| REP WEEKEND FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 20th April ANZAC Test - New Zealand v Australia (6:15pm, Eden Park, Auckland NZL) Sunday 22nd April Country Origin v City Origin (3:00pm, Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium, Mudgee) |
|
The last ten minutes before half time were one-way traffic, and would prove decisive in the final analysis of the
game. Ben Hannant put on a solo effort to bamboozle the Raiders defence to score and give the Broncos the lead.
Matt Gillett flew high in the corner to collect a bomb and score. And in the final seconds before the half-time siren,
Corey Norman strolled through a yawning defensive gap to score under the posts and give the Broncos a 20-6 lead
at half time.
The Broncos continued to attack in the second half, and the Raiders had to work hard to hold them out. Their
resistance lasted 14 minutes before Ben Hunt received a pass out wide and flew through to score in the corner.
Not long afterwards, the Broncos were in again as Corey Norman cruised through for his second try to put the
home side 30-6 ahead.
That would complete the scoring for the day, as the game finished in a lacklustre fashion with both sides struggling
to complete their sets as the error rate climbed. But the Broncos had done enough for a comfortable win, their
fifth in a row, second only to the undefeated Storm.
Brisbane Broncos 30 def Canberra Raiders 6
Broncos : Tries – C Norman 2, S Thaiday, M Gillett, B Hunt, B Hannant. Goals – C Parker 3/6.
Raiders : Tries – J Picker. Goals - J Croker 1/1.
Referees – B Cummins, G Badger. Crowd – 30,017 at Suncorp Stadium.
Melbourne extended their winning run to seven games when the Storm ground out a 12-6 win over the Bulldogs
in a tight and defensive game at AAMI Park on Saturday evening.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Storm, as they were put under pressure by the Bulldogs. Forcing back to back
drop-outs, and thus getting a string of possession, the Bulldogs got themselves on the board in the 15th minute
with Greg Eastwood weaving around the Storm defenders to score under the posts. Steve Turner added the
extras.
But it didn’t take long for the Storm to fight back and equalise. From a scrum feed not far out from the Bulldogs’
line, the ball was thrown out wide to Ryan Hinchcliffe who dived for the line and just managed to get the ball over
to score. Cameron Smith’s conversion saw scores tied up at 6-6.
The Storm went on the attack after half-time; and forced the Bulldogs into a drop-out. Garth Widdop got the ball
from the drop-out, and a quick pass to Ryan Hoffman resulted in a race to the line for the Storm’s second try and a
12-6 lead.
The Bulldogs nearly managed an immediate reply, but the video replay showed that Bryson Goodwin had knocked
on; and the try was disallowed. On the hour, the Storm had a try disallowed, with Jason Ryles ruled by the video
referee to have knocked on before crossing the line.
With only six points in it, Cooper Cronk attempted to add another point to the margin but his field goal attempt
sailed wide. But the lead, although narrow, was enough for the Storm to hang on to take the points and maintain
their unbeaten start to the season.
Melbourne Storm 12 def Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 6
Storm : Tries – R Hoffman, R Hinchcliffe. Goals – C Smith 2/2. Field Goals – C Cronk 0/1.
Bulldogs : Tries – G Eastwood. Goals – S Turner 1/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Devcich. Crowd – 14,912 at AAMI Park.
Gold Coast were a club under siege as they travelled south to Brookvale to take on defending champions Manly.
But in a major boilover, the Titans bounced back off the canvas to stun the Sea Eagles 26-14 on Saturday night.
The Sea Eagles were forced to reshuffle their team on game day when Brett Stewart and Kieran Foran failed
fitness tests and withdrew from the Manly team. But few would have thought it would make any difference
against a Gold Coast side that hadn’t won since the opening round of the season. And the Sea Eagles were looking
dangerous early and went close to scoring, but the video referee disallowed Taufua’s attempt.
Against all expectations, it was the Titans who opened the scoring. Some lazy defence by the Sea Eagles saw a
gap open up, with Aidan Sezer strolling through the opening to score under the posts. But a 40-20 by Daly Cherry-
Evans put the Sea Eagles back into attacking position, and Jamie Lyon found a gap of his own for a try that would
see scores levelled at 6-6. A penalty goal a few minutes later gave the Sea Eagles the lead.
At the half hour mark, Scott Prince threw a dummy that caught the Sea Eagles’ defenders off-guard before
throwing a pass out to Jamal Idris for the try that would restore the lead for the Titans. Kevin Gordon went close
to adding another a few minutes later but the video referee ruled it was no try. But the Titans were in front,
maintaining their 12-8 advantage to half time.
