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The round continued on Friday night with the South-East Queensland derby, played in torrential rain at Suncorp Stadium. But a blistering first
half by the Broncos gave them the kick-start they needed to record an easy 26-6 win over the Titans.
The Broncos did the early attacking, helped by a series of Titan knock-ons as the Gold Coast side struggled to control the ball in the slippery
conditions. And it was no surprise that the Broncos were the first to score, with Alex Glenn throwing a dummy before strolling through the gap
that had opened up to score under the posts.
Glenn made it a double a few minutes later, weaving through some soft defending. The Gold Coast defenders were beaten with regularity,
with only the wet ground slowing the Bronco runners down. And it was far too easy for Andrew McCullough as he cruised through a yawning
gap for another try and a 16-0 lead
Two minutes before half time, the Broncos were in again, throwing the ball out wide for Gerard Beale to land the easiest of tries in the corner.
Corey Parker was unable to convert; but with a 20-0 lead at the break, the Bronco fans were singing in the rain while the Gold Coast had their
spirits dampened not just by the weather but by the relentless Brisbane attack.
Finally Gold Coast were on the board early in the second half, with Dominique Peyroux finding himself at the end of a string of passes to go
over in the corner. Scott Prince landed the conversion. By now the rain was getting even heavier, and for the next 20 minutes both sides
were knocking the ball on frequently.
With eight minutes to go, the Broncos delivered the knockout blow, with Josh Hoffman making a break to score under the posts to wrap up a
26-6 win. The sixth win in a row for the Broncos sees them sitting comfortable in second spot; but the struggling Titans remain stuck in second
last spot.
Brisbane Broncos 26 def Gold Coast Titans 6
Broncos : Tries – A Glenn 2, A McCullough, J Hoffman, G Beale. Goals – C Parker 3/5.
Titans : Tries – D Peyroux. Goals – S Prince 1/1.
Referees – J Maxwell, A Devcich. Crowd – 30,083 at Suncorp Stadium.
After winning the premiership last year with Manly, coach Des Hasler quickly and controversially defected to the Bulldogs for 2012. Friday night
at ANZ Stadium saw Hasler’s present and past clubs up against each other for the first time. And it was his 2011 charges, the Sea Eagles, who
would claim the bragging rights with a 12-10 win.
The Bulldogs burst out of the blocks, and the huge pro-Bulldogs crowd were sent into raptures after just four minutes after fullback Ben Barba
turned on his explosive pace to burst through the Manly defensive wall and run to the line to score in the corner. Steve Turner was unable to
convert, but the Bulldogs were 4-0 ahead.
For much of the first half, it was a hard-hitting and defensive-dominated contest. The stakes were high, and the tackling was fierce; and
scoring chances were few and far between. Under sustained pressure, there were knock-ons and errors, but also some sensational defence as
the scoreboard remained unmoved until two minutes before half time. But a high tackle from the Bulldogs 30 metres from their line resulted in
a Sea Eagle penalty; with Jamie Lyon electing to take the two points on offer and reduce the margin to 4-2 at the break.
Four minutes after the break, the Sea Eagles had taken the lead. Brett Stewart received a pass 20 metres out and powered his way through,
dragging the Bulldog defenders with him as he found the line. Although Jamie Lyon was unable to convert, the Sea Eagles were in front.
On the hour, the Bulldogs were looking dangerous. A 40-20 kick by Josh Reynolds put the Bulldogs into attacking position; and they were set
to score but Frank Pritchard knocked on when he had a clear run to the line. Five minutes later, Bryson Goodwin chased a kick downfield, and
narrowly failed to ground the ball; but the video referee disallowed the try.
But against the run of play, with five minutes to go, it would be the Sea Eagles who would score the next try, with George Rose making a
break before off-loading to Steve Matai. Jamie Lyon added the extras, and the game was safely won. Bryson Goodwin scored a consolation try
for the Bulldogs in the final moments of the game, but the Sea Eagles had done enough to claim the points and prove a point that even with
Geoff Toovey having replaced Des Hasler at the helm, the Sea Eagles are still a force.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 12 def Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10
Sea Eagles : Tries – B Stewart, S Matai. Goals – J Lyon 2/3.
Bulldogs : Tries – B Barba, B Goodwin. Goals – B Goodwin 1/1, S Turner 0/1.
Referees – S Hayne, B Suttor. Crowd – 24,743 at ANZ Stadium.
It’s been a long and distinguished history for South Sydney. A foundation club in 1908, 20 premierships; and after being excluded from the NRL
for two years, the Rabbitohs forced their way back into the NRL. So many years of history, and a milestone was reached for the club at ANZ
Stadium on Saturday night when the Rabbitohs defeated North Queensland 20-16, the 1,000th win in the club’s history.
It didn’t take long for the Rabbitohs to make an impact on the scoreboard. In just the fourth minute, John Sutton created some space and
Greg Inglis finished the move off, diving over under the posts; and after the video referee confirmed the grounding of the ball, the try was
awarded.
The Rabbitohs were high on confidence, looking dangerous as they continued to attack the Cowboys’ line; and after 13 minutes, Isaac Luke
turned on a run from dummy half and crossed for their second try. Adam Reynolds converted the try, and added a penalty goal a few minutes
later to put the home side 14-0 ahead.
