| ROUND 3 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 16th March St George v Wests Tigers (7:30pm, WIN Jubilee Stadium) Newcastle v Brisbane (7:30pm, Hunter Stadium) Saturday 17th March Gold Coast v Melbourne (5:30pm, Skilled Park) North Queensland v Parramatta (7:30pm, Dairy Farmers Stadium) Sunday 18th March NZ Warriors v Canterbury (12:00pm, Mt Smart Stadium) Sydney Roosters v Canberra (2:00pm, Sydney Football Stadium) Penrith v South Sydney (3:00pm, Centrebet Stadium) Monday 19th March Cronulla v Manly (7:00pm, Toyota Park) |
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With Brookvale Oval being resurfaced, Manly’s game against Wests Tigers was played on the Central Coast. But the
lack of home ground advantage didn’t worry the defending champions, who took out a 22-18 win over the Tigers on
Friday night.
The Tigers had the better of possession and field position during the early exchanges, but the scores remained
deadlocked. Both sides were indisciplined, with the referees having plenty of cause to blow their whistles, it being
difficult for either side to build any momentum or coherent attacking moves.
It took 26 minutes, but finally the Tigers broke through for the opening try of the game, with Adam Blair putting out
a dummy to catch out the Sea Eagle defenders before taking advantage of the opening he created to run through
and score. Benji Marshall added the extras, and the deadlock was finally broken with the Tigers leading 6-0.
The Tigers received a penalty shortly afterwards and elected to take the two points on offer to add to their lead. But
the Sea Eagles got the two points back when they elected to take advantage of a penalty on the stroke of half
time, with Jamie Lyon putting the penalty goal over and at half time the Tigers held an 8-2 lead.
It took just four minutes after half time for the Sea Eagles to score a try, something they had been unable to do
during the first half. It came after Daly Cherry-Evans ran rings around the Tiger defenders before off-loading to send
Jason King over the line. Four minutes later, Cherry-Evans went himself; and with Jamie Lyon converting both tries,
the Sea Eagles were six points in front. A penalty goal a few minutes later, and the Sea Eagles were 16-8 ahead.
The Tigers were attempting to get back into the contest, but on the hour their chances were gone. The Sea Eagles
looked to have knocked on when playing the ball on the sixth tackle, but the referees ruled there was a Tiger hand
in the play-the-ball and called six tackles to go. And during the ensuing set, David Williams crashed over the line to
score. Lyon’s conversion saw the Sea Eagles with a 22-8 advantage, and the game was all but over.
The Tigers refused to give up, and tries in the last ten minutes to Beau Ryan and Joel Reddy saw the deficit cut to
four points. But it was too little too late, and the Sea Eagles had enough of a buffer to take the win and remain
undefeated in 2012.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 22 def Wests Tigers 18
Sea Eagles : Tries – J King, D Williams, D Cherry-Evans. Goals – J Lyon 5/5.
Tigers : Tries – J Reddy, A Blair, B Ryan. Goals – B Marshall 3/4.
Referees – B Cummins, G Sutton. Crowd – 17,532 at Bluetongue Stadium.
After being held scoreless at home against the Titans in the opening round, few observers gave North Queensland
much of a chance against Brisbane at Suncorp on Friday night. But, against all the odds, the Cowboys completed a
remarkable 28-26 win over the Broncos in a dramatic thriller.
The Cowboys wasted little time in posting their first points of the season, as Dallas Johnson strolled through a
yawning gap for the opening try. But the Broncos quickly fought back, with some solid lead-up work by Sam Thaiday
setting up Jharal Yow Yeh to level the scores at 6-6.
It was end to end play until the half hour mark, with the Broncos’ penalty goal the only score for 20 minutes. But the
critical moment came when Josh Hoffman had trouble gathering the ball after it was kicked to the Broncos’ in-goal.
Hoffman eventually managed to get the ball, only to lose it in a one-on-one strip by Matt Bowen who then gleefully
offloaded to Segeyaro who put the ball down to score. And a few minutes later, Ashley Graham sent Brent Tate
through a gap to score in the corner; and although Johnathan Thurston was unable to convert Tate’s try, it was
enough to give the Cowboys a 16-8 half time lead.
It took only two minutes of the second half for the Broncos to get back into the contest, as Josh McGuire took
advantage of some botched defending by the Cowboys to pounce on the ball and stroll through to put the ball down
under the posts, reducing the margin to two points.
lack of home ground advantage didn’t worry the defending champions, who took out a 22-18 win over the Tigers on
Friday night.
