| ROUND 7 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 13th April St George v Newcastle (7:30pm, WIN Jubilee Stadium) Brisbane v Canberra (7:30pm, Suncorp Stadium) Saturday 14th April Melbourne v Canterbury (5:30pm, AAMI Park) Sydney Roosters v North Queensland (7:30pm, TIO Stadium, Darwin NT) Manly v Gold Coast (7:30pm, Brookvale Oval) Sunday 15th April NZ Warriors v South Sydney (12:00pm, Mt Smart Stadium) Cronulla v Parramatta (2:00pm, Toyota Stadium) Penrith v Wests Tigers (3:00pm, Centrebet Stadium) |
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An error-riddled Saturday evening game at Robina saw the Sydney Roosters maintain their spot in the top eight with their second win on the
trot, a lacklustre 18-12 win over the Gold Coast Titans.
Warm weather with some rain during the day made for sticky conditions, and the humidity didn’t help the players; with both teams struggling
to control the ball. Plenty of penalties, plenty of errors, and little to excite during the early exchanges. But in the 16th minute, Shaun Kenny-
Dowall from dummy half 15 metres out was too quick for the Titan defenders to score the first try of the game.
The Titans had a quick reply, spreading the ball out wide for David Mead to score in the corner. Scores were level, and remained so for the
remainder of the half; with play barely up to NRL standard as both teams struggled to get any form of coherent play going.
Jamal Idris went close to scoring for the Titans after half time, but the try was disallowed. At the other end, Shaun Kenny-Dowall chased down
a grubber from Braith Anasta to score in the corner; with Anasta’s kicking boot again proving effective as he landed a magnificent conversion.
And in the next set, Mitchell Pearce caught the Titan defenders napping with a 30 metre run before throwing a pass to Anthony Minichiello for
the easiest of tries under the posts.
The Roosters were 18-6 ahead, and the Titans never looked like getting back into the contest. Anasta and Pearce each made an attempt to
add an extra one-point buffer to put the result beyond doubt, but they were both unsuccessful.
With five minutes to go, David Mead threw the Titans a lifeline with a try in the corner, cutting the margin to six points. But although the
Titans searched for another try to force the game into golden point, the Rooster defenders were equal to the task; and the clock ticked down
to a Rooster win.
Sydney Roosters 18 def Gold Coast Titans 12
Roosters : Tries – S Kenny-Dowall 2, A Minichiello. Goals – B Anasta 3/3. Field Goals – B Anasta 0/1, M Pearce 0/1.
Titans : Tries – D Mead 2. Goals – S Prince 2/2.
Referees – B Suttor, C James. Crowd – 11,748 at Skilled Park.
A local derby at Shark Park on Saturday night was a triumph for local side Cronulla, with the Sharks winning their fourth game on the trot;
grinding out a hard-fought 12-0 win over St George.
The Sharks were on the board after seven minutes. In an electrifying move, the ball went through several sets of hands, finishing with Paul
Gallen off-loading to put John Morris over in the corner. Todd Carney added the extras, putting the Sharks 6-0 ahead; and that’s how the
score would remain for the rest of the half.
There were chances for both sides to get on the scoreboard, but none were taken. The Sharks had the better opportunities, with a kick
downfield on the last tackle just having too much on it for the chasers to gather before it went dead. On the half hour, the Sharks had three
quick penalties in a row, putting them in attacking position; but were unable to make their attacking position translate into a raid on the St
George line.
St George had struggled in the first half, but got into the play in the opening minutes of the second half; with Dean Young crashing over the
line, but the video referee disallowed the try after Young had been shown to have knocked on in the attempted grounding of the ball.
Shortly before the hour mark, the Sharks were in again; with Jeff Robson grubbering the ball forward on the last tackle, and Wade Graham
chased the ball down to score. Todd Carney’s conversion put the Sharks 12-0 ahead.
The Dragons were under pressure, and nothing they tried came off. Jason Nightingale crossed the line but his attempted try was disallowed by
the video referee; and the clock counted down for an important win for the Sharks. Bragging rights in the local derby, and their position in the
top eight confirmed. After years of doom and gloom for the Sharks, the outlook for the Sutherland Shire club is the best it’s been for a very
long time.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 0
Sharks : Tries – J Morris, W Graham. Goals – T Carney 2/2.