Gold Coast came out strongly in the second half, and with the run of penalties going their way, the Titans were
putting Manly under pressure. And after 13 minutes of the second half, the Titans got reward for effort when
David Mead pulled down a bomb from Prince to score in the corner. Scott Prince was unable to add the extras, but
shortly afterwards he put a grubber forward, which was chased down by Kevin Gordon for a team-lifting Gold Coast
try.
With a 22-8 advantage, the scent of an upset was in the air. The Sea Eagles were stunned, slow and ill-disciplined,
and two penalty goals to the Titans resulted; getting the game out to an unassailable lead. Jamie Lyon brought up
his double in the final minute, but it was poor consolation for the Sea Eagles; who were flat and well short of their
best all night. While a more determined, more committed and more inspired Gold Coast side brought their five-
game losing run to an end.
Gold Coast Titans 26 def Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 14
Titans : Tries – J Idris, K Gordon, D Mead, A Sezer. Goals – S Prince 5/6.
Sea Eagles : Tries – J Lyon 2. Goals – J Lyon 3/3.
Referees – J Robinson, T De las Heras. Crowd – 11,619 at Brookvale Oval.
Sydney Roosters took their home game against North Queensland to Darwin on Saturday night; but the tropical
heat was more to the Cowboys’ liking as they dominated throughout to record a comprehensive 50-12 win.
The Roosters were in trouble from the start, conceding two penalties in the first five minutes to keep the
Cowboys in attacking position. And a knock-on shortly afterwards was pounced on by Antonio Winterstein, who
ran through for the opening try. And it only took three more minutes for Winterstein to make it a double, cruising
through some soft defending to score under the posts; with Johnathan Thurston’s conversion putting the
Cowboys 12-0 ahead.
The Rooster defence was close to non-existent, and the Cowboys were breaking through them at will. Ashley
Graham dived over to score in the corner; then Kalifa Fai-Fai Loa helped himself to another easy try. And when Matt
Bowen found the line on the half hour mark, the Cowboys were already 28-0 ahead.
The Roosters stopped the rot in the last ten minutes before half time to at least stop the scoreboard blowing out
further. And after the break, the Roosters lifted and had a mini-revival. Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Joseph Leilua
scored tries on the back of kicks by Braith Anasta; with Anasta converting both tries. And they went close to
adding another, as Jake Friend crossed the line but was denied by the video referee.
But on the hour, Jason Taumalolo made a 30 metre break to score, restoring the Cowboy momentum of the first
half. Shortly afterwards, Ray Thompson pounced on a knock-on to score in the corner and put the result beyond
doubt.
Taumalolo and Bowen brought up their doubles in the final minutes of the game, completing a convincing victory.
The win sees the Cowboys leap-frog several teams, including the Roosters, moving into the top eight. For the
Roosters, already with a poor for-and-against early in the season, the size of the defeat was a further blow to their
hopes of moving up the ladder in 2012.
North Queensland Cowboys 50 def Sydney Roosters 12
Cowboys : Tries – M Bowen 2, A Winterstein 2, J Taumalolo 2, A Graham, R Thompson, K Fai-Fai Loa.
Goals – J Thurston 6/8, M Bowen 1/1.
Roosters : Tries – S Kenny-Dowell, J Leilua. Goals – B Anasta 2/2.
Referees – A Klein, G Morris. Crowd – 10,008 at TIO Stadium, Darwin.
The New Zealand Warriors returned to the winning list in an entertaining contest at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday
afternoon with a 44-22 win over Souths.
The Rabbitohs were first on the board after just three minutes, with Dave Taylor flying down the wing to collect a
kick from Adam Reynolds. But the Warriors hit back at the 10 minute mark, with Krisnan Inu collecting the crumbs
from a knock-on by Greg Inglis and firing the pass to Lewis Brown for a try to level the scores at 6-6.
The Warriors took the lead four minutes later, with Jerome Ropati chasing down a grubber to score under the
posts. Ropati was close to bringing up a double shortly afterwards but the final pass was called forward. But there
was nothing wrong with the pass to Bill Tupou that saw the Warriors go in again. James Maloney was unable to
convert, but the Warriors were 16-6 ahead.