The Tigers had the better of possession and field position during the early exchanges, but the scores remained
deadlocked. Both sides were indisciplined, with the referees having plenty of cause to blow their whistles, it being
difficult for either side to build any momentum or coherent attacking moves.
It took 26 minutes, but finally the Tigers broke through for the opening try of the game, with Adam Blair putting out
a dummy to catch out the Sea Eagle defenders before taking advantage of the opening he created to run through
and score. Benji Marshall added the extras, and the deadlock was finally broken with the Tigers leading 6-0.
The Tigers received a penalty shortly afterwards and elected to take the two points on offer to add to their lead. But
the Sea Eagles got the two points back when they elected to take advantage of a penalty on the stroke of half
time, with Jamie Lyon putting the penalty goal over and at half time the Tigers held an 8-2 lead.
It took just four minutes after half time for the Sea Eagles to score a try, something they had been unable to do
during the first half. It came after Daly Cherry-Evans ran rings around the Tiger defenders before off-loading to send
Jason King over the line. Four minutes later, Cherry-Evans went himself; and with Jamie Lyon converting both tries,
the Sea Eagles were six points in front. A penalty goal a few minutes later, and the Sea Eagles were 16-8 ahead.
The Tigers were attempting to get back into the contest, but on the hour their chances were gone. The Sea Eagles
looked to have knocked on when playing the ball on the sixth tackle, but the referees ruled there was a Tiger hand
in the play-the-ball and called six tackles to go. And during the ensuing set, David Williams crashed over the line to
score. Lyon’s conversion saw the Sea Eagles with a 22-8 advantage, and the game was all but over.
The Tigers refused to give up, and tries in the last ten minutes to Beau Ryan and Joel Reddy saw the deficit cut to
four points. But it was too little too late, and the Sea Eagles had enough of a buffer to take the win and remain
undefeated in 2012.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 22 def Wests Tigers 18
Sea Eagles : Tries – J King, D Williams, D Cherry-Evans. Goals – J Lyon 5/5.
Tigers : Tries – J Reddy, A Blair, B Ryan. Goals – B Marshall 3/4.
Referees – B Cummins, G Sutton. Crowd – 17,532 at Bluetongue Stadium.
After being held scoreless at home against the Titans in the opening round, few observers gave North Queensland
much of a chance against Brisbane at Suncorp on Friday night. But, against all the odds, the Cowboys completed a
remarkable 28-26 win over the Broncos in a dramatic thriller.
The Cowboys wasted little time in posting their first points of the season, as Dallas Johnson strolled through a
yawning gap for the opening try. But the Broncos quickly fought back, with some solid lead-up work by Sam Thaiday
setting up Jharal Yow Yeh to level the scores at 6-6.
It was end to end play until the half hour mark, with the Broncos’ penalty goal the only score for 20 minutes. But the
critical moment came when Josh Hoffman had trouble gathering the ball after it was kicked to the Broncos’ in-goal.
Hoffman eventually managed to get the ball, only to lose it in a one-on-one strip by Matt Bowen who then gleefully
offloaded to Segeyaro who put the ball down to score. And a few minutes later, Ashley Graham sent Brent Tate
through a gap to score in the corner; and although Johnathan Thurston was unable to convert Tate’s try, it was
enough to give the Cowboys a 16-8 half time lead.
It took only two minutes of the second half for the Broncos to get back into the contest, as Josh McGuire took
advantage of some botched defending by the Cowboys to pounce on the ball and stroll through to put the ball down
under the posts, reducing the margin to two points.
Five minutes later, Gerard Beale crashed over in the corner, and the Broncos had the lead. A sensational conversion
from the sideline by Corey Parker gave the Broncos a 20-16 advantage. But on the hour, Matt Bowen put on a
burst of speed to outrun the Bronco defenders and the Cowboys once again held the advantage in this see-sawing
contest.
There were more twists in this tale. With ten minutes to go, Ben Te’o found the line to restore the lead for the
Broncos. But with the clock running down, and only one minute remaining, the Cowboys had a scrum feed. Matt
Bowen took the ball from the scrum, evaded the Brisbane defence and dived over to score. The pressure was on
Jonathan Thurston, and a miss would have sent the game to golden point, but the Queensland Origin halfback
made no mistake with his kick and the Cowboys had broken through for their first win of 2012.
North Queensland Cowboys 28 def Brisbane Broncos 26
Cowboys : Tries – M Bowen 2, B Tate, D Johnson, J Segeyaro. Goals – J Thurston 4/5.
Broncos : Tries – J Yow Yeh, J McGuire, B Te’o, G Beale. Goals – C Parker 5/5.