Dragons : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Devcich. Crowd – 21,380 at Toyota Stadium.
The early game on Easter Sunday saw Canberra upset 2011 runners-up New Zealand Warriors, putting in a dominant performance to record a
32-12 win at Canberra Stadium.
In the opening minute, Simon Mannering went close to scoring as he burst through the Raiders’ defenders, but after a 40 metre run he lost
the ball 10 metres short of the line and the Raiders were off the hook. And against the run of play, it would be the Raiders who were first on
the board after 14 minutes.
Reece Robinson chased down a grubber from Blake Ferguson and put the ball down, giving the Raiders their first try. Three minutes later,
Jarrod Croker weaved his way around some defence for the Raiders’ second try. But Jarrod Croker wasn’t having a good day with the kicking
tee, and both conversions were waved away.
Shortly before the half hour mark, Blake Ferguson cruised past some poor defending to add another try. And when Jack Wighton was over in
the corner, it was 16-0; a margin that could have been even greater had Croker landed any of the four conversions in the first half instead of
missing them all.
But the Warriors were back in the game in the final minute before half time, as Ben Henry was on the end of a chain of passes to put the
Warriors on the scoreboard, with James Maloney adding the extras to cut the margin to ten points at the break. And some early raids in the
second half were looking promising for the Warriors; but they were unable to make any more points out of their field position.
Just before the hour, the Raiders were in again, with James Papalii strolling through a yawning gap to score under the posts. Finally Croker
landed a conversion, putting the Raiders 22-6 ahead.
Five minutes later, James Maloney threw the Warriors a lifeline as he threw a dummy before racing through to score under the posts; his
conversion cutting the margin to just ten points.
But with ten minutes to go, the Warriors’ hopes were sunk as Reece Robinson cruised through to bring up his double. And Croker also got
himself a double, and with three minutes to go the demolition was complete.
Canberra Raiders 32 def New Zealand Warriors 12
Raiders : Tries – R Robinson 2, J Croker 2, B Ferguson, J Papalii, J Wighton. Goals – J Croker 2/7.
Warriors : Tries – J Maloney, B Henry. Goals - J Maloney 2/2.
Referees – S Hayne, A Shortall. Crowd – 10,800 at Canberra Stadium.
It wasn’t a game that reached any great heights, but Newcastle did enough to get the two valuable competition points when the Knights
ground out a 14-6 win over Parramatta at Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Akuila Uate opened the scoring in the sixth minute, after Junior Sau drew three defenders before throwing a last-second pass to the unmarked
wingman for a try in the corner. Tyrone Roberts added the extras, and the Knights were 6-0 ahead. A penalty goal six minutes later added
another two points to the Knights’ score.
The weather conditions were good, but the players from both sides struggled to control the ball; and a series of knock-ons and silly penalties
frustrated both sides and the healthy crowd that was taking in the action. And with five minutes to go till half time, the game was again up for
grabs as Tim Mannah crossed over the line to score for the Eels, with Chris Sandow successful with the conversion.
The Knights led 8-6 at half time, and the score didn’t move for 15 minutes. But when the deadlock was broken, it was Newcastle who took
advantage. On the back of a 40-20 from Jarrod Mullen that gave the Knights field position, Uate made a break out wide to score in the corner
and bring up his double. The conversion gave the Knights an eight-point buffer.
And that’s how the score would remain for the last 25 minutes of the game. The Knights hung on against Parramatta attacks; but the Eels
made too many errors and coughed up the ball too many times to place the Knights under any sustained pressure. With five minutes to go,
Fuifui Moimoi got over the line but the video referee ruled he was held up; and the chance for a late lifeline was lost. The win sees the Knights
move into the top eight, but keeps the struggling Eels languishing on the bottom of the ladder.
Newcastle Knights 14 def Parramatta Eels 6
Knights : Tries – A Uate 2. Goals – T Roberts 3/3.
Eels : Tries – T Mannah. Goals – C Sandow 1/1.
Referees – T Archer, T De las Heras. Crowd – 24,518 at Hunter Stadium.