The Warriors had the Rabbitohs on the ropes, surging forward with regularity; and they would soon cross the line
again, only for the video referee to disallow the try. Simon Mannering then crossed over in the corner to keep the
scoreboard ticking over. But against the run of play, with two minutes to go till half time, Andrew Everingham
scored for Souths to cut the margin to 20-12 at the break.
Buoyed by the try at the end of the first half, the Rabbitohs came out firing in the second half, but it took 12
minutes to turn their attacking into points; but eventually it came with Isaac Luke finding Dave Taylor to cut the
margin to four points. The Rabbitohs continued to attack, but it came unstuck when Taylor blew his chance to
bring up a hat-trick, knocking on 10 metres from the Warriors’ line with a clear run in front of him.
On the hour, a break by Simon Mannering saw the Warrior captain bring up his second, easing the pressure the
Warriors had been under for the last 20 minutes. Off the hook, the Warriors attacked again, with Johnson setting
up Ben Henry for a try under the posts.
Andrew Everingham got a try back for the Rabbitohs to get them back in the contest, but any hopes of a
comeback by the Rabbitohs were snuffed out almost immediately by a blistering run by Ukama Ta’ai. In the final
minute, Krisnan Inu put the icing on the Warrior victory cake.
Heading into the rep weekend, both clubs are now among a string of teams with an even 3-3 record; their seasons
on the line in upcoming rounds.
New Zealand Warriors 44 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 22
Warriors : Tries – S Mannering 2, J Ropati, K Inu, U Ta’ai, L Brown, B Tupou, B Henry. Goals – J
Maloney 6/8.
Rabbitohs : Tries – D Taylor 2, A Everingham 2. Goals – A Reynolds 3/4.
Referees – S Hayne, A Shortall. Crowd – 15,378 at Mt Smart Stadium.
Cronulla extended their winning streak to five games, with the in-form Sharks completing a 24-18 win over a
struggling Parramatta side at Toyota Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It’s been a shocker of a season to date for Parramatta, but they started this game brightly enough. And after
winning back-to-back scrum feeds in Cronulla’s half, a gap opened up for Jarryd Hayne to stroll through for the
opening try of the game. But the Sharks had a quick reply, with a kick forward on the last tackle by Todd Carney
bouncing off the upright, the ball sitting up for Matthew Wright to run in and score.
The Sharks took the lead at 20 minutes, with Todd Carney catching the Parramatta defence out with a dummy
before running to the line to score. And three minutes later the Sharks were in again, with Jason Bukuya grabbing
the crumbs from a knock-on to score in the corner and put the Sharks 18-6 ahead.
But with half time approaching, the Eels hit back. A flick-pass by Jarryd Hayne set up Cheyse Blair, who raced
through to the line, and the video referee awarded the try. And then Chris Sandow, as the half-time siren
sounded, put a bomb forward and Jarryd Hayne flew high in the Cronulla in-goal to grab the ball and put it down,
levelling the scores at 18-18 at half time.
Bukuya went close to bringing up his double shortly after half time, but was brought down just short of the line.
But ten minutes into the second half, Stewart Mills burst over in the corner to restore the Cronulla lead. Todd
Carney was unable to convert, but landed a penalty goal a few minutes later to give the Sharks a six-point lead.
Cheyse Blair crossed for Parramatta, looking for an equaliser, but the try was disallowed by the video referee. And
that was as close as the Eels could get; and although they continued to attack, the Sharks held them out over the
final 20 minutes, maintaining their position in the top four with five wins on the trot while keeping the hapless Eels
stuck on the bottom of the ladder.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 def Parramatta Eels 18
Sharks : Tries – B Pomeroy, M Wright, J Bukuya, S Mills. Goals – T Carney 4/5.
Eels : Tries – J Hayne 2, C Blair. Goals – C Sandow 3/3.
Referees – S Lyons, H Perenara. Crowd – 14,327 at Toyota Stadium.
Five losses in a row had put the pressure on pre-season title favourites Wests Tigers. But the Tigers hit back and
hit back hard on Saturday afternoon at Penrith Stadium when they completed a hard-earned 30-0 win.
The Panthers had been plagued by injuries, forced to make several late changes to their lineup. But the makeshift
Panther defence looked woefully ill-prepared as Adam Blair in just the 6th minute strolled through a yawning gap in
their defensive line for the softest of tries.
Lachlan Coote had a try disallowed for the Panthers, and on the very next set, Aaron Woods made a break and ran
60 metres before off-loading to Tim Moltzen for the Tigers’ second try. The third came just a few minutes later,
with Benji Marshall getting through some more soft defence to set up Ray Cashmere.