Referees – J Robinson, G Reynolds. Crowd – 43,171 at Suncorp Stadium.
from the sideline by Corey Parker gave the Broncos a 20-16 advantage. But on the hour, Matt Bowen put on a
burst of speed to outrun the Bronco defenders and the Cowboys once again held the advantage in this see-sawing
contest.
There were more twists in this tale. With ten minutes to go, Ben Te’o found the line to restore the lead for the
Broncos. But with the clock running down, and only one minute remaining, the Cowboys had a scrum feed. Matt
Bowen took the ball from the scrum, evaded the Brisbane defence and dived over to score. The pressure was on
Jonathan Thurston, and a miss would have sent the game to golden point, but the Queensland Origin halfback
made no mistake with his kick and the Cowboys had broken through for their first win of 2012.
North Queensland Cowboys 28 def Brisbane Broncos 26
Cowboys : Tries – M Bowen 2, B Tate, D Johnson, J Segeyaro. Goals – J Thurston 4/5.
Broncos : Tries – J Yow Yeh, J McGuire, B Te’o, G Beale. Goals – C Parker 5/5.
Referees – J Robinson, G Reynolds. Crowd – 43,171 at Suncorp Stadium.
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The Saturday twilight game saw Canberra break through for their first win of the season, when the Raiders travelled to Robina and returned
home winners after a hard-fought 24-12 win over Gold Coast.
A contrast to the monsoonal conditions of last week, this week’s match was played in glorious Gold Coast sunshine. Both teams had to defend
hard early, but the defences were equal to the task and the deadlock would remain intact for 15 minutes. The Raiders were first to score, with
Josh Dugan weaving his way through the Gold Coast defence before running through for the opening try.
On 22 minutes, a cross-field kick by Terry Campese was collected by Jarrod Croker for a try in the corner. Campese missed last season injured,
and the Raiders severely missed his attacking creativity in what was a poor season; but his play in this match showed signs he was back to his
best and looking to make a positive contribution to the Raiders in 2012.
Shortly after the half hour mark, Scott Prince fed a scrum, off-loaded to William Zillman who in turn passed to Jordan Rankin and the Titans
were in for a try under the posts. And in the final minute before half time, the Titans made up 80 metres in the set before Dominque Peyroux
crashed over to score a try which would level the scores at 12-12 at half time.
Shortly after the break, a Raider bid to regain the lead was denied when an attempted try by Shaun Fensom was over-ruled by the video
referee. But shortly afterwards, Joel Thompson found the line in the corner and the Raiders were back in front; with a sensational conversion
by Jarrod Croker giving them an 18-12 advantage.
With ten minutes to go, Jarrod Croker caught the Titans’ defence off guard as he strolled through a yawning gap that had opened up. Taking
an early mark, Croker was happy to let Josh McCrone take the conversion; and the Raiders were safely home for their first win.
It hadn’t been a game that reached any great heights, with the Titans only really looking threatening during the period just before half time
that netted their two tries. But for the Raiders, the game yielded two critically important competition points.
Canberra Raiders 24 def Gold Coast Titans 12
Raiders : Tries – J Croker 2, J Thompson, J Dugan. Goals – J Croker 3/3, J McCrone 1/1.
Titans : Tries – J Rankin, D Peyroux. Goals – S Prince 2/2.
Referees – S Lyons, A Shortall. Crowd – 11,378 at Skilled Park.
A blockbuster crowd of just under 30,000 was on hand at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night as the Bulldogs took on St George. And they were
to watch a one-sided contest; as the Bulldogs, kick-started by a hat-trick by Josh Morris, dominated from start to finish to record an easy 30-4
win.
With the Morris twins matched up against each other, Josh for the Bulldogs and Brett for the Dragons, there were short odds on a Morris being
the first to score. And it was Josh who would take the title of first scorer, Trent Hodkinson flying high to grab a cross-field bomb and quickly off-
loading to send Morris to the line to score in the corner. It was a tight angle from the sideline, but Steve Turner had no problems as his
conversion sailed straight over to put the Bulldogs 6-0 ahead.
At the 20 minute mark, Josh Morris had his double, finding a gaping hole in the Dragons’ line and running 40 metres to put the ball down under
the posts.
Then it was Brett’s turn to get into the action, as he took a bomb from Jamie Soward just in front of the Bulldogs’ line and off-loaded to send
Kyle Stanley over the line for a try in the corner. Soward was unable to convert, and the Bulldogs remained 12-4 ahead.
Josh Morris’ hat-trick came a few minutes later, as the Bulldogs again spread the ball out wide and caught the Dragons’ defence short again as
Morris had the easiest of runs through a gap to score. The Bulldogs had been a dominant force, while the Dragons had been scrappy and
unorganised, and the 18-4 scoreline that the Bulldogs took into the rooms at half time was a fair reflection on the lopsided nature of the match.