The Rabbitoh magic kept coming, and Nathan Merritt went perilously close to going in again as he surged 50 metres up the wing before being
brought down just in front of the line. The video referee was called into action, but the replays showed Merritt grounded the ball short of the
line. And at the 20 minute mark, big Dave Taylor powered through the Cowboy defenders to score under the posts; and when the conversion
went over, Souths were already 20-0 ahead.
The Cowboys had been on the back foot through the Rabbitoh onslaught, but they managed to stop the scoreboard from leaking any more
points for the remainder of the half. It wasn’t always easy, and Matt King had a golden chance but was thrown into touch not far from the
line. But with a 20-point margin at half time, the Cowboys had a lot of work to do if they were to have any hope of getting back into the
contest.
Eight minutes into the second half, the Cowboys were on the board, with James Segeyaro scrambling over and just getting the tip of the ball
to the ground; with the video referee taking plenty of time to deliberate on the grounding before awarding the try. And shortly before the
hour mark, the margin was back to eight points after Ashley Graham broke through the Souths’ defence to score out wide.
Suddenly the Cowboys had a spring in their step, and the Rabbitohs were under pressure. Kalifa Fai Fai Loa ran to the line, but the pass was
called forward before the try could be attempted.
Dave Taylor had a chance to seal the game for the Rabbitohs, but the try was disallowed by the video referee. And with three minutes to go,
Matt Bowen threw a pass out wide for Ashley Graham to score his second try. Johnathan Thurston was unable to convert, but suddenly the
margin was back to just four points.
It had been a stunning comeback by the Cowboys. At half time, the Rabbitohs had looked to be cruising to victory, but suddenly the result
was back in doubt. But the Rabbitohs hung on for dear life in the last few minutes, and it was relief rather than elation that the final siren
sounded; and the Rabbitohs would drink from the cup of victory for the 1,000th time.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 def North Queensland Cowboys 16
Rabbitohs : Tries – G Inglis, D Taylor, I Luke. Goals – A Reynolds 4/4.
Cowboys : Tries – A Graham 2, J Segeyaro. Goals – J Thurston 2/3.
Referees – S Lyons, H Perenara. Crowd – 12,213 at ANZ Stadium.
Cronulla’s winning streak continued on Sunday afternoon, with the Sharks recording a 44-22 win over Canberra in a high-scoring and
entertaining clash at Canberra Stadium.
An early penalty put the Sharks within scoring range, and Ben Pomeroy grabbed the crumbs from a chip kick by Todd Carney to score in the
corner. But the Raiders quickly bounced back, after John Williams knocked-on in goal, with Josh McCrone on hand to dive on the loose ball to
score and level the game at 6-6.
Williams wasted little time in redeeming himself, after Colin Best made a break up the wing before off-loading to Williams for a try out wide; and
although Todd Carney was unable to convert, the Sharks were back in front.
After 24 minutes, the Sharks were in again, with Jeff Robson launching a grubber and Jason Bakuya chased the ball down to score. But the
Raiders kept themselves in the contest, with Josh McCrone gathering the ball after a scrum and wrong-footing the Canberra defenders to score.
A move started by Paul Gallen found John Morris who ran to the line for the Sharks to add another. And with half time looming, Stewart Mills
flew high to grab a bomb and score in the corner, putting the Sharks 28-12 ahead at half time.
Confidence was high in the Cronulla camp, and they kept on going in the second half. John Williams had a try disallowed, but after Bakuya
pulled off an intercept on half way, Jeff Robson weaved around the Canberra defenders to score. And after some lead-up work by Todd
Carney, John Williams brought up his double to bring up a 38-12 lead. And it could have been an even bigger lead had Andrew Fifita not had a
try disallowed.
Josh Dugan got one try back for the Raiders, but when Colin Best turned on an electrifying run to score, the demolition was complete. Reece
Robinson scored a consolation try for the Raiders, but it was Cronulla’s day. Another big win, their sixth victory on the trot; the first time the
Sharks have won six in a row since 2002.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 44 def Canberra Raiders 22
Sharks : Tries – J Williams 2, J Morris, B Pomeroy, C Best, J Robson, J Bakuya, S Mills. Goals – T Carney 6/9.
Raiders : Tries – J McCrone 2, R Robinson, J Dugan. Goals – J Croker 3/4.
Referees – J Robinson, T De las Heras. Crowd – 12,227 at Canberra Stadium.
Wests Tigers won their second game in a row, just falling over the line in a bizarre match against Parramatta on Sunday afternoon at Parramatta
Stadium.
The Tigers had looked to be cruising to victory with 11 minutes to go; but in the end there was only a point in it as the Eels suddenly found
some form and strung some tries together in the latter stages of the match to make the final result far closer than it should have been.
Parramatta put the Tigers under pressure early, putting up several bombs to test Tim Moltzen, but the Tiger full-back successfully caught all of
them to diffuse the pressure. And after 13 minutes, it was the Tigers who would be first to get on the board. Robbie Farah threw a dummy
which opened up a gaping hole in the Parramatta defence, a hole big enough for Chris Lawrence to receive the ball and run through the gap
to score.
