Roberts! Tyrone Roberts snatches the intercept and takes off upfield, but he doesn't have the pace to evade Barba forever and he's pulled down 10m from the line, inches from the sideline. Nothing comes of the last couple of plays and that's the game.
Newcastle Knights 44-8
UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Korbin Sims makes an unforced error.
Sims puts it down in the tackle 20m out from his own line.
Newcastle Knights 44-8
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Kevin Naiqama. Conversion attempt by Kurt Gidley successful.
Jarrod Mullen and Darius Boyd combine for another! Mullen put a chip through for his fullback who collects it one-handed, sucks in the surrounding cover defence and finds Naiqama in support. He cuts outside, inside and has the strength to bust through two to get over the line.
Newcastle Knights 44-8
Jarrod Mullen and his magic boots at Hunter Stadium this afternoon! We have to go upstairs to check whether Darius Boyd was onside, otherwise it's a try to Kevin Naiqama.
Newcastle Knights 38-8
Fa'alogo takes the ball off Jackson in a one-on-one strip, Knights survive that threat.
Newcastle Knights 38-8
UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Kade Snowden makes an unforced error.
Snowden puts it down 20m out from his own line, a change for the Bulldogs to save some face here.
Newcastle Knights 38-8
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Kurt Gidley. Conversion attempt by Kurt Gidley successful.
Put another try down to the magic of an in-form Jarrod Mullen. He went to the line and dropped the ball onto his foot, and the grubber sat up nicely for Dane Gagai racing through on his outside. Gagai cut back inside, beat one in cover defence and drew Ben Barba before popping the ball to his captain for the try under the posts.
Newcastle Knights 38-8
Mullen puts in another deft kick for Naiqama in the corner, but under pressure he can't collect it cleanly. The Bulldogs will have the ball from the 20m tap.
Newcastle Knights 32-8
The Bulldogs put the ball dead and the Knights will have another chance off the drop-out.
Newcastle Knights 32-8
Josh Reynolds has put it out on the full, the Knights will have the handover on their own 40m line.
Newcastle Knights 32-8
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Joseph Leilua. Conversion attempt by Kurt Gidley successful.
Willie Mason went to the line, pushed his upper body through it and came up with a magical offload to Adam Cuthbertson running through in support. Cuthbertson comes to a second line of defence, spins and offloads himself, the Knights play the ball wide to Leilua and he touches down in the corner for a great try to seal the game.
Newcastle Knights 32-8
Mason and Cuthbertson produce superb offloads, the ball goes to the left and Leilua is over!
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Naiqama caught it in-goal, he races back to the 20m line and they make good ground with the Dogs in disarray.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Sam Perrett cuts inside and dives for the line, but it's a good effort from Darius Boyd to hold him up.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Penalty to the Knights - Robbie Rochow didn't get back the 10m. The Bulldogs resume the attack 25m out from the Knights' line.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Possible try to the Knights - the referee has indicated no try but we'll go upstairs to check. Roberts went short to Snowden who was brought down just short from the line. On the next play Roberts went straight to McManus on the wing who dove for the corner, and it was only a last ditch effort from Inu to knock the ball loose that prevented the try. NO TRY.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Penalty to the Knights - Tolman is pinged for stripping the ball in a two man tackle.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Sure enough, further trouble has erupted. Mason wasn't happy about the tackle on him and got up mouthing off, the Dogs reinforcements came from all directions.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Penalty goal attempt by Kurt Gidley successful.
The Knights elect to further extend the lead.
Barba and Mason are still having a verbal disagreement, the following sets could be interesting.
Newcastle Knights 26-8
Penalty to the Bulldogs - the Bulldogs defence didn't make it back the 10 after McManus' break.
There's some friction between Mason and Barba over the previous tackle on McManus, his leg was caught in an awkward position.
Newcastle Knights 24-8
Eastwood's offload is picked up by Gagai, who goes wider to McManus. McManus is off upfield, finally brought down 20m out.
