struggling New Zealand Warriors at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday night.
The match was barely five minutes old before the Eels were on the scoreboard, with Jarryd Hayne putting on an electrifying run down the wing to
set up Joel Reddy for a try in the corner. Luke Burt added the extras, and a few minutes later threw a dummy that caught the Warriors’ defence off
guard before off-loading to send Daniel Mortimer to the line for a 12-0 lead.
Jarryd Hayne was again starring, and at the 15 minute mark he was instrumental in setting up Matt Keating for the Eels’ third try.
Manu Vatuvei got the Warriors on the board, after a well-executed pass by Stacey Jones put the big Warrior into space and a run to the corner. But
Kevin Locke was unable to convert; and with half time approaching, the Eels bounced back, with Luke Burt bursting through the Warrior defensive
line and running 40 metres to score under the posts. Converting his own try, Burt saw the Eels 24-4 ahead at half time.
There would be no way back for the Warriors in the second half, as some terrible defending and way too many knock-ons and skill errors would
cost them dearly. The Eels were running high on confidence, and the tries kept coming through the second half. Luke Burt and Joel Reddy
brought up doubles, the scent of victory well and truly in the Parramatta nostrils. Five wins in a row, their points differential vastly improved. The
Eels have passed Souths on the ladder; and although the race for the top eight remains extremely tight, they remain in the contest for a finals
berth that looked totally out of reach just a few weeks ago.
Parramatta Eels 40 def New Zealand Warriors 4
Eels : Tries – L Burt 2, J Reddy 2, E Grothe, M Keating, D Mortimer. Goals – L Burt 6/7.
Warriors : Tries – M Vatuvei. Goals – K Locke 0/1.
Referees – G Badger, A Klein. Crowd – 12,627 at Parramatta Stadium.
Wests Tigers’ charge to the finals continued at Shark Park on Sunday afternoon, with the Tigers leap-frogging North Queensland to move another
spot up the ladder. Their sixth win on the trot, a comprehensive 56-10 win over the struggling Cronulla, further entrenches their place in the top
eight with the finals just three weeks away.
The early exchanges went Cronulla’s way, with the Sharks receiving some early penalties and pressing the Tigers’ line. But against the run of
play it was the Tigers who opened the scoring, with Tim Moltzen getting through a hole to run through and score under the posts. Five minutes
later, Blake Ayshford chased down a grubber; and the scoring floodgates were opened.
Some creative play by Robbie Farah set up Beau Ryan for a try in the corner, and Farah was again in the thick of the action on the half hour mark
to put Taniela Tuiaki over. The Cronulla defence was token at best, some poor tackling helping the Tiger tries to keep coming. And with just
seconds to go before half time, Benji Marshall outran the Shark defenders to score again, and when Marshall added the extras, the Tigers were
28-0 ahead at half time.
The procession continued just three minutes after half time, with Tim Moltzen running 90 metres untouched to score under the posts; and it could
have been even more one-sided had it not been for a Beau Ryan attempted try being turned down by the video referee.
The Sharks were finally on the board in the 55th minute, after a chip and chase by Mitch Brown. But that was a temporary respite for the Sharks, as
just three minutes later Beau Ryan chased down a Benji Marshall grubber for his second try. And from the kick-off, Marshall gathered the ball on
his own 10 metre line and ran 90 metres to score again. Not long afterwards, Tim Moltzen scored in the corner to bring up the half century, a 50-4
lead to the Tigers.
The sting had well and truly gone out of the game, with the contest well and truly decided. Matthew Wright scored a consolation try under the
posts, but the Tigers weren’t finished yet as Tuiaki completed his hat-trick to record a massive win. The result gives the Tigers not just two
competition points, but some important for-and-against, which could be decisive when finals positions are determined.
Wests Tigers 56 def Cronulla Sharks 10
Tigers : Tries – T Tuiaki 3, B Ayshford 2, B Marshall 2, B Ryan 2, T Moltzen. Goals – B Marshall 8/10.
Sharks : Tries – M Brown, M Wright. Goals – L Covell 1/2.
Referees – S Lyons, A Shortall. Crowd – 12,982 at Toyota Stadium.