It was 18-0 at half time, and for a time in the second half the Panthers were putting the Tigers under some
pressure. But although the Panthers had the ball inside the Tigers’ half for plenty of time, they were unable to get
through the defence. The hour mark ticked by, with still 18 points separating the two sides, and the Tiger
defence showing no signs of cracking under pressure.
Instead, against the run of play, it was the Tigers who would be the first to score in the second half. Lote Tuqiri
had no trouble bursting through the Panther defenders, before off-loading to send Tom Humble to the line for the
try that would break the Panther hearts. The game was safely won for the Tigers, with Tim Moltzen’s second try
further extending the margin.
For the Tigers, the win was a relief. Five losses on the trot had put pressure on the club, and this result finally gives
them some momentum to build their season on. But the result was another disaster for Penrith, their second 30-0
defeat in a row; and a season that had started promisingly is already starting to slip away.
Wests Tigers 30 def Penrith Panthers 0
Tigers : Tries – T Moltzen 2, R Cashmere, A Blair, T Humble. Goals – B Marshall 5/5.
Panthers : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – T Archer, C James. Crowd – 15,579 at Centrebet Stadium.
game. Ben Hannant put on a solo effort to bamboozle the Raiders defence to score and give the Broncos the lead.
Matt Gillett flew high in the corner to collect a bomb and score. And in the final seconds before the half-time siren,
Corey Norman strolled through a yawning defensive gap to score under the posts and give the Broncos a 20-6 lead
at half time.
The Broncos continued to attack in the second half, and the Raiders had to work hard to hold them out. Their
resistance lasted 14 minutes before Ben Hunt received a pass out wide and flew through to score in the corner.
Not long afterwards, the Broncos were in again as Corey Norman cruised through for his second try to put the
home side 30-6 ahead.
That would complete the scoring for the day, as the game finished in a lacklustre fashion with both sides struggling
to complete their sets as the error rate climbed. But the Broncos had done enough for a comfortable win, their
fifth in a row, second only to the undefeated Storm.
Brisbane Broncos 30 def Canberra Raiders 6
Broncos : Tries – C Norman 2, S Thaiday, M Gillett, B Hunt, B Hannant. Goals – C Parker 3/6.
Raiders : Tries – J Picker. Goals - J Croker 1/1.
Referees – B Cummins, G Badger. Crowd – 30,017 at Suncorp Stadium.
Melbourne extended their winning run to seven games when the Storm ground out a 12-6 win over the Bulldogs
in a tight and defensive game at AAMI Park on Saturday evening.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Storm, as they were put under pressure by the Bulldogs. Forcing back to back
drop-outs, and thus getting a string of possession, the Bulldogs got themselves on the board in the 15th minute
with Greg Eastwood weaving around the Storm defenders to score under the posts. Steve Turner added the
extras.
But it didn’t take long for the Storm to fight back and equalise. From a scrum feed not far out from the Bulldogs’
line, the ball was thrown out wide to Ryan Hinchcliffe who dived for the line and just managed to get the ball over
to score. Cameron Smith’s conversion saw scores tied up at 6-6.
The Storm went on the attack after half-time; and forced the Bulldogs into a drop-out. Garth Widdop got the ball
from the drop-out, and a quick pass to Ryan Hoffman resulted in a race to the line for the Storm’s second try and a
12-6 lead.
The Bulldogs nearly managed an immediate reply, but the video replay showed that Bryson Goodwin had knocked
on; and the try was disallowed. On the hour, the Storm had a try disallowed, with Jason Ryles ruled by the video
referee to have knocked on before crossing the line.
With only six points in it, Cooper Cronk attempted to add another point to the margin but his field goal attempt
sailed wide. But the lead, although narrow, was enough for the Storm to hang on to take the points and maintain
their unbeaten start to the season.
Melbourne Storm 12 def Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 6
Storm : Tries – R Hoffman, R Hinchcliffe. Goals – C Smith 2/2. Field Goals – C Cronk 0/1.
Bulldogs : Tries – G Eastwood. Goals – S Turner 1/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Devcich. Crowd – 14,912 at AAMI Park.
Gold Coast were a club under siege as they travelled south to Brookvale to take on defending champions Manly.
But in a major boilover, the Titans bounced back off the canvas to stun the Sea Eagles 26-14 on Saturday night.