Ben Roberts went close to getting the try back for Parramatta, but the video referee showed he lost the ball before grounding it. And the
Tigers made the Eels pay for the error, with Beau Ryan chip-kicking to himself to score in the corner. Benji Marshall was unable to convert, but
the Eels were 10-0 ahead.
The Tigers were soon in again, with Liam Fulton shrugging off the feeble attempts by the Eels to tackle him; and with the conversion and a
penalty goal on the half hour mark, the Tigers were 18 points ahead. And with half time approaching, Benji Marshall added another point to the
Tiger buffer. At the end of the second half, the Tigers were thankful that he did.
By the hour mark, the Tigers had two more tries on the board, with Ben Murdoch twice capitalising on some poor Parramatta defending to
score. The Tigers were sky-high on confidence, having kept Penrith scoreless on their last start and leading 31-0 in this game; while Parramatta
had again been poor and spiritless, seemingly going through the motions on a day when it looked like nothing was working for them again.
With 11 minutes to go, the Eels were on the scoreboard; with Jarryd Hayne making a big break before being brought down just before the
line and playing the ball back for Matt Ryan to score what looked like nothing more than a consolation try.
With eight minutes to go, Willie Tonga found an opening and the Eels had their second. And it nearly became three a minute later, but Ken
Seo had a try disallowed by the video referee. But four minutes remained on the clock when Seo again found the line and this time it was a try.
Wth two minutes to go, Jarryd Hayne turned on some pace to score another for the Eels. There was only just enough time for the ball to be
kicked off, but that one tackle after kick-off, as the siren sounded in the background, saw Cheyse Blair make a break and run all the way to the
line to score. The conversion saw the Eels finish one agonising point short of what would have been a miracle comeback.
The Tigers had won the game, being saved by the bell, but it was the Eels who would leave the field feeling happier. For the Tigers, they got
the win but left the field exhausted, and rueing the potential boost to their for-and-against that had got away. Parramatta remain stuck on the
bottom, but their stirring last eleven minutes may just give them the confidence and spark to salvage something from this season.
Wests Tigers 31 def Parramatta Eels 30
Tigers : Tries – B Murdoch 2, L Fulton, C Lawrence, B Ryan. Goals – B Marshall 4/5, T Moltzen 1/1. Field Goals – B Marshall
1/1.
Eels : Tries – J Hayne, W Tonga, C Blair, K Seo, M Ryan. Goals – L Burt 5/5.
Referees – A Klein, G Morris. Crowd – 19,654 at Parramatta Stadium.
Newcastle’s topsy-turvy season took a turn for the better when the Knights recorded a comfortable 34-14 win over a dreadful Penrith at
Hunter Stadium on Monday night.
The Knights were gifted an early try when Brad Tighe lost the ball, under no pressure at all, 20 metres from his own line. Quick hands from the
crumbs saw the ball thrown out to James McManus for a try in the corner. Kurt Gidley found the angle too tight to convert, and the Knights
remained 4-0 ahead.
The Panthers had a chance to hit back when Michael Jennings made a break 10 metres from his own line and ran 80 metres before being
pulled down. But the Panthers were unable to make anything of the field position they’d received during the remainder of the set, and the
Knights were let off the hook. And at the 20 minute mark, Jarred Mullen received the ball out wide and ran to the centre to score under the
posts and give the Knights their second try.
The Panthers had been held scoreless in their last two games, but at least managed to avoid that indignity when Michael Jennings made a
break to score. But just three minutes later, Timana Tahu spotted an opening and sent Zeb Taia to the line for an answering try to the Knights.
Big Willie Mason, back from overseas and making his debut at Newcastle, his fourth NRL club, made his presence felt early in the second half as
he set up Tahu for another try. Shortly afterwards, Matt Hilder split his way through a gaping hole to set up Kurt Gidley. Neville Costigan then
found another gap to add another. And even with Clint Newton scoring a late double for the Panthers, it had been Newcastle’s night.
The Knights have had an inconsistent season, but a home win sees their win-loss ratio evened up; with the Novocastrian side now looking to
get a winning streak going to fulfil their pre-season expectations. But for the Panthers, it was another night of misery. A season that had
shown promise with a couple of early wins now looks to have completely unravelled, with too many big name players down on form and the
club seemingly lacking in spirit and cohesion.
Newcastle Knights 34 def Penrith Panthers 14
Knights : Tries – K Gidley, T Tahu, J Mullen, J McManus, Z Taia, N Costigan. Goals – K Gidley 4/5, W Naiqama 1/1.
Panthers : Tries – C Newton 2, M Jennings. Goals – T Burns 1/2, L Walsh 0/1.
Referees – G Sutton, A Shortall. Crowd – 16,892 at Hunter Stadium.
half by the Broncos gave them the kick-start they needed to record an easy 26-6 win over the Titans.
The Broncos did the early attacking, helped by a series of Titan knock-ons as the Gold Coast side struggled to control the ball in the slippery
conditions. And it was no surprise that the Broncos were the first to score, with Alex Glenn throwing a dummy before strolling through the gap
that had opened up to score under the posts.