The procession continued in the second half, as Bryson Goodwin from just inside the touch-line kicked the ball to himself, getting around the
Dragon defenders to add another try. And Greg Eastwood also got in on the action, crashing through the defence to score another; and with
Steve Turner having no problems from the kicking tee, the 30-4 romp was complete.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 4
Bulldogs : Tries – J Morris 3, B Goodwin, G Eastwood. Goals – S Turner 5/5.
Dragons : Tries – K Stanley. Goals – J Soward 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Klein. Crowd – 29,641 at ANZ Stadium.
Cronulla’s winless run continued in their first home game of 2012, as the Sharks took until the final minute to get on the scoreboard as they
slumped to an 18-6 loss to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
The game was played in bright sunshine, the sun reflecting off the water at the northern end. But what view may have looked picturesque
was anything but for the home fans in the sixth minute, as Wes Naiqama went on a cross-field kick on the last tackle which was scooped up by
Akuila Uate for a try in the corner. Naiqama added the extras, and the Knights took an early 6-0 lead.
The Knights immediately went on the attack again as Kurt Gidley nailed a 40-20, but the Sharks were able to hold them out. But Gidley’s day
turned sour a couple of minutes later as he dislocated a shoulder, bringing his game to a premature end, with the Knights’ halfback facing a
lengthy stint on the sidelines.
The Sharks lifted later in the half, creating scoring chances, but were unable to capitalise and the scoreline remained unchanged at 6-0 to
Newcastle for the remainder of the half.
Four minutes after half time, the Knights made the Sharks pay for those missed opportunities when they got a set close to the Cronulla line
and Chris Houston crashed over to score. And shortly after the hour, a scramble in the in-goal saw Junior Sau struggle to ground the ball. The
call was sent upstairs, but came back as a ref’s call and the try was awarded. No problems for Naiqama to convert and the Knights were 18-0
ahead, the game was safely won.
The Sharks had a chance to score a reply, but Ben Pomeroy’s attempt was shown by the video replay to be a double movement, and the try
was disallowed. But Pomeroy did finally break Cronulla’s duck as he crashed over the line in the final minute. It was little more than a consolation
try for the Sharks, after another disappointing performance by the embattled club that remains winless since July last year.
Newcastle Knights 18 def Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 6
Knights : Tries – C Houston, J Sau, A Uate. Goals – W Naiqama 3/3.
Sharks : Tries – B Pomeroy. Goals – T Carney 1/1.
Referees – T Archer, P Haines. Crowd – 15,564 at Toyota Stadium.
Penrith broke through for their first win of the season when they took on the Sydney Roosters at the SFS and held the home side scoreless to
record an 18-0 win.
The Panthers, wearing bright pink jerseys, put the Roosters under pressure early, and in the 14th minute they had a scrum feed 20 metres
from the Roosters’ line. Taking the ball, it went to big Sam McKendry, who made the Rooster defenders look like rag dolls as he crashed
through them to score the opening try of the game.
The Roosters got some field position, and finally looked like scoring when Boyd Cordner was in a scramble in the in-goals. But the video replays
showed that Lachlan Coote had got to the ball first, and it was no try. The Panthers made the drop-out, but nothing came of the next set by
the Roosters and the pressure was off.
In the 33rd minute, Michael Jennings grabbed the ball 20 metres out and raced Anthony Minichiello to the line to score the Panthers’ second
try, putting them 12-0 ahead. The Panthers had enjoyed the majority of possession, and possibly should have made more of their dominance
than just two tries, but it was enough to keep them comfortably ahead.
The Roosters hadn’t played well, and were even worse at the start of the second half with their first three sets cut short by knock-ons. Under
pressure, the Roosters could only defend grimly, but on the hour a break by Michael Jennings resulted in his second try, and the Panthers had
taken an unassailable lead.
The Roosters were dismal throughout the afternoon, and the game petered out in the final stages; the Roosters never looking like scoring
while the Panthers were happy to sit back and defend their lead, counting down to their first two points of the season.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Penrith Panthers 18 def Sydney Roosters 0
Panthers : Tries – M Jennings 2, S McKendry. Goals – L Walsh 3/3.
Roosters : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – A Devcich, C James. Crowd – 12,746 at Allianz Stadium.
It took until well into the second half for Melbourne to shake off the attentions of the tenacious Souths, but the Storm took control in the
latter stages of Sunday evening’s match at AAMI Park to record a 24-10 victory.