The tropical heat was no problem for the Melbourne Storm on Sunday night, when the undefeated ladder leaders continued their imposing
form with a comprehensive 42-14 win over North Queensland at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Sunday night.
The Cowboys started promisingly, and were on the board after just three minutes, with Aaron Payne sending a grubber forward to the in-goal
and Matt Bowen chasing it down to score under the posts. But the Storm wasted no time in hitting back, with Matt Duffie diving over from
dummy half to equalise the game at 6-6.
It was end to end until the half hour mark, with neither side able to penetrate the other’s line. The Storm forced a few line drop-outs but the
Cowboys repelled the charge. And at the half hour mark, Cooper Cronk drew three defenders before off-loading to an unmarked Kevin Proctor
for a try to give the Storm the lead. And they would add to their lead when Billy Slater sent Ryan Hinchcliffe through a yawning gap.
But with seconds to go before half time, the Cowboys hit back, with Gavin Cooper pouncing on a long pass by Johnathan Thurston to score.
It was 16-12 to the Storm at half time, and four minutes after the break the Storm were in again, with Jason Ryles crashing through the
defensive pack to score. A few minutes later, Will Chambers went for a run out wide, just managing to keep his feet inside the field of play
before scoring in the corner to put the Storm 26-12 ahead.
Kevin Proctor brought up his double shortly before the hour mark, further adding to the Melbourne dominance. There was some brief respite
for the Cowboys against the run of play when James Tamou found the line to score the Cowboys’ third try. But the Storm were back in their
ruthless best five minutes later when Will Chambers found a gap to score his second try.
Matt Duffie would also complete his double before the final siren, flying high to grab a bomb from Cooper Cronk. A comprehensive 42-18 away
win to the undefeated top side underlined the Storm’s dominance, and their determination to finally right the wrongs of 2010 and obtain a
legitimate premiership.
Melbourne Storm 42 def North Queensland Cowboys 18
Storm : Tries – W Chambers 2, K Proctor 2, M Duffie 2, J Ryles, R Hinchcliffe. Goals – C Smith 5/8.
Cowboys : Tries – M Bowen, J Tamou, G Cooper. Goals – J Thurston 3/3.
Referees – J Maxwell, G Reynolds. Crowd – 20,206 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
It had been a tough opening to the season for defending champions Manly. Work at Brookvale Oval saw the Sea Eagles playing on the road for
the first five matches; and with losses in three of them, the Sea Eagles were some way off the pace. But their first Brookvale Oval game for
the season, against Penrith on Easter Monday, saw the Sea Eagles return to their best with a 30-0 win over Penrith.
The two sides took some time to feel each other out, and neither looked like scoring during the early exchanges. At 20 minutes, the Panthers
went close to scoring, with David Simmons crossing the line, but the ball was knocked on in-goal and the video referee disallowed the try.
At the other end, it was the Sea Eagles who opened the scoring, with Jamie Buhrer finally finding an opening to score the opening try of the
game. Jamie Lyon added the conversion, and a penalty goal a few minutes later, to get Manly to an 8-0 lead that they would hold till half time.
The second half would start disastrously for the Panthers, with the kick-off being knocked on. The Sea Eagles were in field position, and made
the Panthers pay during the ensuing set as David Williams strolled over to score. Jamie Lyon’s conversion was unsuccessful, but he would make
up for it a few minutes later as he put a penalty goal over for a 14-0 lead to the Sea Eagles.
The Panthers were denied by the video referee for the second time at the hour mark, when Etuate Uaisele was held up over the line. But the
video referee was kinder to Manly, as Steve Matai chased down a grubber from Daly Cherry-Evans and was awarded a benefit of the doubt try.
David Williams brought up his double a few minutes later to put the result beyond doubt, and in the dying minutes of the game, Anthony
Watmough went charging through a pack to wrap up a 30-0 win and end the Manly losing streak with another comprehensive Fortress
Brookvale result.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 30 def Penrith Panthers 0
Sea Eagles : Tries – D Williams 2, A Watmough, S Matai, J Buhrer. Goals – J Lyon 5/7.
Panthers : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – G Sutton, H Perenara. Crowd – 14,255 at Brookvale Oval.
trot, a lacklustre 18-12 win over the Gold Coast Titans.