Newcastle Knights 24-8
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Darius Boyd. Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Tyrone Roberts shows the dummy and skips straight through the Bulldogs' line past a poor effort from Sam Kasiano. Boyd is flying through on his hip, he draws the cover and goes to his fullback for the try. Roberts converts the try he set up and the Knights go further ahead.
Newcastle Knights 24-8
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Sam Kasiano makes an unforced error.
Possibly justice for the dodgy high tackle call, the Knights get the ball back on half way.
Newcastle Knights 18-8
Penalty to the Bulldogs - Travis Waddell collected the falling Dogs attacker high.
Newcastle Knights 18-8
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by James McManus. Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Well, how's that for an exposition of making something from nothing! Boyd got the ball out the back from a slow ruck, flat footed. He looked right, left and put boot to ball, producing a deft grubber behind the line, splitting winger and the fullback in cover to find James McManus who gathered and grounded in a fluid movement to score. Roberts' conversion swings back around to sneak inside the right hand post.
Newcastle Knights 18-8
Penalty to the Knights - and that's four. Ennis has to be told to talk to his players, they aren't getting back and keep infringing in the ruck.
Newcastle Knights 12-8
Penalty to the Knights - three in a row that is, again for slowing the ruck. Knights setting siege to the Bulldogs' line.
Newcastle Knights 12-8
Penalty to the Knights - Cuthbertson and Costigan both made good metres up the middle, the Bulldogs are penalised for a leg pull. Knights attacking the line.
Newcastle Knights 12-8
Penalty to the Knights - Pritchard is pinged for a hand on the ball in the ruck, the Knights restart from inside Bulldogs' territory.
Newcastle Knights 12-8
Hodkinson gets us underway and we're back for the second half.
Newcastle Knights 12-8
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Penalty goal attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson slots the penalty to put his team within 4 at the break.
Newcastle Knights 12-8
Penalty to the Bulldogs - the Knights are penalised for a shoulder charge, Robbie Rochow put a light bump on Hodkinson but it's enough to hand the Bulldogs a penalty 10m out in front of the sticks.
Newcastle Knights 12-6
UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Adam Cuthbertson makes an unforced error.
Cuthbertson puts it down in the tackle 30m out from the line, Bulldogs again on the attack.
Newcastle Knights 12-6
Put that try down to a great team effort. Josh Jackson hit, spun and pushed half through the line on the previous play, putting the Knights in disarray and earning a quick play the ball for his term. The ball goes across field to the left to James Graham, who channels his inner halfback to take on the line and plays the short ball to Frank Pritchard, who runs past a disoriented Robbie Rochow to score.
Newcastle Knights 12-6
Penalty to the Bulldogs - the visitors get a welcome penalty to help them up-field, they'll start this set from just inside the Knights' half.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Josh Morris makes an unforced error.
Morris flew high for the cross-field kick but couldn't take it cleanly, it's ruled a knock-on. The Knights ruck it out from their own 10m line.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
The Knights looked short on the right but Finucane runs it hard and straight, he's been held up over the line.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Penalty to the Bulldogs - Joseph Leilua is penalised for taking out a Bulldogs chaser. He only had eyes for the runner, simple penalty.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
James Graham collects a pass from behind him and goes straight through the Knights line! He's dragged down after making 25m.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Boyd handles the high bomb well but he's crunched on landing. Knights working it out from their own end.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Penalty to the Bulldogs - Kevin Naiqama is penalised for a hand on the ball in the ruck, the Bulldogs will resume from 45m out from their own line.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Mullen's kick trickles dead, the Bulldogs will have the ball from the 20m line.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Gidley scoots on the last, but he's brought down a few metres from the line.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Krisnan Inu makes an unforced error.
Inu drops it cold at dummy half, the Knights will have another chance in good field position as the scrum packs down 30m out from the line.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Penalty to the Bulldogs - Kade Snowden is penalised for holding down too long, the Bulldogs get a piggy-back upfield.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Kevin Naiqama. Conversion attempt by Kurt Gidley successful.