Two of the Storm’s biggest names combined to set up the first try, with Cameron Smith getting some run from dummy half to offload to Billy
Slater, who made up 40 metres before off-loading to send Dane Nielsen to the line for the opening try of the game, diving over in the corner.
Cam Smith was unable to convert.
Four minutes later, a cross-field kick by Cooper Cronk found Matt Duffie and the Storm were in again. This time Smith landed the conversion,
and the Storm were 10-0 ahead.
But the Rabbitohs fought back, pressing the Storm line for ten minutes before Greg Inglis spotted an opening in the Storm line and put Chris
McQueen through the gap for an easy try. And five minutes later, Sam Burgess at dummy half crashed over the Storm defenders for another
try, levelling the match at 10-all.
The Rabbitohs were on a roll, and could have taken the lead in the final minute before half time, as Adam Reynolds attempted a field goal that
only just missed. But the kick was unsuccessful, and the scores remained tied up at 10-10 at half time.
After half time, the Rabbitohs again went close to taking the lead, the video referee being called on to rule on a potential try to Fetuli Talanoa.
But the replays showed Talanoa’s foot landed in touch before he could ground the ball, and the try was denied.
But 14 minutes after half time, Billy Slater just managed to keep himself inside the field of play as he ran down the wing to score. The video
replay was again ordered, but unlike Talanoa’s effort, Slater managed to keep the ball inside the field of play. Cam Smith converted to give the
Storm a 16-10 lead.
Shortly after the hour, the Storm again went out wide, with Cooper Cronk finding Dane Nielsen who crossed the line in the corner to bring up
his double. Cam Smith was unable to convert, the Storm 20-10 to the good.
The Rabbitohs weren’t ready to concede defeat yet, and former Storm centre Greg Inglis made a 40 metre break on a zero tackle for the
Rabbitohs to put them in field position. The Rabbitohs were forced to take tackles just metres from the Storm line, but after the fifth tackle
the ball was knocked on, and the chance was lost.
With two minutes to go, time had run out for the Rabbitohs to get back in the contest, and another try out wide to Billy Slater was the icing
on the cake for the Storm. A 24-10 win flattered the Storm, in a game that for much of the evening looked to be much closer, but it was a
result that showed the rugby league world that the Victorian side again means business in 2012.
Melbourne Storm 24 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 10
Storm : Tries – B Slater 2, D Nielsen 2, M Duffie. Goals – C Smith 2/5.
Rabbitohs : Tries – S Burgess, C McQueen. Goals – A Reynolds 1/2. Field Goals – A Reynolds 0/1.
Referees – S Hayne, G Morris. Crowd – 15,872 at AAMI Park.
Monday night at Parramatta Stadium started promisingly for the home side as the Eels scored twice in the first ten minutes to go out to an
early lead. But the harsh reality of the Eels’ existence again took over as the New Zealand Warriors then snapped into gear to record a 36-20
win. And more worrying for Parramatta was the departure of Jarryd Hayne with what could be a serious knee injury.
After an injury-interrupted pre-season, Jarryd Hayne returned to the Parramatta side for this game, and was looking dangerous early. The Eels
were looking good in the early exchanges, and in the sixth minute Ken Sio found room to move to score in the corner. A cutout pass by Hayne
two minutes later saw Cheyse Blair crash over in the corner for another try. But the angles didn’t favour Chris Sandow, the former Rabbitoh
being unable to convert either try.
It took the Warriors 12 minutes to get inside Parramatta’s 20, and they took full advantage with former Eel Feleti Mateo finding room to move
to get to the line and open the scoring for the Warriors. James Maloney added the extras and the margin was back to two points.
But two minutes later came the big turning point, as Jarryd Hayne made a 25 metre break before stumbling awkwardly. Unable to get up, the
medi-cab was called into action to take Hayne from the field; with what looked an injury to his good knee. Hayne would play no further part in
the game, and faces the prospect of an extended spell on the sidelines.
Ten minutes later, Kevin Locke held the ball ten metres from the Parramatta line, drawing the Eel defenders before off-loading to Bill Tupou
who ran through to put the Warriors in front. Konrad Hurrell put in a solo effort to add to the advantage, scoring under the posts to put the
Warriors ten points ahead before Chris Sandow found the line shortly before half time to cut the margin to 18-14 at half time.
The game tightened early in the second half, both sides defending strongly and there would be no change to the scoring for 20 minutes after
the break. But on the hour, the scorer finally had some work to do as the Warriors threw the ball around between several sets of hands before
James Maloney finally pounced at the line and scored.