Glenn made it a double a few minutes later, weaving through some soft defending. The Gold Coast defenders were beaten with regularity,
with only the wet ground slowing the Bronco runners down. And it was far too easy for Andrew McCullough as he cruised through a yawning
gap for another try and a 16-0 lead
Two minutes before half time, the Broncos were in again, throwing the ball out wide for Gerard Beale to land the easiest of tries in the corner.
Corey Parker was unable to convert; but with a 20-0 lead at the break, the Bronco fans were singing in the rain while the Gold Coast had their
spirits dampened not just by the weather but by the relentless Brisbane attack.
Finally Gold Coast were on the board early in the second half, with Dominique Peyroux finding himself at the end of a string of passes to go
over in the corner. Scott Prince landed the conversion. By now the rain was getting even heavier, and for the next 20 minutes both sides
were knocking the ball on frequently.
With eight minutes to go, the Broncos delivered the knockout blow, with Josh Hoffman making a break to score under the posts to wrap up a
26-6 win. The sixth win in a row for the Broncos sees them sitting comfortable in second spot; but the struggling Titans remain stuck in second
last spot.
Brisbane Broncos 26 def Gold Coast Titans 6
Broncos : Tries – A Glenn 2, A McCullough, J Hoffman, G Beale. Goals – C Parker 3/5.
Titans : Tries – D Peyroux. Goals – S Prince 1/1.
Referees – J Maxwell, A Devcich. Crowd – 30,083 at Suncorp Stadium.
After winning the premiership last year with Manly, coach Des Hasler quickly and controversially defected to the Bulldogs for 2012. Friday night
at ANZ Stadium saw Hasler’s present and past clubs up against each other for the first time. And it was his 2011 charges, the Sea Eagles, who
would claim the bragging rights with a 12-10 win.
The Bulldogs burst out of the blocks, and the huge pro-Bulldogs crowd were sent into raptures after just four minutes after fullback Ben Barba
turned on his explosive pace to burst through the Manly defensive wall and run to the line to score in the corner. Steve Turner was unable to
convert, but the Bulldogs were 4-0 ahead.
For much of the first half, it was a hard-hitting and defensive-dominated contest. The stakes were high, and the tackling was fierce; and
scoring chances were few and far between. Under sustained pressure, there were knock-ons and errors, but also some sensational defence as
the scoreboard remained unmoved until two minutes before half time. But a high tackle from the Bulldogs 30 metres from their line resulted in
a Sea Eagle penalty; with Jamie Lyon electing to take the two points on offer and reduce the margin to 4-2 at the break.
Four minutes after the break, the Sea Eagles had taken the lead. Brett Stewart received a pass 20 metres out and powered his way through,
dragging the Bulldog defenders with him as he found the line. Although Jamie Lyon was unable to convert, the Sea Eagles were in front.
On the hour, the Bulldogs were looking dangerous. A 40-20 kick by Josh Reynolds put the Bulldogs into attacking position; and they were set
to score but Frank Pritchard knocked on when he had a clear run to the line. Five minutes later, Bryson Goodwin chased a kick downfield, and
narrowly failed to ground the ball; but the video referee disallowed the try.
But against the run of play, with five minutes to go, it would be the Sea Eagles who would score the next try, with George Rose making a
break before off-loading to Steve Matai. Jamie Lyon added the extras, and the game was safely won. Bryson Goodwin scored a consolation try
for the Bulldogs in the final moments of the game, but the Sea Eagles had done enough to claim the points and prove a point that even with
Geoff Toovey having replaced Des Hasler at the helm, the Sea Eagles are still a force.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 12 def Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10
Sea Eagles : Tries – B Stewart, S Matai. Goals – J Lyon 2/3.
Bulldogs : Tries – B Barba, B Goodwin. Goals – B Goodwin 1/1, S Turner 0/1.
Referees – S Hayne, B Suttor. Crowd – 24,743 at ANZ Stadium.
It’s been a long and distinguished history for South Sydney. A foundation club in 1908, 20 premierships; and after being excluded from the NRL
for two years, the Rabbitohs forced their way back into the NRL. So many years of history, and a milestone was reached for the club at ANZ
Stadium on Saturday night when the Rabbitohs defeated North Queensland 20-16, the 1,000th win in the club’s history.
It didn’t take long for the Rabbitohs to make an impact on the scoreboard. In just the fourth minute, John Sutton created some space and
Greg Inglis finished the move off, diving over under the posts; and after the video referee confirmed the grounding of the ball, the try was
awarded.
The Rabbitohs were high on confidence, looking dangerous as they continued to attack the Cowboys’ line; and after 13 minutes, Isaac Luke
turned on a run from dummy half and crossed for their second try. Adam Reynolds converted the try, and added a penalty goal a few minutes
later to put the home side 14-0 ahead.
The Rabbitoh magic kept coming, and Nathan Merritt went perilously close to going in again as he surged 50 metres up the wing before being
brought down just in front of the line. The video referee was called into action, but the replays showed Merritt grounded the ball short of the
line. And at the 20 minute mark, big Dave Taylor powered through the Cowboy defenders to score under the posts; and when the conversion
went over, Souths were already 20-0 ahead.