Warm weather with some rain during the day made for sticky conditions, and the humidity didn’t help the players; with both teams struggling
to control the ball. Plenty of penalties, plenty of errors, and little to excite during the early exchanges. But in the 16th minute, Shaun Kenny-
Dowall from dummy half 15 metres out was too quick for the Titan defenders to score the first try of the game.
The Titans had a quick reply, spreading the ball out wide for David Mead to score in the corner. Scores were level, and remained so for the
remainder of the half; with play barely up to NRL standard as both teams struggled to get any form of coherent play going.
Jamal Idris went close to scoring for the Titans after half time, but the try was disallowed. At the other end, Shaun Kenny-Dowall chased down
a grubber from Braith Anasta to score in the corner; with Anasta’s kicking boot again proving effective as he landed a magnificent conversion.
And in the next set, Mitchell Pearce caught the Titan defenders napping with a 30 metre run before throwing a pass to Anthony Minichiello for
the easiest of tries under the posts.
The Roosters were 18-6 ahead, and the Titans never looked like getting back into the contest. Anasta and Pearce each made an attempt to
add an extra one-point buffer to put the result beyond doubt, but they were both unsuccessful.
With five minutes to go, David Mead threw the Titans a lifeline with a try in the corner, cutting the margin to six points. But although the
Titans searched for another try to force the game into golden point, the Rooster defenders were equal to the task; and the clock ticked down
to a Rooster win.
Sydney Roosters 18 def Gold Coast Titans 12
Roosters : Tries – S Kenny-Dowall 2, A Minichiello. Goals – B Anasta 3/3. Field Goals – B Anasta 0/1, M Pearce 0/1.
Titans : Tries – D Mead 2. Goals – S Prince 2/2.
Referees – B Suttor, C James. Crowd – 11,748 at Skilled Park.
A local derby at Shark Park on Saturday night was a triumph for local side Cronulla, with the Sharks winning their fourth game on the trot;
grinding out a hard-fought 12-0 win over St George.
The Sharks were on the board after seven minutes. In an electrifying move, the ball went through several sets of hands, finishing with Paul
Gallen off-loading to put John Morris over in the corner. Todd Carney added the extras, putting the Sharks 6-0 ahead; and that’s how the
score would remain for the rest of the half.
There were chances for both sides to get on the scoreboard, but none were taken. The Sharks had the better opportunities, with a kick
downfield on the last tackle just having too much on it for the chasers to gather before it went dead. On the half hour, the Sharks had three
quick penalties in a row, putting them in attacking position; but were unable to make their attacking position translate into a raid on the St
George line.
St George had struggled in the first half, but got into the play in the opening minutes of the second half; with Dean Young crashing over the
line, but the video referee disallowed the try after Young had been shown to have knocked on in the attempted grounding of the ball.
Shortly before the hour mark, the Sharks were in again; with Jeff Robson grubbering the ball forward on the last tackle, and Wade Graham
chased the ball down to score. Todd Carney’s conversion put the Sharks 12-0 ahead.
The Dragons were under pressure, and nothing they tried came off. Jason Nightingale crossed the line but his attempted try was disallowed by
the video referee; and the clock counted down for an important win for the Sharks. Bragging rights in the local derby, and their position in the
top eight confirmed. After years of doom and gloom for the Sharks, the outlook for the Sutherland Shire club is the best it’s been for a very
long time.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12 def St George-Illawarra Dragons 0
Sharks : Tries – J Morris, W Graham. Goals – T Carney 2/2.
Dragons : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Devcich. Crowd – 21,380 at Toyota Stadium.
The early game on Easter Sunday saw Canberra upset 2011 runners-up New Zealand Warriors, putting in a dominant performance to record a
32-12 win at Canberra Stadium.
In the opening minute, Simon Mannering went close to scoring as he burst through the Raiders’ defenders, but after a 40 metre run he lost
the ball 10 metres short of the line and the Raiders were off the hook. And against the run of play, it would be the Raiders who were first on
the board after 14 minutes.
Reece Robinson chased down a grubber from Blake Ferguson and put the ball down, giving the Raiders their first try. Three minutes later,
Jarrod Croker weaved his way around some defence for the Raiders’ second try. But Jarrod Croker wasn’t having a good day with the kicking
tee, and both conversions were waved away.