Chris Sandow put on a solo effort to keep the Eels in the contest, but the Warriors would not be denied. In the last ten minutes, Kevin Locke
got on the scoreboard before Tupou brought up his double, wrapping up a comfortable win for the Warriors; but creating a mood of doom and
gloom for the Eels, who remain winless after two rounds and without their key playmaker.
New Zealand Warriors 36 def Parramatta Eels 20
Warriors : Tries – B Tupou 2, F Mateo, J Maloney, K Locke, K Hurrell. Goals – J Maloney 6/6.
Eels : Tries – C Sandow 2, C Blair, K Sio. Goals – C Sandow 2/4.
Referees – G Badger, B Suttor. Crowd – 12,102 at Parramatta Stadium.
home winners after a hard-fought 24-12 win over Gold Coast.
A contrast to the monsoonal conditions of last week, this week’s match was played in glorious Gold Coast sunshine. Both teams had to defend
hard early, but the defences were equal to the task and the deadlock would remain intact for 15 minutes. The Raiders were first to score, with
Josh Dugan weaving his way through the Gold Coast defence before running through for the opening try.
On 22 minutes, a cross-field kick by Terry Campese was collected by Jarrod Croker for a try in the corner. Campese missed last season injured,
and the Raiders severely missed his attacking creativity in what was a poor season; but his play in this match showed signs he was back to his
best and looking to make a positive contribution to the Raiders in 2012.
Shortly after the half hour mark, Scott Prince fed a scrum, off-loaded to William Zillman who in turn passed to Jordan Rankin and the Titans
were in for a try under the posts. And in the final minute before half time, the Titans made up 80 metres in the set before Dominque Peyroux
crashed over to score a try which would level the scores at 12-12 at half time.
Shortly after the break, a Raider bid to regain the lead was denied when an attempted try by Shaun Fensom was over-ruled by the video
referee. But shortly afterwards, Joel Thompson found the line in the corner and the Raiders were back in front; with a sensational conversion
by Jarrod Croker giving them an 18-12 advantage.
With ten minutes to go, Jarrod Croker caught the Titans’ defence off guard as he strolled through a yawning gap that had opened up. Taking
an early mark, Croker was happy to let Josh McCrone take the conversion; and the Raiders were safely home for their first win.
It hadn’t been a game that reached any great heights, with the Titans only really looking threatening during the period just before half time
that netted their two tries. But for the Raiders, the game yielded two critically important competition points.
Canberra Raiders 24 def Gold Coast Titans 12
Raiders : Tries – J Croker 2, J Thompson, J Dugan. Goals – J Croker 3/3, J McCrone 1/1.
Titans : Tries – J Rankin, D Peyroux. Goals – S Prince 2/2.
Referees – S Lyons, A Shortall. Crowd – 11,378 at Skilled Park.
A blockbuster crowd of just under 30,000 was on hand at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night as the Bulldogs took on St George. And they were
to watch a one-sided contest; as the Bulldogs, kick-started by a hat-trick by Josh Morris, dominated from start to finish to record an easy 30-4
win.
With the Morris twins matched up against each other, Josh for the Bulldogs and Brett for the Dragons, there were short odds on a Morris being
the first to score. And it was Josh who would take the title of first scorer, Trent Hodkinson flying high to grab a cross-field bomb and quickly off-
loading to send Morris to the line to score in the corner. It was a tight angle from the sideline, but Steve Turner had no problems as his
conversion sailed straight over to put the Bulldogs 6-0 ahead.
At the 20 minute mark, Josh Morris had his double, finding a gaping hole in the Dragons’ line and running 40 metres to put the ball down under
the posts.
Then it was Brett’s turn to get into the action, as he took a bomb from Jamie Soward just in front of the Bulldogs’ line and off-loaded to send
Kyle Stanley over the line for a try in the corner. Soward was unable to convert, and the Bulldogs remained 12-4 ahead.
Josh Morris’ hat-trick came a few minutes later, as the Bulldogs again spread the ball out wide and caught the Dragons’ defence short again as
Morris had the easiest of runs through a gap to score. The Bulldogs had been a dominant force, while the Dragons had been scrappy and
unorganised, and the 18-4 scoreline that the Bulldogs took into the rooms at half time was a fair reflection on the lopsided nature of the match.
The procession continued in the second half, as Bryson Goodwin from just inside the touch-line kicked the ball to himself, getting around the
Dragon defenders to add another try. And Greg Eastwood also got in on the action, crashing through the defence to score another; and with
Steve Turner having no problems from the kicking tee, the 30-4 romp was complete.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 4
Bulldogs : Tries – J Morris 3, B Goodwin, G Eastwood. Goals – S Turner 5/5.