The Cowboys had been on the back foot through the Rabbitoh onslaught, but they managed to stop the scoreboard from leaking any more
points for the remainder of the half. It wasn’t always easy, and Matt King had a golden chance but was thrown into touch not far from the
line. But with a 20-point margin at half time, the Cowboys had a lot of work to do if they were to have any hope of getting back into the
contest.
Eight minutes into the second half, the Cowboys were on the board, with James Segeyaro scrambling over and just getting the tip of the ball
to the ground; with the video referee taking plenty of time to deliberate on the grounding before awarding the try. And shortly before the
hour mark, the margin was back to eight points after Ashley Graham broke through the Souths’ defence to score out wide.
Suddenly the Cowboys had a spring in their step, and the Rabbitohs were under pressure. Kalifa Fai Fai Loa ran to the line, but the pass was
called forward before the try could be attempted.
Dave Taylor had a chance to seal the game for the Rabbitohs, but the try was disallowed by the video referee. And with three minutes to go,
Matt Bowen threw a pass out wide for Ashley Graham to score his second try. Johnathan Thurston was unable to convert, but suddenly the
margin was back to just four points.
It had been a stunning comeback by the Cowboys. At half time, the Rabbitohs had looked to be cruising to victory, but suddenly the result
was back in doubt. But the Rabbitohs hung on for dear life in the last few minutes, and it was relief rather than elation that the final siren
sounded; and the Rabbitohs would drink from the cup of victory for the 1,000th time.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 def North Queensland Cowboys 16
Rabbitohs : Tries – G Inglis, D Taylor, I Luke. Goals – A Reynolds 4/4.
Cowboys : Tries – A Graham 2, J Segeyaro. Goals – J Thurston 2/3.
Referees – S Lyons, H Perenara. Crowd – 12,213 at ANZ Stadium.
Cronulla’s winning streak continued on Sunday afternoon, with the Sharks recording a 44-22 win over Canberra in a high-scoring and
entertaining clash at Canberra Stadium.
An early penalty put the Sharks within scoring range, and Ben Pomeroy grabbed the crumbs from a chip kick by Todd Carney to score in the
corner. But the Raiders quickly bounced back, after John Williams knocked-on in goal, with Josh McCrone on hand to dive on the loose ball to
score and level the game at 6-6.
Williams wasted little time in redeeming himself, after Colin Best made a break up the wing before off-loading to Williams for a try out wide; and
although Todd Carney was unable to convert, the Sharks were back in front.
After 24 minutes, the Sharks were in again, with Jeff Robson launching a grubber and Jason Bakuya chased the ball down to score. But the
Raiders kept themselves in the contest, with Josh McCrone gathering the ball after a scrum and wrong-footing the Canberra defenders to score.
A move started by Paul Gallen found John Morris who ran to the line for the Sharks to add another. And with half time looming, Stewart Mills
flew high to grab a bomb and score in the corner, putting the Sharks 28-12 ahead at half time.
Confidence was high in the Cronulla camp, and they kept on going in the second half. John Williams had a try disallowed, but after Bakuya
pulled off an intercept on half way, Jeff Robson weaved around the Canberra defenders to score. And after some lead-up work by Todd
Carney, John Williams brought up his double to bring up a 38-12 lead. And it could have been an even bigger lead had Andrew Fifita not had a
try disallowed.
Josh Dugan got one try back for the Raiders, but when Colin Best turned on an electrifying run to score, the demolition was complete. Reece
Robinson scored a consolation try for the Raiders, but it was Cronulla’s day. Another big win, their sixth victory on the trot; the first time the
Sharks have won six in a row since 2002.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 44 def Canberra Raiders 22
Sharks : Tries – J Williams 2, J Morris, B Pomeroy, C Best, J Robson, J Bakuya, S Mills. Goals – T Carney 6/9.
Raiders : Tries – J McCrone 2, R Robinson, J Dugan. Goals – J Croker 3/4.
Referees – J Robinson, T De las Heras. Crowd – 12,227 at Canberra Stadium.
Wests Tigers won their second game in a row, just falling over the line in a bizarre match against Parramatta on Sunday afternoon at Parramatta
Stadium.
The Tigers had looked to be cruising to victory with 11 minutes to go; but in the end there was only a point in it as the Eels suddenly found
some form and strung some tries together in the latter stages of the match to make the final result far closer than it should have been.
Parramatta put the Tigers under pressure early, putting up several bombs to test Tim Moltzen, but the Tiger full-back successfully caught all of
them to diffuse the pressure. And after 13 minutes, it was the Tigers who would be first to get on the board. Robbie Farah threw a dummy
which opened up a gaping hole in the Parramatta defence, a hole big enough for Chris Lawrence to receive the ball and run through the gap
to score.
Ben Roberts went close to getting the try back for Parramatta, but the video referee showed he lost the ball before grounding it. And the
Tigers made the Eels pay for the error, with Beau Ryan chip-kicking to himself to score in the corner. Benji Marshall was unable to convert, but
the Eels were 10-0 ahead.