Jarrod Mullen shows great vision and puts in another deft kick, chipping for Kevin Naiqama on the right flank for the try. Gidley slots the conversion.
Newcastle Knights 12-0
Yet another set on the Bulldogs' line for the Knights, a double knock on off Jarrod Mullen's kick is the ruling.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Rochow splits them running another beautiful line, finds Gidley in support and he's brought down just short of the line.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Jarrod Mullen puts in a deft kick for the corner, it's perfectly weighted and the Bulldogs are caught in-goal. The Knights have another chance in good territory off the drop-out.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Penalty to the Knights - after some messy play from the Bulldogs the Knights come up with the ball, and Eastwood has stripped it back off them, but it's ruled there was two in the tackle.
Tony Williams is down in back play, looks to be an ankle issue.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Ben Barba scythes through the Knights line, but finds himself slammed into the ground by Joseph Leilua in a rag-doll tackle. Both teams engage in a bit of push and shove, the tackle is on report and the Bulldogs have a chance on the Knights' line.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Penalty to the Bulldogs - Kurt Gidley has been penalized for a double movement after getting over the line off a Mullen bomb. He's vocal in his opposition to the decision but it's the Bulldogs with the ball 30m out from their own line.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
James McManus slices straight through down the middle of the field, he's brought down by Ben Barba 30m out from the line.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Robbie Rochow. Conversion attempt by Kurt Gidley successful.
A beautiful ball from Kurt Gidley finds Rochow running a brilliant out line, splitting between two Bulldogs defenders and stepping Ben Barba to score.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Penalty to the Knights - the Bulldogs went early off their own line. The Knights have another set on the line.
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Penalty to the Knights - the Bulldogs are penalized for being inside the 10. Mullen finds the line 12m out from the try-line, the Knights have the first chance of the game.
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UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Tony Williams makes an unforced error.
Williams made a bust through the Knights line but was brought down from behind and the ball spilt loose.
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Penalty to the Bulldogs - Joseph Leilua is penalized for having his hand on the ball in the ruck. The Bulldogs find touch on their own 40m line.
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Good afternoon LUers and welcome to live update coverage of this match between the Knights and the Bulldogs from Hunter Stadium in Newcastle.
Just one change from the teams named on Tuesday for the Knights: Akuila Uate has succumbed to an ankle injury and is out of the match, replaced on the wing by Kevin Naiqama in jersey 18. The Bulldogs line up as per the program.
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Knights: 1. Darius Boyd 2. James McManus 3. Dane Gagai 4. Joseph Leilua 5. Akuila Uate 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Kade Snowden 9. Kurt Gidley (C) 10. Willie Mason 11. Robbie Rochow 12. Alex McKinnon 13. David Fa'alogo
Interchange: 14. Travis Waddell 15. Neville Costigan 16. Adam Cuthbertson 17. Korbin Sims
Bulldogs: 1. Ben Barba 2. Mitch Brown 3. Josh Morris 4. Krisnan Inu 5. Sam Perrett 6. Josh Reynolds 7. Trent Hodkinson 8. Aiden Tolman 9. Michael Ennis 10. Sam Kasiano 11. Tony Williams 12. Frank Pritchard 13. Greg Eastwood
Interchange: 14. Dene Halatau 15. Josh Jackson 16. James Graham 17. Dale Finucane 20. Martin Taupau 21. Tim Browne
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Referees & scorers:
Referee: Jason Robinson, Gavin Morris
Touch Judges: Paul Holland, Dave Ryan
Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Justin Morgan
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (44)
Tries: Robbie Rochow, Kurt Gidley, Kevin Naiqama (2), Darius Boyd, James McManus, Joseph Leilua
Field Goals:
Conversions: Kurt Gidley (5/5), Tyrone Roberts (2/2)
Penalty Goals: Kurt Gidley (1/1)
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS (8)
Tries: Frank Pritchard
Field Goals:
Conversions: Trent Hodkinson (1/1)
Penalty Goals: Trent Hodkinson (1/1)