Dragons : Tries – K Stanley. Goals – J Soward 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Klein. Crowd – 29,641 at ANZ Stadium.
Cronulla’s winless run continued in their first home game of 2012, as the Sharks took until the final minute to get on the scoreboard as they
slumped to an 18-6 loss to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
The game was played in bright sunshine, the sun reflecting off the water at the northern end. But what view may have looked picturesque
was anything but for the home fans in the sixth minute, as Wes Naiqama went on a cross-field kick on the last tackle which was scooped up by
Akuila Uate for a try in the corner. Naiqama added the extras, and the Knights took an early 6-0 lead.
The Knights immediately went on the attack again as Kurt Gidley nailed a 40-20, but the Sharks were able to hold them out. But Gidley’s day
turned sour a couple of minutes later as he dislocated a shoulder, bringing his game to a premature end, with the Knights’ halfback facing a
lengthy stint on the sidelines.
The Sharks lifted later in the half, creating scoring chances, but were unable to capitalise and the scoreline remained unchanged at 6-0 to
Newcastle for the remainder of the half.
Four minutes after half time, the Knights made the Sharks pay for those missed opportunities when they got a set close to the Cronulla line
and Chris Houston crashed over to score. And shortly after the hour, a scramble in the in-goal saw Junior Sau struggle to ground the ball. The
call was sent upstairs, but came back as a ref’s call and the try was awarded. No problems for Naiqama to convert and the Knights were 18-0
ahead, the game was safely won.
The Sharks had a chance to score a reply, but Ben Pomeroy’s attempt was shown by the video replay to be a double movement, and the try
was disallowed. But Pomeroy did finally break Cronulla’s duck as he crashed over the line in the final minute. It was little more than a consolation
try for the Sharks, after another disappointing performance by the embattled club that remains winless since July last year.
Newcastle Knights 18 def Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 6
Knights : Tries – C Houston, J Sau, A Uate. Goals – W Naiqama 3/3.
Sharks : Tries – B Pomeroy. Goals – T Carney 1/1.
Referees – T Archer, P Haines. Crowd – 15,564 at Toyota Stadium.
Penrith broke through for their first win of the season when they took on the Sydney Roosters at the SFS and held the home side scoreless to
record an 18-0 win.
The Panthers, wearing bright pink jerseys, put the Roosters under pressure early, and in the 14th minute they had a scrum feed 20 metres
from the Roosters’ line. Taking the ball, it went to big Sam McKendry, who made the Rooster defenders look like rag dolls as he crashed
through them to score the opening try of the game.
The Roosters got some field position, and finally looked like scoring when Boyd Cordner was in a scramble in the in-goals. But the video replays
showed that Lachlan Coote had got to the ball first, and it was no try. The Panthers made the drop-out, but nothing came of the next set by
the Roosters and the pressure was off.
In the 33rd minute, Michael Jennings grabbed the ball 20 metres out and raced Anthony Minichiello to the line to score the Panthers’ second
try, putting them 12-0 ahead. The Panthers had enjoyed the majority of possession, and possibly should have made more of their dominance
than just two tries, but it was enough to keep them comfortably ahead.
The Roosters hadn’t played well, and were even worse at the start of the second half with their first three sets cut short by knock-ons. Under
pressure, the Roosters could only defend grimly, but on the hour a break by Michael Jennings resulted in his second try, and the Panthers had
taken an unassailable lead.
The Roosters were dismal throughout the afternoon, and the game petered out in the final stages; the Roosters never looking like scoring
while the Panthers were happy to sit back and defend their lead, counting down to their first two points of the season.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Penrith Panthers 18 def Sydney Roosters 0
Panthers : Tries – M Jennings 2, S McKendry. Goals – L Walsh 3/3.
Roosters : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – A Devcich, C James. Crowd – 12,746 at Allianz Stadium.
It took until well into the second half for Melbourne to shake off the attentions of the tenacious Souths, but the Storm took control in the
latter stages of Sunday evening’s match at AAMI Park to record a 24-10 victory.
Two of the Storm’s biggest names combined to set up the first try, with Cameron Smith getting some run from dummy half to offload to Billy
Slater, who made up 40 metres before off-loading to send Dane Nielsen to the line for the opening try of the game, diving over in the corner.
Cam Smith was unable to convert.
Four minutes later, a cross-field kick by Cooper Cronk found Matt Duffie and the Storm were in again. This time Smith landed the conversion,
and the Storm were 10-0 ahead.
But the Rabbitohs fought back, pressing the Storm line for ten minutes before Greg Inglis spotted an opening in the Storm line and put Chris
McQueen through the gap for an easy try. And five minutes later, Sam Burgess at dummy half crashed over the Storm defenders for another
try, levelling the match at 10-all.