Brisbane are back in the top eight, leap-frogging Penrith on the ladder after a crushing second half gave the Broncos a 58-24 win over the
Panthers at Lang Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Broncos got off to a strong start, throwing the ball out wide for Karmichael Hunt to run to the line for the opening try. But the Panthers had a
quick reply, with Frank Pritchard looking for support in a run forward; but when he didn’t find it went himself and crashed through the defenders to
score.
At the 20 minute mark, Luke Walsh put on a solo effort to go over and put the Panthers in front; but Ben Te’o ran through a gap to equalise. But the
Panthers again went on the attack, with Antonio Winterstein fumbling the ball in the in-goal and Brad Tighe pouncing to score.
The Broncos levelled the scores with five minutes to go before half time, with Dave Taylor finding the line. But in the final minute before the break;
Trent Waterhouse crossed the line and after considerable deliberation by the video referee the try was awarded; giving Penrith a 24-18 lead at half
time.
With the Panthers having the lead, no-one could have predicted the one-way traffic that would come in the second half. But once the momentum
swung Brisbane’s way, the Panthers were powerless to stop the floodgates from opening and the avalanche of Brisbane tries that would follow.
Four minutes into the second half, Antonio Winterstein ran the length of the field, but Corey Parker failed to convert the try and the Panthers were
still in front. But when Ashton Sims crashed over from close range, the Broncos had the lead and the pendulum had swung their way.
Shortly after the hour, Josh McGuire found the line, and not long afterwards Sam Thaiday crashed over. Jharal Yow Yeh dived over in the corner,
before Karmichael Hunt and Ben Te’o brought up doubles in the final minutes.
For Brisbane, the win sees them go back into the top eight, the size of the win making up some of the ground on their disastrous for-and-against.
But for Penrith, their second loss on the trot sees them fall out of the top eight, the spot in the finals under threat with just three weeks to go.
Brisbane Broncos 58 def Penrith Panthers 24
Broncos : Tries – K Hunt 2, B Te’o 2, J McGuire, A Sims, D Taylor, S Thaiday, A Winterstein, J Yow Yeh. Goals – C Parker 9/10.
Panthers : Tries – F Pritchard, B Tighe, L Walsh, T Waterhouse. Goals – M Gordon 4/4.
Referees – S Hayne, M Cecchin. Crowd – 25,305 at Suncorp Stadium.
Monday night at Newcastle saw the Knights snap a three-game losing streak to get their finals campaign back on track; defeating top four side
Melbourne Storm 26-14.
The Knights had been under pressure. After the announcement that coach Brian Smith would be leaving the club to join the Roosters at the end of
the season, the club had lost their way, three losses in a row seeing them fall out of the top eight. Agreeing that his position had become
untenable, Smith parted ways with the Knights during the week; with Rick Stone taking over as coach. And in his first appearance as Newcastle
coach, Stone got the win to restore the club’s finals chances.
Playing under a new coach seemed to lift the Knights, keen to make an early impression. Jarrod Mullen was over for an early try, and Mark Taufua
followed soon after to put the Knights 12-0 ahead. The Storm were below their best, and their discipline was letting them down as the penalty
count began to heavily favour the Knights.
With half time approaching, the Knights put on one of the best team tries of the season, running the ball the length of the field through about 10
passes; before Matt Hilder completed the move by running around Billy Slater and putting the ball down under the posts for a try that had the local
Novacastrian crowd on their feet.
It was 18-0 at half time, with a penalty goal shortly after the break giving the Knights another two points. And still the Newcastle team were playing
like a team inspired, with Kurt Gidley landing a 40-20; and from the ensuing set, Cooper Vuna found the line.
The Storm had struggled to get any form of coherent game going, and at 26-0 down, the game was gone. They lifted late in the game to score
three late tries; but by then the Knights had done enough to take the points and re-enter the top eight. With a new coach, and just three weeks to
go till the playoffs, the Knights finally have cause to be optimistic of their chances of making an impact when the business end of the season
comes around.
Newcastle Knights 26 def Melbourne Storm 14
Knights : Tries – M Hilder, J Mullen, M Taufua, C Vuna. Goals – K Gidley 5/5.