Shortly before the half hour mark, Blake Ferguson cruised past some poor defending to add another try. And when Jack Wighton was over in
the corner, it was 16-0; a margin that could have been even greater had Croker landed any of the four conversions in the first half instead of
missing them all.
But the Warriors were back in the game in the final minute before half time, as Ben Henry was on the end of a chain of passes to put the
Warriors on the scoreboard, with James Maloney adding the extras to cut the margin to ten points at the break. And some early raids in the
second half were looking promising for the Warriors; but they were unable to make any more points out of their field position.
Just before the hour, the Raiders were in again, with James Papalii strolling through a yawning gap to score under the posts. Finally Croker
landed a conversion, putting the Raiders 22-6 ahead.
Five minutes later, James Maloney threw the Warriors a lifeline as he threw a dummy before racing through to score under the posts; his
conversion cutting the margin to just ten points.
But with ten minutes to go, the Warriors’ hopes were sunk as Reece Robinson cruised through to bring up his double. And Croker also got
himself a double, and with three minutes to go the demolition was complete.
Canberra Raiders 32 def New Zealand Warriors 12
Raiders : Tries – R Robinson 2, J Croker 2, B Ferguson, J Papalii, J Wighton. Goals – J Croker 2/7.
Warriors : Tries – J Maloney, B Henry. Goals - J Maloney 2/2.
Referees – S Hayne, A Shortall. Crowd – 10,800 at Canberra Stadium.
It wasn’t a game that reached any great heights, but Newcastle did enough to get the two valuable competition points when the Knights
ground out a 14-6 win over Parramatta at Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Akuila Uate opened the scoring in the sixth minute, after Junior Sau drew three defenders before throwing a last-second pass to the unmarked
wingman for a try in the corner. Tyrone Roberts added the extras, and the Knights were 6-0 ahead. A penalty goal six minutes later added
another two points to the Knights’ score.
The weather conditions were good, but the players from both sides struggled to control the ball; and a series of knock-ons and silly penalties
frustrated both sides and the healthy crowd that was taking in the action. And with five minutes to go till half time, the game was again up for
grabs as Tim Mannah crossed over the line to score for the Eels, with Chris Sandow successful with the conversion.
The Knights led 8-6 at half time, and the score didn’t move for 15 minutes. But when the deadlock was broken, it was Newcastle who took
advantage. On the back of a 40-20 from Jarrod Mullen that gave the Knights field position, Uate made a break out wide to score in the corner
and bring up his double. The conversion gave the Knights an eight-point buffer.
And that’s how the score would remain for the last 25 minutes of the game. The Knights hung on against Parramatta attacks; but the Eels
made too many errors and coughed up the ball too many times to place the Knights under any sustained pressure. With five minutes to go,
Fuifui Moimoi got over the line but the video referee ruled he was held up; and the chance for a late lifeline was lost. The win sees the Knights
move into the top eight, but keeps the struggling Eels languishing on the bottom of the ladder.
Newcastle Knights 14 def Parramatta Eels 6
Knights : Tries – A Uate 2. Goals – T Roberts 3/3.
Eels : Tries – T Mannah. Goals – C Sandow 1/1.
Referees – T Archer, T De las Heras. Crowd – 24,518 at Hunter Stadium.
The tropical heat was no problem for the Melbourne Storm on Sunday night, when the undefeated ladder leaders continued their imposing
form with a comprehensive 42-14 win over North Queensland at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Sunday night.
The Cowboys started promisingly, and were on the board after just three minutes, with Aaron Payne sending a grubber forward to the in-goal
and Matt Bowen chasing it down to score under the posts. But the Storm wasted no time in hitting back, with Matt Duffie diving over from
dummy half to equalise the game at 6-6.
It was end to end until the half hour mark, with neither side able to penetrate the other’s line. The Storm forced a few line drop-outs but the
Cowboys repelled the charge. And at the half hour mark, Cooper Cronk drew three defenders before off-loading to an unmarked Kevin Proctor
for a try to give the Storm the lead. And they would add to their lead when Billy Slater sent Ryan Hinchcliffe through a yawning gap.