The Rabbitohs were on a roll, and could have taken the lead in the final minute before half time, as Adam Reynolds attempted a field goal that
only just missed. But the kick was unsuccessful, and the scores remained tied up at 10-10 at half time.
After half time, the Rabbitohs again went close to taking the lead, the video referee being called on to rule on a potential try to Fetuli Talanoa.
But the replays showed Talanoa’s foot landed in touch before he could ground the ball, and the try was denied.
But 14 minutes after half time, Billy Slater just managed to keep himself inside the field of play as he ran down the wing to score. The video
replay was again ordered, but unlike Talanoa’s effort, Slater managed to keep the ball inside the field of play. Cam Smith converted to give the
Storm a 16-10 lead.
Shortly after the hour, the Storm again went out wide, with Cooper Cronk finding Dane Nielsen who crossed the line in the corner to bring up
his double. Cam Smith was unable to convert, the Storm 20-10 to the good.
The Rabbitohs weren’t ready to concede defeat yet, and former Storm centre Greg Inglis made a 40 metre break on a zero tackle for the
Rabbitohs to put them in field position. The Rabbitohs were forced to take tackles just metres from the Storm line, but after the fifth tackle
the ball was knocked on, and the chance was lost.
With two minutes to go, time had run out for the Rabbitohs to get back in the contest, and another try out wide to Billy Slater was the icing
on the cake for the Storm. A 24-10 win flattered the Storm, in a game that for much of the evening looked to be much closer, but it was a
result that showed the rugby league world that the Victorian side again means business in 2012.
Melbourne Storm 24 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 10
Storm : Tries – B Slater 2, D Nielsen 2, M Duffie. Goals – C Smith 2/5.
Rabbitohs : Tries – S Burgess, C McQueen. Goals – A Reynolds 1/2. Field Goals – A Reynolds 0/1.
Referees – S Hayne, G Morris. Crowd – 15,872 at AAMI Park.
Monday night at Parramatta Stadium started promisingly for the home side as the Eels scored twice in the first ten minutes to go out to an
early lead. But the harsh reality of the Eels’ existence again took over as the New Zealand Warriors then snapped into gear to record a 36-20
win. And more worrying for Parramatta was the departure of Jarryd Hayne with what could be a serious knee injury.
After an injury-interrupted pre-season, Jarryd Hayne returned to the Parramatta side for this game, and was looking dangerous early. The Eels
were looking good in the early exchanges, and in the sixth minute Ken Sio found room to move to score in the corner. A cutout pass by Hayne
two minutes later saw Cheyse Blair crash over in the corner for another try. But the angles didn’t favour Chris Sandow, the former Rabbitoh
being unable to convert either try.
It took the Warriors 12 minutes to get inside Parramatta’s 20, and they took full advantage with former Eel Feleti Mateo finding room to move
to get to the line and open the scoring for the Warriors. James Maloney added the extras and the margin was back to two points.
But two minutes later came the big turning point, as Jarryd Hayne made a 25 metre break before stumbling awkwardly. Unable to get up, the
medi-cab was called into action to take Hayne from the field; with what looked an injury to his good knee. Hayne would play no further part in
the game, and faces the prospect of an extended spell on the sidelines.
Ten minutes later, Kevin Locke held the ball ten metres from the Parramatta line, drawing the Eel defenders before off-loading to Bill Tupou
who ran through to put the Warriors in front. Konrad Hurrell put in a solo effort to add to the advantage, scoring under the posts to put the
Warriors ten points ahead before Chris Sandow found the line shortly before half time to cut the margin to 18-14 at half time.
The game tightened early in the second half, both sides defending strongly and there would be no change to the scoring for 20 minutes after
the break. But on the hour, the scorer finally had some work to do as the Warriors threw the ball around between several sets of hands before
James Maloney finally pounced at the line and scored.
Chris Sandow put on a solo effort to keep the Eels in the contest, but the Warriors would not be denied. In the last ten minutes, Kevin Locke
got on the scoreboard before Tupou brought up his double, wrapping up a comfortable win for the Warriors; but creating a mood of doom and
gloom for the Eels, who remain winless after two rounds and without their key playmaker.
New Zealand Warriors 36 def Parramatta Eels 20
Warriors : Tries – B Tupou 2, F Mateo, J Maloney, K Locke, K Hurrell. Goals – J Maloney 6/6.
Eels : Tries – C Sandow 2, C Blair, K Sio. Goals – C Sandow 2/4.
Referees – G Badger, B Suttor. Crowd – 12,102 at Parramatta Stadium.