The Sea Eagles were forced to reshuffle their team on game day when Brett Stewart and Kieran Foran failed
fitness tests and withdrew from the Manly team. But few would have thought it would make any difference
against a Gold Coast side that hadn’t won since the opening round of the season. And the Sea Eagles were looking
dangerous early and went close to scoring, but the video referee disallowed Taufua’s attempt.
Against all expectations, it was the Titans who opened the scoring. Some lazy defence by the Sea Eagles saw a
gap open up, with Aidan Sezer strolling through the opening to score under the posts. But a 40-20 by Daly Cherry-
Evans put the Sea Eagles back into attacking position, and Jamie Lyon found a gap of his own for a try that would
see scores levelled at 6-6. A penalty goal a few minutes later gave the Sea Eagles the lead.
At the half hour mark, Scott Prince threw a dummy that caught the Sea Eagles’ defenders off-guard before
throwing a pass out to Jamal Idris for the try that would restore the lead for the Titans. Kevin Gordon went close
to adding another a few minutes later but the video referee ruled it was no try. But the Titans were in front,
maintaining their 12-8 advantage to half time.
Gold Coast came out strongly in the second half, and with the run of penalties going their way, the Titans were
putting Manly under pressure. And after 13 minutes of the second half, the Titans got reward for effort when
David Mead pulled down a bomb from Prince to score in the corner. Scott Prince was unable to add the extras, but
shortly afterwards he put a grubber forward, which was chased down by Kevin Gordon for a team-lifting Gold Coast
try.
With a 22-8 advantage, the scent of an upset was in the air. The Sea Eagles were stunned, slow and ill-disciplined,
and two penalty goals to the Titans resulted; getting the game out to an unassailable lead. Jamie Lyon brought up
his double in the final minute, but it was poor consolation for the Sea Eagles; who were flat and well short of their
best all night. While a more determined, more committed and more inspired Gold Coast side brought their five-
game losing run to an end.
Gold Coast Titans 26 def Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 14
Titans : Tries – J Idris, K Gordon, D Mead, A Sezer. Goals – S Prince 5/6.
Sea Eagles : Tries – J Lyon 2. Goals – J Lyon 3/3.
Referees – J Robinson, T De las Heras. Crowd – 11,619 at Brookvale Oval.
Sydney Roosters took their home game against North Queensland to Darwin on Saturday night; but the tropical
heat was more to the Cowboys’ liking as they dominated throughout to record a comprehensive 50-12 win.
The Roosters were in trouble from the start, conceding two penalties in the first five minutes to keep the
Cowboys in attacking position. And a knock-on shortly afterwards was pounced on by Antonio Winterstein, who
ran through for the opening try. And it only took three more minutes for Winterstein to make it a double, cruising
through some soft defending to score under the posts; with Johnathan Thurston’s conversion putting the
Cowboys 12-0 ahead.
The Rooster defence was close to non-existent, and the Cowboys were breaking through them at will. Ashley
Graham dived over to score in the corner; then Kalifa Fai-Fai Loa helped himself to another easy try. And when Matt
Bowen found the line on the half hour mark, the Cowboys were already 28-0 ahead.
The Roosters stopped the rot in the last ten minutes before half time to at least stop the scoreboard blowing out
further. And after the break, the Roosters lifted and had a mini-revival. Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Joseph Leilua
scored tries on the back of kicks by Braith Anasta; with Anasta converting both tries. And they went close to
adding another, as Jake Friend crossed the line but was denied by the video referee.
But on the hour, Jason Taumalolo made a 30 metre break to score, restoring the Cowboy momentum of the first
half. Shortly afterwards, Ray Thompson pounced on a knock-on to score in the corner and put the result beyond
doubt.
Taumalolo and Bowen brought up their doubles in the final minutes of the game, completing a convincing victory.
The win sees the Cowboys leap-frog several teams, including the Roosters, moving into the top eight. For the
Roosters, already with a poor for-and-against early in the season, the size of the defeat was a further blow to their
hopes of moving up the ladder in 2012.
North Queensland Cowboys 50 def Sydney Roosters 12
Cowboys : Tries – M Bowen 2, A Winterstein 2, J Taumalolo 2, A Graham, R Thompson, K Fai-Fai Loa.
Goals – J Thurston 6/8, M Bowen 1/1.
Roosters : Tries – S Kenny-Dowell, J Leilua. Goals – B Anasta 2/2.
Referees – A Klein, G Morris. Crowd – 10,008 at TIO Stadium, Darwin.