Storm : Tries – B Anderson, C Cronk, S Turner. Goals – C Smith 1/3.
Referees – J Robinson, P Haines. Crowd – 13,580 at Energy Australia Stadium.
game. But their best efforts came to nothing, and in the 54th minute it was the Sea Eagles who would open the second half scoring as Matt Orford
intercepted and ran 70 metres to score.
That try opened the floodgates and the tries flowed. Michael Robertson found himself unchallenged to run in for the softest of tries, then Jake King
also had open space in front of him for another easy try. Robertson again faced minimal opposition as he ran in his double; and even with Iwi
Hauraki taking a late consolation try, this was a comprehensive win for the Sea Eagles and another chapter in the Roosters’ season of woe.
Manly Sea Eagles 44 def Sydney Roosters 12
Sea Eagles : Tries – M Robertson 2, D Williams 2, J King, M Orford, G Stewart. Goals – M Orford 6/6, J Lyon 2/2.
Roosters : Tries – I Hauraki, S Kenny-Dowall. Goals – C Fitzgibbon 2/2.
Referees – J Maxwell, B Sutton. Crowd – 9,968 at Sydney Football Stadium.
A stunning upset on Saturday evening saw Canberra come from behind to knock off ladder leaders St George-Illawarra 24-12 in a spiteful clash
at Canberra Stadium.
There were some hard hits early, but it wasn’t until after the opening try of the game that the game really warmed up. It came after 15 minutes,
with Ben Hornby creating a chance for Brett Morris, who ducked a tackle to score the opening try. Jamie Soward’s conversion attempt was
unsuccessful, but a minute later it was on. After Terry Campese had given away a penalty, a fight broke out, which saw St George’s Dean Young
given 10 minutes in the sin bin.
A minute later, Josh Miller landed a massive bump on Michael Weyman, and the big Dragon prop was knocked senseless; and it was all-in with
fists flying in a huge mellee. Weyman was taken off on the medicab, and played no further part in the game.
The action kept happening, as Josh Dugan looked to have capitalised on the Dragons being a man down as he crossed the line and put the ball
down, but the try was over-ruled on the video replay. Shortly after the half hour mark, Terry Campese found himself banished for a ten-minute spell
in the sin bin; Jamie Soward landing a penalty goal to put the Dragons 6-0 ahead.
Campese returned to the field early in the second half after his ten minutes were up, but his next touch was a disaster as his attempted chip
forward on the last tackle was a shocker, going into the arms of St George’s Darius Boyd who ran 80 metres to score and give the Dragons a 12-
0 lead.
But four minutes later, the Raiders were back in the contest, with Jarrod Croker slipping through a tackle and running 30 metres to score under
the posts. Daniel Vidot a few minutes later also managed to break through some poor attempted tackling, and in the blink of an eye the Raiders
had drawn level.
Shortly before the hour, Dane Tilse put in an individual effort as he threw a dummy and broke through a gap to score, and suddenly the Raiders
had taken the lead. Tempers flared again, Justin Poore and Josh Miller coming to blows, and a penalty goal attempt was awarded to the Raiders,
which Terry Campese put over to extend the lead to 20-12.
After a hard-hitting and spiteful game so far, the Dragons’ tempers failed them in the final minutes. Jeremy Smith was given a 10-minute exile,
and two more penalty goals to the Raiders saw the final margin extend to 24-12; the Raiders having picked up a hard-fought win, the Dragons not
only the shock of defeat but also the worse for wear after a much harder and more physical contest than they could possibly have anticipated.
Canberra Raiders 24 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 12
Raiders : Tries – J Croker, D Tilse, D Vidot. Goals – T Campese 6/6.
Dragons : Tries – D Boyd, B Morris. Goals – J Soward 2/4.
Referees – B Cummins, B Suttor. Crowd – 19,350 at Canberra Stadium.
Parramatta kept their slim finals hopes alive on Saturday night, stretching their winning streak to five games and making up plenty of ground on
the for-and-against with a convincing 40-4 win over the struggling New Zealand Warriors at Parramatta Stadium on Saturday night.