The Tigers were soon in again, with Liam Fulton shrugging off the feeble attempts by the Eels to tackle him; and with the conversion and a
penalty goal on the half hour mark, the Tigers were 18 points ahead. And with half time approaching, Benji Marshall added another point to the
Tiger buffer. At the end of the second half, the Tigers were thankful that he did.
By the hour mark, the Tigers had two more tries on the board, with Ben Murdoch twice capitalising on some poor Parramatta defending to
score. The Tigers were sky-high on confidence, having kept Penrith scoreless on their last start and leading 31-0 in this game; while Parramatta
had again been poor and spiritless, seemingly going through the motions on a day when it looked like nothing was working for them again.
With 11 minutes to go, the Eels were on the scoreboard; with Jarryd Hayne making a big break before being brought down just before the
line and playing the ball back for Matt Ryan to score what looked like nothing more than a consolation try.
With eight minutes to go, Willie Tonga found an opening and the Eels had their second. And it nearly became three a minute later, but Ken
Seo had a try disallowed by the video referee. But four minutes remained on the clock when Seo again found the line and this time it was a try.
Wth two minutes to go, Jarryd Hayne turned on some pace to score another for the Eels. There was only just enough time for the ball to be
kicked off, but that one tackle after kick-off, as the siren sounded in the background, saw Cheyse Blair make a break and run all the way to the
line to score. The conversion saw the Eels finish one agonising point short of what would have been a miracle comeback.
The Tigers had won the game, being saved by the bell, but it was the Eels who would leave the field feeling happier. For the Tigers, they got
the win but left the field exhausted, and rueing the potential boost to their for-and-against that had got away. Parramatta remain stuck on the
bottom, but their stirring last eleven minutes may just give them the confidence and spark to salvage something from this season.
Wests Tigers 31 def Parramatta Eels 30
Tigers : Tries – B Murdoch 2, L Fulton, C Lawrence, B Ryan. Goals – B Marshall 4/5, T Moltzen 1/1. Field Goals – B Marshall
1/1.
Eels : Tries – J Hayne, W Tonga, C Blair, K Seo, M Ryan. Goals – L Burt 5/5.
Referees – A Klein, G Morris. Crowd – 19,654 at Parramatta Stadium.
Newcastle’s topsy-turvy season took a turn for the better when the Knights recorded a comfortable 34-14 win over a dreadful Penrith at
Hunter Stadium on Monday night.
The Knights were gifted an early try when Brad Tighe lost the ball, under no pressure at all, 20 metres from his own line. Quick hands from the
crumbs saw the ball thrown out to James McManus for a try in the corner. Kurt Gidley found the angle too tight to convert, and the Knights
remained 4-0 ahead.
The Panthers had a chance to hit back when Michael Jennings made a break 10 metres from his own line and ran 80 metres before being
pulled down. But the Panthers were unable to make anything of the field position they’d received during the remainder of the set, and the
Knights were let off the hook. And at the 20 minute mark, Jarred Mullen received the ball out wide and ran to the centre to score under the
posts and give the Knights their second try.
The Panthers had been held scoreless in their last two games, but at least managed to avoid that indignity when Michael Jennings made a
break to score. But just three minutes later, Timana Tahu spotted an opening and sent Zeb Taia to the line for an answering try to the Knights.
Big Willie Mason, back from overseas and making his debut at Newcastle, his fourth NRL club, made his presence felt early in the second half as
he set up Tahu for another try. Shortly afterwards, Matt Hilder split his way through a gaping hole to set up Kurt Gidley. Neville Costigan then
found another gap to add another. And even with Clint Newton scoring a late double for the Panthers, it had been Newcastle’s night.
The Knights have had an inconsistent season, but a home win sees their win-loss ratio evened up; with the Novocastrian side now looking to
get a winning streak going to fulfil their pre-season expectations. But for the Panthers, it was another night of misery. A season that had
shown promise with a couple of early wins now looks to have completely unravelled, with too many big name players down on form and the
club seemingly lacking in spirit and cohesion.
Newcastle Knights 34 def Penrith Panthers 14
Knights : Tries – K Gidley, T Tahu, J Mullen, J McManus, Z Taia, N Costigan. Goals – K Gidley 4/5, W Naiqama 1/1.
Panthers : Tries – C Newton 2, M Jennings. Goals – T Burns 1/2, L Walsh 0/1.
Referees – G Sutton, A Shortall. Crowd – 16,892 at Hunter Stadium.
A bumper Anzac Day crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium saw a match that for most of the day looked destined to
be a Roosters win before a late comeback saw St George snatch an unlikely 28-24 victory.
Before the match, the traditional Anzac Day remembrances took place, with the crowd in silence through The Last
Post, singing the National Anthem and then a roar encircled the ground as the players took their position and the
game kicked off.
The Roosters made the early attacking, and Anthony Minichiello crossed the line in the seventh minute; but the video
referee disallowed the try, replays revealing Minichiello was held up over the line. Instead, back to back penalties gave
the Dragons field position, and when Mitchell Rein made a break he got to within 20 metres of the Roosters’ line
before offloading to Ben Creagh to give St George the opening try.
At the 20 minute mark, the game was back on level terms at 6-6, as the ball was kicked forward on the sixth tackle,
but Ben Hornby made a mess of his attempt to clean the ball up and Aiden Guerra pounced on the loose ball and
score.