The New Zealand Warriors returned to the winning list in an entertaining contest at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday
afternoon with a 44-22 win over Souths.
The Rabbitohs were first on the board after just three minutes, with Dave Taylor flying down the wing to collect a
kick from Adam Reynolds. But the Warriors hit back at the 10 minute mark, with Krisnan Inu collecting the crumbs
from a knock-on by Greg Inglis and firing the pass to Lewis Brown for a try to level the scores at 6-6.
The Warriors took the lead four minutes later, with Jerome Ropati chasing down a grubber to score under the
posts. Ropati was close to bringing up a double shortly afterwards but the final pass was called forward. But there
was nothing wrong with the pass to Bill Tupou that saw the Warriors go in again. James Maloney was unable to
convert, but the Warriors were 16-6 ahead.
The Warriors had the Rabbitohs on the ropes, surging forward with regularity; and they would soon cross the line
again, only for the video referee to disallow the try. Simon Mannering then crossed over in the corner to keep the
scoreboard ticking over. But against the run of play, with two minutes to go till half time, Andrew Everingham
scored for Souths to cut the margin to 20-12 at the break.
Buoyed by the try at the end of the first half, the Rabbitohs came out firing in the second half, but it took 12
minutes to turn their attacking into points; but eventually it came with Isaac Luke finding Dave Taylor to cut the
margin to four points. The Rabbitohs continued to attack, but it came unstuck when Taylor blew his chance to
bring up a hat-trick, knocking on 10 metres from the Warriors’ line with a clear run in front of him.
On the hour, a break by Simon Mannering saw the Warrior captain bring up his second, easing the pressure the
Warriors had been under for the last 20 minutes. Off the hook, the Warriors attacked again, with Johnson setting
up Ben Henry for a try under the posts.
Andrew Everingham got a try back for the Rabbitohs to get them back in the contest, but any hopes of a
comeback by the Rabbitohs were snuffed out almost immediately by a blistering run by Ukama Ta’ai. In the final
minute, Krisnan Inu put the icing on the Warrior victory cake.
Heading into the rep weekend, both clubs are now among a string of teams with an even 3-3 record; their seasons
on the line in upcoming rounds.
New Zealand Warriors 44 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 22
Warriors : Tries – S Mannering 2, J Ropati, K Inu, U Ta’ai, L Brown, B Tupou, B Henry. Goals – J
Maloney 6/8.
Rabbitohs : Tries – D Taylor 2, A Everingham 2. Goals – A Reynolds 3/4.
Referees – S Hayne, A Shortall. Crowd – 15,378 at Mt Smart Stadium.
Cronulla extended their winning streak to five games, with the in-form Sharks completing a 24-18 win over a
struggling Parramatta side at Toyota Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It’s been a shocker of a season to date for Parramatta, but they started this game brightly enough. And after
winning back-to-back scrum feeds in Cronulla’s half, a gap opened up for Jarryd Hayne to stroll through for the
opening try of the game. But the Sharks had a quick reply, with a kick forward on the last tackle by Todd Carney
bouncing off the upright, the ball sitting up for Matthew Wright to run in and score.
The Sharks took the lead at 20 minutes, with Todd Carney catching the Parramatta defence out with a dummy
before running to the line to score. And three minutes later the Sharks were in again, with Jason Bukuya grabbing
the crumbs from a knock-on to score in the corner and put the Sharks 18-6 ahead.
But with half time approaching, the Eels hit back. A flick-pass by Jarryd Hayne set up Cheyse Blair, who raced
through to the line, and the video referee awarded the try. And then Chris Sandow, as the half-time siren
sounded, put a bomb forward and Jarryd Hayne flew high in the Cronulla in-goal to grab the ball and put it down,
levelling the scores at 18-18 at half time.
Bukuya went close to bringing up his double shortly after half time, but was brought down just short of the line.
But ten minutes into the second half, Stewart Mills burst over in the corner to restore the Cronulla lead. Todd
Carney was unable to convert, but landed a penalty goal a few minutes later to give the Sharks a six-point lead.
Cheyse Blair crossed for Parramatta, looking for an equaliser, but the try was disallowed by the video referee. And
that was as close as the Eels could get; and although they continued to attack, the Sharks held them out over the
final 20 minutes, maintaining their position in the top four with five wins on the trot while keeping the hapless Eels
stuck on the bottom of the ladder.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 24 def Parramatta Eels 18
Sharks : Tries – B Pomeroy, M Wright, J Bukuya, S Mills. Goals – T Carney 4/5.