The match was barely five minutes old before the Eels were on the scoreboard, with Jarryd Hayne putting on an electrifying run down the wing to
set up Joel Reddy for a try in the corner. Luke Burt added the extras, and a few minutes later threw a dummy that caught the Warriors’ defence off
guard before off-loading to send Daniel Mortimer to the line for a 12-0 lead.
Jarryd Hayne was again starring, and at the 15 minute mark he was instrumental in setting up Matt Keating for the Eels’ third try.
Manu Vatuvei got the Warriors on the board, after a well-executed pass by Stacey Jones put the big Warrior into space and a run to the corner. But
Kevin Locke was unable to convert; and with half time approaching, the Eels bounced back, with Luke Burt bursting through the Warrior defensive
line and running 40 metres to score under the posts. Converting his own try, Burt saw the Eels 24-4 ahead at half time.
There would be no way back for the Warriors in the second half, as some terrible defending and way too many knock-ons and skill errors would
cost them dearly. The Eels were running high on confidence, and the tries kept coming through the second half. Luke Burt and Joel Reddy
brought up doubles, the scent of victory well and truly in the Parramatta nostrils. Five wins in a row, their points differential vastly improved. The
Eels have passed Souths on the ladder; and although the race for the top eight remains extremely tight, they remain in the contest for a finals
berth that looked totally out of reach just a few weeks ago.
Parramatta Eels 40 def New Zealand Warriors 4
Eels : Tries – L Burt 2, J Reddy 2, E Grothe, M Keating, D Mortimer. Goals – L Burt 6/7.
Warriors : Tries – M Vatuvei. Goals – K Locke 0/1.
Referees – G Badger, A Klein. Crowd – 12,627 at Parramatta Stadium.
Wests Tigers’ charge to the finals continued at Shark Park on Sunday afternoon, with the Tigers leap-frogging North Queensland to move another
spot up the ladder. Their sixth win on the trot, a comprehensive 56-10 win over the struggling Cronulla, further entrenches their place in the top
eight with the finals just three weeks away.
The early exchanges went Cronulla’s way, with the Sharks receiving some early penalties and pressing the Tigers’ line. But against the run of
play it was the Tigers who opened the scoring, with Tim Moltzen getting through a hole to run through and score under the posts. Five minutes
later, Blake Ayshford chased down a grubber; and the scoring floodgates were opened.
Some creative play by Robbie Farah set up Beau Ryan for a try in the corner, and Farah was again in the thick of the action on the half hour mark
to put Taniela Tuiaki over. The Cronulla defence was token at best, some poor tackling helping the Tiger tries to keep coming. And with just
seconds to go before half time, Benji Marshall outran the Shark defenders to score again, and when Marshall added the extras, the Tigers were
28-0 ahead at half time.
The procession continued just three minutes after half time, with Tim Moltzen running 90 metres untouched to score under the posts; and it could
have been even more one-sided had it not been for a Beau Ryan attempted try being turned down by the video referee.
The Sharks were finally on the board in the 55th minute, after a chip and chase by Mitch Brown. But that was a temporary respite for the Sharks, as
just three minutes later Beau Ryan chased down a Benji Marshall grubber for his second try. And from the kick-off, Marshall gathered the ball on
his own 10 metre line and ran 90 metres to score again. Not long afterwards, Tim Moltzen scored in the corner to bring up the half century, a 50-4
lead to the Tigers.
The sting had well and truly gone out of the game, with the contest well and truly decided. Matthew Wright scored a consolation try under the
posts, but the Tigers weren’t finished yet as Tuiaki completed his hat-trick to record a massive win. The result gives the Tigers not just two
competition points, but some important for-and-against, which could be decisive when finals positions are determined.
Wests Tigers 56 def Cronulla Sharks 10
Tigers : Tries – T Tuiaki 3, B Ayshford 2, B Marshall 2, B Ryan 2, T Moltzen. Goals – B Marshall 8/10.
Sharks : Tries – M Brown, M Wright. Goals – L Covell 1/2.
Referees – S Lyons, A Shortall. Crowd – 12,982 at Toyota Stadium.