On the half hour mark, Ben Hornby put up a bomb which was caught by Matt Cooper for a try. Jamie Soward’s
conversion was unsuccessful. And five minutes later, another bomb led to a score, with Mitchell Pearce going to the
air and Anthony Minichiello plucked the ball from up high to put the ball down. Braith Anasta’s conversion gave the
Roosters a 12-10 lead which would hold until half time and then well into the second half.
For 20 scoreless minutes, the ball travelled from end to end. Jamie Soward crossed the line at one point but the
video referee disallowed the try. Finally on the hour, on the last tackle, Mitchell Pearce launched a grubber and
chased down his own kick to the in-goal to score and put the Roosters 18-10 ahead.
The Dragons got the margin back to two points with 13 minutes left on the clock, when Michael Weyman burrowed
over from dummy half. But just two minutes later, Mitchell Pearce off-loaded to Braith Anasta who raced to the line
to score in the corner. It was a tight angle for Anasta to attempt the conversion, and the kick was unsuccessful.
With a six point margin, Mitchell Pearce attempted a drop goal to add another point to the Rooster lead, but the kick
was narrowly waved away. But with five minutes to go, Braith Anasta kicked a penalty goal, and with a 24-16 lead,
the game looked safe.
But the game was back on almost instantly, with Ben Hornby going for a short kick-off, which was grabbed on the full
by Jason Nightingale who offloaded to Matt Prior for a try. Soward converted, and it was 24-22.
The Roosters got the ball back, but Sam Perrett was held-up in goal, giving the Dragons a drop-out with 30 seconds
left on the clock. But that was enough for Michael Weyman to gather the ball from the drop-out and off-load to Ben
Creagh. Creagh raced through a gap to score, sending the Dragons into scenes of ecstacy as they completed a
remarkable come-from-behind win.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 28 def Sydney Roosters 24
Dragons : Tries – B Creagh 2, M Cooper, M Weyman, M Prior. Goals – J Soward 3/4, B Hornby 1/1.
Roosters : Tries – A Minichiello, B Anasta, M Pearce, A Guerra. Goals – B Anasta 4/5. Field Goals – M
Pearce 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, B Cummins. Crowd – 40,164 at Allianz Stadium.
Melbourne’s unbeaten start to the season continued when they won their eighth game on the trot.
But the Storm were made to work hard before pulling away to complete a 32-14 win over the New
Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park on Wednesday night.
The Warriors were first on the board, with Simon Mannering catching a bomb and quickly off-loading to
Bill Tupou who flew to the line and just managed to get the ball down before slipping into touch; the
video referee taking some time to deliberate before awarding the try. James Maloney gave the
Warriors a 6-0 lead.
be a Roosters win before a late comeback saw St George snatch an unlikely 28-24 victory.
Before the match, the traditional Anzac Day remembrances took place, with the crowd in silence through The Last
Post, singing the National Anthem and then a roar encircled the ground as the players took their position and the
game kicked off.
The Roosters made the early attacking, and Anthony Minichiello crossed the line in the seventh minute; but the video
referee disallowed the try, replays revealing Minichiello was held up over the line. Instead, back to back penalties gave
the Dragons field position, and when Mitchell Rein made a break he got to within 20 metres of the Roosters’ line
before offloading to Ben Creagh to give St George the opening try.
At the 20 minute mark, the game was back on level terms at 6-6, as the ball was kicked forward on the sixth tackle,
but Ben Hornby made a mess of his attempt to clean the ball up and Aiden Guerra pounced on the loose ball and
score.
On the half hour mark, Ben Hornby put up a bomb which was caught by Matt Cooper for a try. Jamie Soward’s
conversion was unsuccessful. And five minutes later, another bomb led to a score, with Mitchell Pearce going to the
air and Anthony Minichiello plucked the ball from up high to put the ball down. Braith Anasta’s conversion gave the
Roosters a 12-10 lead which would hold until half time and then well into the second half.
For 20 scoreless minutes, the ball travelled from end to end. Jamie Soward crossed the line at one point but the
video referee disallowed the try. Finally on the hour, on the last tackle, Mitchell Pearce launched a grubber and
chased down his own kick to the in-goal to score and put the Roosters 18-10 ahead.
The Dragons got the margin back to two points with 13 minutes left on the clock, when Michael Weyman burrowed
over from dummy half. But just two minutes later, Mitchell Pearce off-loaded to Braith Anasta who raced to the line
to score in the corner. It was a tight angle for Anasta to attempt the conversion, and the kick was unsuccessful.
With a six point margin, Mitchell Pearce attempted a drop goal to add another point to the Rooster lead, but the kick
was narrowly waved away. But with five minutes to go, Braith Anasta kicked a penalty goal, and with a 24-16 lead,
the game looked safe.
But the game was back on almost instantly, with Ben Hornby going for a short kick-off, which was grabbed on the full
by Jason Nightingale who offloaded to Matt Prior for a try. Soward converted, and it was 24-22.