But with seconds to go before half time, the Cowboys hit back, with Gavin Cooper pouncing on a long pass by Johnathan Thurston to score.
It was 16-12 to the Storm at half time, and four minutes after the break the Storm were in again, with Jason Ryles crashing through the
defensive pack to score. A few minutes later, Will Chambers went for a run out wide, just managing to keep his feet inside the field of play
before scoring in the corner to put the Storm 26-12 ahead.
Kevin Proctor brought up his double shortly before the hour mark, further adding to the Melbourne dominance. There was some brief respite
for the Cowboys against the run of play when James Tamou found the line to score the Cowboys’ third try. But the Storm were back in their
ruthless best five minutes later when Will Chambers found a gap to score his second try.
Matt Duffie would also complete his double before the final siren, flying high to grab a bomb from Cooper Cronk. A comprehensive 42-18 away
win to the undefeated top side underlined the Storm’s dominance, and their determination to finally right the wrongs of 2010 and obtain a
legitimate premiership.
Melbourne Storm 42 def North Queensland Cowboys 18
Storm : Tries – W Chambers 2, K Proctor 2, M Duffie 2, J Ryles, R Hinchcliffe. Goals – C Smith 5/8.
Cowboys : Tries – M Bowen, J Tamou, G Cooper. Goals – J Thurston 3/3.
Referees – J Maxwell, G Reynolds. Crowd – 20,206 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
It had been a tough opening to the season for defending champions Manly. Work at Brookvale Oval saw the Sea Eagles playing on the road for
the first five matches; and with losses in three of them, the Sea Eagles were some way off the pace. But their first Brookvale Oval game for
the season, against Penrith on Easter Monday, saw the Sea Eagles return to their best with a 30-0 win over Penrith.
The two sides took some time to feel each other out, and neither looked like scoring during the early exchanges. At 20 minutes, the Panthers
went close to scoring, with David Simmons crossing the line, but the ball was knocked on in-goal and the video referee disallowed the try.
At the other end, it was the Sea Eagles who opened the scoring, with Jamie Buhrer finally finding an opening to score the opening try of the
game. Jamie Lyon added the conversion, and a penalty goal a few minutes later, to get Manly to an 8-0 lead that they would hold till half time.
The second half would start disastrously for the Panthers, with the kick-off being knocked on. The Sea Eagles were in field position, and made
the Panthers pay during the ensuing set as David Williams strolled over to score. Jamie Lyon’s conversion was unsuccessful, but he would make
up for it a few minutes later as he put a penalty goal over for a 14-0 lead to the Sea Eagles.
The Panthers were denied by the video referee for the second time at the hour mark, when Etuate Uaisele was held up over the line. But the
video referee was kinder to Manly, as Steve Matai chased down a grubber from Daly Cherry-Evans and was awarded a benefit of the doubt try.
David Williams brought up his double a few minutes later to put the result beyond doubt, and in the dying minutes of the game, Anthony
Watmough went charging through a pack to wrap up a 30-0 win and end the Manly losing streak with another comprehensive Fortress
Brookvale result.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 30 def Penrith Panthers 0
Sea Eagles : Tries – D Williams 2, A Watmough, S Matai, J Buhrer. Goals – J Lyon 5/7.
Panthers : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – G Sutton, H Perenara. Crowd – 14,255 at Brookvale Oval.
A massive Good Friday crowd attended ANZ Stadium, and they would see Souths win their second game on the trot
with a well-earned 20-10 victory over the Bulldogs.
Both sides were feeling each other out in the early stages, making some good metres in every set but the defences
held firm; and it would be 14 minutes before the scoring was opened. But it was the Bulldogs who opened the
scoring, with Sam Kasiano being pulled down just short of the line. A quick play-the-ball saw the ball fired out wide for
Steve Turner to burrow under the Souths’ line for the opening score of the game. Turner’s attempt to convert his
try hit the upright and bounced away.
Five minutes later, Andrew Everingham pounced on a dropped ball by Bryson Goodwin, getting to within centimetres
of the line before off-loading to Matt King in a better position to run around and score under the posts. An easy
conversion to Adam Reynolds gave the Rabbitohs a 6-4 lead.