Brisbane are back in the top eight, leap-frogging Penrith on the ladder after a crushing second half gave the Broncos a 58-24 win over the
Panthers at Lang Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Broncos got off to a strong start, throwing the ball out wide for Karmichael Hunt to run to the line for the opening try. But the Panthers had a
quick reply, with Frank Pritchard looking for support in a run forward; but when he didn’t find it went himself and crashed through the defenders to
score.
At the 20 minute mark, Luke Walsh put on a solo effort to go over and put the Panthers in front; but Ben Te’o ran through a gap to equalise. But the
Panthers again went on the attack, with Antonio Winterstein fumbling the ball in the in-goal and Brad Tighe pouncing to score.
The Broncos levelled the scores with five minutes to go before half time, with Dave Taylor finding the line. But in the final minute before the break;
Trent Waterhouse crossed the line and after considerable deliberation by the video referee the try was awarded; giving Penrith a 24-18 lead at half
time.
With the Panthers having the lead, no-one could have predicted the one-way traffic that would come in the second half. But once the momentum
swung Brisbane’s way, the Panthers were powerless to stop the floodgates from opening and the avalanche of Brisbane tries that would follow.
Four minutes into the second half, Antonio Winterstein ran the length of the field, but Corey Parker failed to convert the try and the Panthers were
still in front. But when Ashton Sims crashed over from close range, the Broncos had the lead and the pendulum had swung their way.
Shortly after the hour, Josh McGuire found the line, and not long afterwards Sam Thaiday crashed over. Jharal Yow Yeh dived over in the corner,
before Karmichael Hunt and Ben Te’o brought up doubles in the final minutes.
For Brisbane, the win sees them go back into the top eight, the size of the win making up some of the ground on their disastrous for-and-against.
But for Penrith, their second loss on the trot sees them fall out of the top eight, the spot in the finals under threat with just three weeks to go.
Brisbane Broncos 58 def Penrith Panthers 24
Broncos : Tries – K Hunt 2, B Te’o 2, J McGuire, A Sims, D Taylor, S Thaiday, A Winterstein, J Yow Yeh. Goals – C Parker 9/10.
Panthers : Tries – F Pritchard, B Tighe, L Walsh, T Waterhouse. Goals – M Gordon 4/4.
Referees – S Hayne, M Cecchin. Crowd – 25,305 at Suncorp Stadium.
Monday night at Newcastle saw the Knights snap a three-game losing streak to get their finals campaign back on track; defeating top four side
Melbourne Storm 26-14.
The Knights had been under pressure. After the announcement that coach Brian Smith would be leaving the club to join the Roosters at the end of
the season, the club had lost their way, three losses in a row seeing them fall out of the top eight. Agreeing that his position had become
untenable, Smith parted ways with the Knights during the week; with Rick Stone taking over as coach. And in his first appearance as Newcastle
coach, Stone got the win to restore the club’s finals chances.
Playing under a new coach seemed to lift the Knights, keen to make an early impression. Jarrod Mullen was over for an early try, and Mark Taufua
followed soon after to put the Knights 12-0 ahead. The Storm were below their best, and their discipline was letting them down as the penalty
count began to heavily favour the Knights.
With half time approaching, the Knights put on one of the best team tries of the season, running the ball the length of the field through about 10
passes; before Matt Hilder completed the move by running around Billy Slater and putting the ball down under the posts for a try that had the local
Novacastrian crowd on their feet.
It was 18-0 at half time, with a penalty goal shortly after the break giving the Knights another two points. And still the Newcastle team were playing
like a team inspired, with Kurt Gidley landing a 40-20; and from the ensuing set, Cooper Vuna found the line.
The Storm had struggled to get any form of coherent game going, and at 26-0 down, the game was gone. They lifted late in the game to score
three late tries; but by then the Knights had done enough to take the points and re-enter the top eight. With a new coach, and just three weeks to
go till the playoffs, the Knights finally have cause to be optimistic of their chances of making an impact when the business end of the season
comes around.
Newcastle Knights 26 def Melbourne Storm 14
Knights : Tries – M Hilder, J Mullen, M Taufua, C Vuna. Goals – K Gidley 5/5.