The Roosters got the ball back, but Sam Perrett was held-up in goal, giving the Dragons a drop-out with 30 seconds
left on the clock. But that was enough for Michael Weyman to gather the ball from the drop-out and off-load to Ben
Creagh. Creagh raced through a gap to score, sending the Dragons into scenes of ecstacy as they completed a
remarkable come-from-behind win.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 28 def Sydney Roosters 24
Dragons : Tries – B Creagh 2, M Cooper, M Weyman, M Prior. Goals – J Soward 3/4, B Hornby 1/1.
Roosters : Tries – A Minichiello, B Anasta, M Pearce, A Guerra. Goals – B Anasta 4/5. Field Goals – M
Pearce 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, B Cummins. Crowd – 40,164 at Allianz Stadium.
Melbourne’s unbeaten start to the season continued when they won their eighth game on the trot.
But the Storm were made to work hard before pulling away to complete a 32-14 win over the New
Zealand Warriors at AAMI Park on Wednesday night.
The Warriors were first on the board, with Simon Mannering catching a bomb and quickly off-loading to
Bill Tupou who flew to the line and just managed to get the ball down before slipping into touch; the
video referee taking some time to deliberate before awarding the try. James Maloney gave the
Warriors a 6-0 lead.
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The penalty count was running Melbourne’s way, as the Warriors’ discipline was letting them down. But it took till
the 24th minute for the home side to get on the board; but finally Dane Nielsen found a gap and charged through
to score. And the Storm took the lead five minutes later when Will Chambers was on the end of a string of passes
to score in the corner and put Melbourne 10-6 ahead.
Shortly before half time, a chance for the Warriors to regain the lead was missed when Ben Henry’s attempted try
was disallowed by the video referee. But the game was back on level terms early in the second half, with the video
referee again called into action but this time Lewis Brown’s attempt was awarded.
With 25 minutes to go, Justin O’Neill crossed the line and scored; and although Cameron Smith’s conversion attempt
was unsuccessful, the Storm were 14-10 ahead. But Bill Tupou, shortly after the hour, got over to see the game
back on level terms.
By now it was raining, with both sides struggling to control the ball; and the game looked set to be a thriller. With
ten minutes to go, the Storm were back in front; after Billy Slater threw the ball out wide to Will Chambers. And five
minutes later, Chambers brought up his hat-trick, sliding over to score under the posts.
And with the Storm again throwing the ball out wide, Dane Nielsen found an opening to add another. A game that
with just ten minutes remaining had looked set to go down to the wire ended up as a comfortable 18-point win to
the Storm, continuing their undefeated run; while the Warriors still find themselves unable to enter the top eight.
Melbourne Storm 32 def New Zealand Warriors 14
Storm : Tries – W Chambers 3, D Nielsen 2, J O’Neill. Goals – C Smith 4/6.
Warriors : Tries – B Tupou 2, L Brown. Goals – J Maloney 1/3.
Referees – T Archer, C James. Crowd – 20,033 at AAMI Park.
the 24th minute for the home side to get on the board; but finally Dane Nielsen found a gap and charged through
to score. And the Storm took the lead five minutes later when Will Chambers was on the end of a string of passes
to score in the corner and put Melbourne 10-6 ahead.
Shortly before half time, a chance for the Warriors to regain the lead was missed when Ben Henry’s attempted try
was disallowed by the video referee. But the game was back on level terms early in the second half, with the video
referee again called into action but this time Lewis Brown’s attempt was awarded.
With 25 minutes to go, Justin O’Neill crossed the line and scored; and although Cameron Smith’s conversion attempt
was unsuccessful, the Storm were 14-10 ahead. But Bill Tupou, shortly after the hour, got over to see the game
back on level terms.
By now it was raining, with both sides struggling to control the ball; and the game looked set to be a thriller. With
ten minutes to go, the Storm were back in front; after Billy Slater threw the ball out wide to Will Chambers. And five
minutes later, Chambers brought up his hat-trick, sliding over to score under the posts.
And with the Storm again throwing the ball out wide, Dane Nielsen found an opening to add another. A game that
with just ten minutes remaining had looked set to go down to the wire ended up as a comfortable 18-point win to
the Storm, continuing their undefeated run; while the Warriors still find themselves unable to enter the top eight.
Melbourne Storm 32 def New Zealand Warriors 14
Storm : Tries – W Chambers 3, D Nielsen 2, J O’Neill. Goals – C Smith 4/6.
Warriors : Tries – B Tupou 2, L Brown. Goals – J Maloney 1/3.
Referees – T Archer, C James. Crowd – 20,033 at AAMI Park.
| ROUND 9 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 4th May Parramatta v Canterbury (7:30pm, ANZ Stadium) North Queensland v St George (7:30pm, Dairy Farmers Stadium) Saturday 5th May NZ Warriors v Brisbane (5:30pm, Mt Smart Stadium) Gold Coast v Wests Tigers (7:30pm, Skilled Park) Penrith v Melbourne (7:30pm, Centrebet Stadium) Sunday 6th May Manly v Canberra (2:00pm, Brookvale Oval) Sydney Roosters v Newcastle (3:00pm, Allianz Stadium) Monday 7th May South Sydney v Cronulla (7:00pm, ANZ Stadium) |