The Bulldogs were in again a few minutes later, with Kasiano sending David Stagg through a gap to score under the
posts. An easy conversion, and the Bulldogs led 10-6.
There was plenty of intensity in this contest, and some hard hits. But there would be no more scoring until the final
seconds of the half, with Everingham chasing down a kick to score and give Souths a 12-10 lead at the break.
It wasn’t long after the break that Everingham turned on some pace and placement, getting through the Bulldog line
and finding the line. Reynolds converted the line, giving the Rabbitohs an eight-point lead; but a chance to add
another point went begging when a field goal attempt was waved away.
The Bulldogs needed to score twice to conjure up a win, but their best efforts in the final half hour of the game
went begging. Despite a string of penalties and plenty of attacking position, the Bulldogs were unable to add to their
score and the clock ticked down to a South Sydney win. A penalty goal to the Rabbitohs in the final minute was the
icing on the cake; as Souths completed their second win in a row to get their season back on track after a shaky start.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 def Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10
Rabbitohs : Tries – A Everingham 2, M King. Goals – A Reynolds 4/4. Field Goals – A Reynolds 0/1.
Bulldogs : Tries – S Turner, D Stagg. Goals – S Turner 1/2.
Referees – B Cummins, G Badger. Crowd – 35,221 at ANZ Stadium.
Wests Tigers, premiership favourites before the season started, find themselves anchored to the bottom of the
ladder after crashing to their fifth loss in a row; an 18-14 defeat at the hands of the Broncos at the SFS on Friday
night.
The Tigers were on the back foot early, thanks to a string of knock-ons; but the Broncos were unable to make
anything of their opportunities. Then it was the Tigers’ turn to attack, and they went close to scoring as Tim Moltzen
made a break. Streaking down the wing, Moltzen looked certain to score until he was tapped by Ryan Hoffman just
short of the line. Hoffman effected a one-on-one strip and ran 70 metres before being tackled, and on the next play
Jack Reed went over for the opening try. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but the Broncos were 4-0
ahead.
And it wasn’t long before the Broncos were in again, after the Tiger defenders mis-communicated a Brisbane bomb;
with two defenders standing back and not contesting the ball, allowing Reed to run through, claim the ball and score
under the posts for a 10-0 lead.
The Tigers weren’t doing themselves any favours, making a complete mess of all attempts to control the ball; and
with the knock-ons and unforced errors mounting, they were forced to defend grimly to stop the scoreboard blowing
out further. But with four minutes to go till half time, the Tigers did manage to get a try back against the run of play,
with Liam Fulton pouncing on a scramble in the Broncos’ in-goal; and it took quite a while for the video referee to
award the try. Benji Marshall was unable to convert, and the Broncos took a 10-4 lead into the rooms at half time.
with a well-earned 20-10 victory over the Bulldogs.
Both sides were feeling each other out in the early stages, making some good metres in every set but the defences
held firm; and it would be 14 minutes before the scoring was opened. But it was the Bulldogs who opened the
scoring, with Sam Kasiano being pulled down just short of the line. A quick play-the-ball saw the ball fired out wide for
Steve Turner to burrow under the Souths’ line for the opening score of the game. Turner’s attempt to convert his
try hit the upright and bounced away.
Five minutes later, Andrew Everingham pounced on a dropped ball by Bryson Goodwin, getting to within centimetres
of the line before off-loading to Matt King in a better position to run around and score under the posts. An easy
conversion to Adam Reynolds gave the Rabbitohs a 6-4 lead.
The Bulldogs were in again a few minutes later, with Kasiano sending David Stagg through a gap to score under the
posts. An easy conversion, and the Bulldogs led 10-6.
There was plenty of intensity in this contest, and some hard hits. But there would be no more scoring until the final
seconds of the half, with Everingham chasing down a kick to score and give Souths a 12-10 lead at the break.
It wasn’t long after the break that Everingham turned on some pace and placement, getting through the Bulldog line
and finding the line. Reynolds converted the line, giving the Rabbitohs an eight-point lead; but a chance to add
another point went begging when a field goal attempt was waved away.