Storm : Tries – B Anderson, C Cronk, S Turner. Goals – C Smith 1/3.
Referees – J Robinson, P Haines. Crowd – 13,580 at Energy Australia Stadium.
* Bulldogs penalised 2 points for breach of interchange rule.
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| ROUND 24 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 21st August Wests Tigers v Parramatta (7:30pm, Sydney Football Stadium) St George-Illawarra v Brisbane (7:30pm, WIN Stadium) Saturday 22nd August Newcastle v North Queensland (5:30pm, Energy Australia Stadium) Penrith v South Sydney (7:30pm, CUA Stadium) Sunday 23rd August NZ Warriors v Canberra (12:00pm, Mt Smart Stadium) Gold Coast v Cronulla (2:00pm, Skilled Park) Melbourne v Manly (3:00pm, Olympic Park) Monday 24th August Bulldogs v Sydney Roosters (7:00pm, ANZ Stadium) |
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But eventually, with just six minutes remaining, it was the Rabbitohs who cracked; with David Mead crossing over in the
corner. The Titans had been made to fight hard for it, but their finals berth was secure and their hold on a home final
was stronger; while the Rabbitohs can only ponder what might have been and play out the final three rounds for this
season looking forward to 2010.
Gold Coast Titans 22 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 14
Titans : Tries – M Minichiello 2, D Mead, M White. Goals – S Prince 3/4.
Rabbitohs : Tries – C Best, C Sandow, F Talanoa. Goals – C Sandow 1/3.
Referee – T Archer, G Sutton. Crowd – 11,977 at ANZ Stadium.
The Sydney Roosters’ disastrous season went from bad to worse on Saturday evening when they were thrashed 44-12
by a switched-on Manly side at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The Sea Eagles put the Roosters under pressure early, forcing back to back drop-outs and getting repeat sets inside
the Roosters’ half. And after just five minutes, Glenn Stewart made what looked like the inevitable into reality as he
crashed over for the opening try. But the Roosters bounced back five minutes later, with an intercept by Shaun Kenny-
Dowall, who then ran 55 metres to score under the posts and level the match at 6-6.
A penalty goal put the Sea Eagles back in front, and at the 20 minute mark David Williams chased a grubber by Jamie
Lyon to score under the posts and put the Sea Eagles 14-6 ahead. The Sea Eagles continued to put the Roosters
under pressure, and the Roosters were forced to concede another string of drop-outs. And shortly before half time, the
Sea Eagles were in again as David Williams stormed to the in-goal to grab a cross-field kick and bring up his double.
corner. The Titans had been made to fight hard for it, but their finals berth was secure and their hold on a home final
was stronger; while the Rabbitohs can only ponder what might have been and play out the final three rounds for this
season looking forward to 2010.
Gold Coast Titans 22 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 14
Titans : Tries – M Minichiello 2, D Mead, M White. Goals – S Prince 3/4.
Rabbitohs : Tries – C Best, C Sandow, F Talanoa. Goals – C Sandow 1/3.
Referee – T Archer, G Sutton. Crowd – 11,977 at ANZ Stadium.
The Sydney Roosters’ disastrous season went from bad to worse on Saturday evening when they were thrashed 44-12
by a switched-on Manly side at the Sydney Football Stadium.
The Sea Eagles put the Roosters under pressure early, forcing back to back drop-outs and getting repeat sets inside
the Roosters’ half. And after just five minutes, Glenn Stewart made what looked like the inevitable into reality as he
crashed over for the opening try. But the Roosters bounced back five minutes later, with an intercept by Shaun Kenny-
Dowall, who then ran 55 metres to score under the posts and level the match at 6-6.
A penalty goal put the Sea Eagles back in front, and at the 20 minute mark David Williams chased a grubber by Jamie
Lyon to score under the posts and put the Sea Eagles 14-6 ahead. The Sea Eagles continued to put the Roosters
under pressure, and the Roosters were forced to concede another string of drop-outs. And shortly before half time, the
Sea Eagles were in again as David Williams stormed to the in-goal to grab a cross-field kick and bring up his double.