Eels : Tries – J Hayne 2, C Blair. Goals – C Sandow 3/3.
Referees – S Lyons, H Perenara. Crowd – 14,327 at Toyota Stadium.
Five losses in a row had put the pressure on pre-season title favourites Wests Tigers. But the Tigers hit back and
hit back hard on Saturday afternoon at Penrith Stadium when they completed a hard-earned 30-0 win.
The Panthers had been plagued by injuries, forced to make several late changes to their lineup. But the makeshift
Panther defence looked woefully ill-prepared as Adam Blair in just the 6th minute strolled through a yawning gap in
their defensive line for the softest of tries.
Lachlan Coote had a try disallowed for the Panthers, and on the very next set, Aaron Woods made a break and ran
60 metres before off-loading to Tim Moltzen for the Tigers’ second try. The third came just a few minutes later,
with Benji Marshall getting through some more soft defence to set up Ray Cashmere.
It was 18-0 at half time, and for a time in the second half the Panthers were putting the Tigers under some
pressure. But although the Panthers had the ball inside the Tigers’ half for plenty of time, they were unable to get
through the defence. The hour mark ticked by, with still 18 points separating the two sides, and the Tiger
defence showing no signs of cracking under pressure.
Instead, against the run of play, it was the Tigers who would be the first to score in the second half. Lote Tuqiri
had no trouble bursting through the Panther defenders, before off-loading to send Tom Humble to the line for the
try that would break the Panther hearts. The game was safely won for the Tigers, with Tim Moltzen’s second try
further extending the margin.
For the Tigers, the win was a relief. Five losses on the trot had put pressure on the club, and this result finally gives
them some momentum to build their season on. But the result was another disaster for Penrith, their second 30-0
defeat in a row; and a season that had started promisingly is already starting to slip away.
Wests Tigers 30 def Penrith Panthers 0
Tigers : Tries – T Moltzen 2, R Cashmere, A Blair, T Humble. Goals – B Marshall 5/5.
Panthers : Tries – Nil. Goals – Nil.
Referees – T Archer, C James. Crowd – 15,579 at Centrebet Stadium.
The season may be less than two months old, but already St George have beaten Newcastle twice. The second clash
between the two sides came on Friday night at Kogarah, and the Dragons were 12-4 too good for the Knights.
Wayne Bennett is in his first year coaching Newcastle after a stint at the Dragons, and in the coaching box during the
early stages he was watching his former charges dominate as they so often had done during his coaching reign. After
dominating possession and forcing repeat sets early, Ben Creagh crossed the line in the sixth minute; only to be
denied the try when the video replay showed he lost control of the ball shortly before it hit the ground.
Against the run of play, the Knights would score the first try. Darius Boyd spotted an opening and made a 30 metre
break before offloading to Akuila Uate who found the line in the corner. Tyrone Roberts’ conversion attempt was not
good, and the two extra points went begging.
At the 20 metre mark, Beau Scott had two Novocastrian defenders hanging from him, trying to pull him down, but
Scott powered his way over the try-line to score; with Jamie Soward’s conversion giving the Dragons the lead. And
on the very next set, Brett Morris made a 50 metre break before a quick pass to Jason Nightingale saw the Dragons
get their second try, the conversion putting them 12-4 ahead.
The Dragons could have extended their lead, but for the second time in the half the video referee would deny them;
with Daniel Vidot’s try being disallowed after some interference behind the play. The Dragons by now were on top,
putting the Knights under pressure, but the Knights would hold firm to ensure the scoreboard wouldn’t leak any
more points before the half time break.
The second half saw Newcastle come out having lifted, and they put the Dragons under pressure as the half got
under way. Much of the first 20 minutes of the second half was played deep in St George’s half. Akuila Uate went
close to scoring his second, but was brought down just centimetres short of the line and an incorrect play-the-ball
saw the Dragons get a penalty and the scoring chance was gone. Shortly before the hour, Kade Snowden crossed
the line but the video referee disallowed the try.
The Dragons had weathered the storm, and the Knights could get no closer. Time was running out, and the Dragons
were able to slow play down and prevent the Knights from building up any more sustained pressure during the closing
stages of the game. The second half had gone scoreless, but that was good enough for St George to get back on
the winning list and for the second time this season, Wayne Bennett’s former charges had overcome his new
students.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 12 def Newcastle Knights 4
Dragons : Tries – B Scott, J Nightingale. Goals – J Soward 2/2.