The Bulldogs needed to score twice to conjure up a win, but their best efforts in the final half hour of the game
went begging. Despite a string of penalties and plenty of attacking position, the Bulldogs were unable to add to their
score and the clock ticked down to a South Sydney win. A penalty goal to the Rabbitohs in the final minute was the
icing on the cake; as Souths completed their second win in a row to get their season back on track after a shaky start.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 def Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10
Rabbitohs : Tries – A Everingham 2, M King. Goals – A Reynolds 4/4. Field Goals – A Reynolds 0/1.
Bulldogs : Tries – S Turner, D Stagg. Goals – S Turner 1/2.
Referees – B Cummins, G Badger. Crowd – 35,221 at ANZ Stadium.
Wests Tigers, premiership favourites before the season started, find themselves anchored to the bottom of the
ladder after crashing to their fifth loss in a row; an 18-14 defeat at the hands of the Broncos at the SFS on Friday
night.
The Tigers were on the back foot early, thanks to a string of knock-ons; but the Broncos were unable to make
anything of their opportunities. Then it was the Tigers’ turn to attack, and they went close to scoring as Tim Moltzen
made a break. Streaking down the wing, Moltzen looked certain to score until he was tapped by Ryan Hoffman just
short of the line. Hoffman effected a one-on-one strip and ran 70 metres before being tackled, and on the next play
Jack Reed went over for the opening try. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful, but the Broncos were 4-0
ahead.
And it wasn’t long before the Broncos were in again, after the Tiger defenders mis-communicated a Brisbane bomb;
with two defenders standing back and not contesting the ball, allowing Reed to run through, claim the ball and score
under the posts for a 10-0 lead.
The Tigers weren’t doing themselves any favours, making a complete mess of all attempts to control the ball; and
with the knock-ons and unforced errors mounting, they were forced to defend grimly to stop the scoreboard blowing
out further. But with four minutes to go till half time, the Tigers did manage to get a try back against the run of play,
with Liam Fulton pouncing on a scramble in the Broncos’ in-goal; and it took quite a while for the video referee to
award the try. Benji Marshall was unable to convert, and the Broncos took a 10-4 lead into the rooms at half time.
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The Broncos had been easily the better side, but only had a six-point lead to show for their efforts. A penalty goal
early in the second half gave them a buffer of more than a converted try. The lopsided possession flow would
continue, with the Broncos receiving a string of drop-outs from the besieged Tigers. But it wasn’t until the 72nd
minute that the knockout blow would be struck, with Dale Copley flying high to take a bomb and score; giving the
Broncos an unassailable 18-4 lead.
Consolation tries in the final five minutes to Blake Aysford and Tom Humble restored some respectability to the
scoreline, and the final margin was only four points; but the final score wasn’t an accurate reflection of the game,
which was one in which the Broncos always looked in control. Four wins in a row see the Broncos comfortably in the
top four; but the Tigers are under pressure, with just one win from six games, and that was a lucky golden point
result.
Brisbane Broncos 18 def Wests Tigers 14
Broncos : Tries – J Reed 2, D Copley. Goals – C Parker 2/2, P Wallace 1/2.
Tigers : Tries – L Fulton, B Ayshford, T Humble. Goals – B Marshall 1/3.
Referees – A Klein, S Lyons. Crowd – 17,556 at Allianz Stadium.
early in the second half gave them a buffer of more than a converted try. The lopsided possession flow would
continue, with the Broncos receiving a string of drop-outs from the besieged Tigers. But it wasn’t until the 72nd
minute that the knockout blow would be struck, with Dale Copley flying high to take a bomb and score; giving the
Broncos an unassailable 18-4 lead.
Consolation tries in the final five minutes to Blake Aysford and Tom Humble restored some respectability to the
scoreline, and the final margin was only four points; but the final score wasn’t an accurate reflection of the game,
which was one in which the Broncos always looked in control. Four wins in a row see the Broncos comfortably in the
top four; but the Tigers are under pressure, with just one win from six games, and that was a lucky golden point
result.
Brisbane Broncos 18 def Wests Tigers 14
Broncos : Tries – J Reed 2, D Copley. Goals – C Parker 2/2, P Wallace 1/2.
Tigers : Tries – L Fulton, B Ayshford, T Humble. Goals – B Marshall 1/3.
Referees – A Klein, S Lyons. Crowd – 17,556 at Allianz Stadium.