Knights : Tries – A Uate. Goals – T Roberts 0/1.
Referee – J Maxwell, G Reynolds. Crowd – 15,291 at WIN Jubilee Stadium.
The Brisbane Broncos have been in impressive form in recent weeks, and they would continue their impressive form
on Friday night with their fifth win on the trot, a 30-6 win over Canberra at Lang Park on Friday night.
The Raiders opened the scoring in messy circumstances in the sixth minute. Josh McCrone sent a grubber to the in-
goal, where there was a scramble of players around the ball. The play was sent upstairs for the video referee to have
a look at; but the replays couldn’t find any reason not to award a try to Joe Picker. Jarrod Croker added the extras to
put the Raiders 6-0 ahead.
For the next quarter hour, the Raiders looked to build on their lead but could find no way through. Tom Learoyd-
Lahrs went close, but knocked on with the line open in front of him. And at 20 minutes, it would be the Broncos
who would be next to score; with big Sam Thaiday crashing through the Canberra defensive line to score. Corey
Parker’s conversion was unsuccessful, so the Raiders stayed in front.
between the two sides came on Friday night at Kogarah, and the Dragons were 12-4 too good for the Knights.
Wayne Bennett is in his first year coaching Newcastle after a stint at the Dragons, and in the coaching box during the
early stages he was watching his former charges dominate as they so often had done during his coaching reign. After
dominating possession and forcing repeat sets early, Ben Creagh crossed the line in the sixth minute; only to be
denied the try when the video replay showed he lost control of the ball shortly before it hit the ground.
Against the run of play, the Knights would score the first try. Darius Boyd spotted an opening and made a 30 metre
break before offloading to Akuila Uate who found the line in the corner. Tyrone Roberts’ conversion attempt was not
good, and the two extra points went begging.
At the 20 metre mark, Beau Scott had two Novocastrian defenders hanging from him, trying to pull him down, but
Scott powered his way over the try-line to score; with Jamie Soward’s conversion giving the Dragons the lead. And
on the very next set, Brett Morris made a 50 metre break before a quick pass to Jason Nightingale saw the Dragons
get their second try, the conversion putting them 12-4 ahead.
The Dragons could have extended their lead, but for the second time in the half the video referee would deny them;
with Daniel Vidot’s try being disallowed after some interference behind the play. The Dragons by now were on top,
putting the Knights under pressure, but the Knights would hold firm to ensure the scoreboard wouldn’t leak any
more points before the half time break.
The second half saw Newcastle come out having lifted, and they put the Dragons under pressure as the half got
under way. Much of the first 20 minutes of the second half was played deep in St George’s half. Akuila Uate went
close to scoring his second, but was brought down just centimetres short of the line and an incorrect play-the-ball
saw the Dragons get a penalty and the scoring chance was gone. Shortly before the hour, Kade Snowden crossed
the line but the video referee disallowed the try.
The Dragons had weathered the storm, and the Knights could get no closer. Time was running out, and the Dragons
were able to slow play down and prevent the Knights from building up any more sustained pressure during the closing
stages of the game. The second half had gone scoreless, but that was good enough for St George to get back on
the winning list and for the second time this season, Wayne Bennett’s former charges had overcome his new
students.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 12 def Newcastle Knights 4
Dragons : Tries – B Scott, J Nightingale. Goals – J Soward 2/2.
Knights : Tries – A Uate. Goals – T Roberts 0/1.
Referee – J Maxwell, G Reynolds. Crowd – 15,291 at WIN Jubilee Stadium.
The Brisbane Broncos have been in impressive form in recent weeks, and they would continue their impressive form
on Friday night with their fifth win on the trot, a 30-6 win over Canberra at Lang Park on Friday night.
The Raiders opened the scoring in messy circumstances in the sixth minute. Josh McCrone sent a grubber to the in-
goal, where there was a scramble of players around the ball. The play was sent upstairs for the video referee to have
a look at; but the replays couldn’t find any reason not to award a try to Joe Picker. Jarrod Croker added the extras to
put the Raiders 6-0 ahead.
For the next quarter hour, the Raiders looked to build on their lead but could find no way through. Tom Learoyd-
Lahrs went close, but knocked on with the line open in front of him. And at 20 minutes, it would be the Broncos
who would be next to score; with big Sam Thaiday crashing through the Canberra defensive line to score. Corey
Parker’s conversion was unsuccessful, so the Raiders stayed in front.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |