Match Centre

FULL TIME at ANZ Stadium and Souths have showed why they are top of the NRL at the moment, fought hard without their big stars but still ground out an impressive win after trailing by 12 points early on in the game

South Sydney Rabbitohs 25-18

Inside the final 30 seconds and Souths will look to play risk free football

South Sydney Rabbitohs 25-18

Knights try the short kickoff but doesn't work and Souths get the ball back from the scrum

South Sydney Rabbitohs 25-18

Knights grubber it on tackle four and goes touch in goal.

South Sydney Rabbitohs 24-18

PENALTY - Isaac Luke penalised for knocking the ball out of the hands of Kevin Naiqama, Knights go down field and get over halfway

South Sydney Rabbitohs 24-18

Tyrone Roberts with a slips like catch, takes a Adam Reynolds kick 10m out from his own line

South Sydney Rabbitohs 24-18

Souths come up with the ball after Isaac Luke gets his second one-on-one strip of the match, Souths just 30m out from the Knights line

South Sydney Rabbitohs 24-18

Jarrod Mullen puts the ball high and taken beautifully by Dylan Walker who gets the ball back out to the 30m

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

CROWD FIGURE: 13,255 a tad disappointing but considering the weather conditions in Sydney today is quite good considering Souths missing several starts

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

But before we can get play back going the medicab has to come out and take Beau Champion off the field with what could be a serious ankle injury

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

Isaac Luke placed on REPORT by referee Gavin Badger, Knights get the penalty 10m out from the Souths line

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

Beau Champion and Tyrone Roberts are down injured after Roberts makes an error, but referee Alan Shortall has given a tip off to the other referee Gavin Badger about an Isaac Luke shoulder charge, so we should see a penalty and possibly place it on report

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

Knights force a line dropout after Andrew Everingham has to take the ball dead

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

PENALTY - Knights get their third penalty of the game and will be happy with the piggy back down field

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

All the momentum looks to be with Souths at the moment, ahead on the scoreboard as well has being well in front of a one sided penalty count

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18-12

PENALTY - Knights concede their eighth penalty of the half this time against Jeremy Smith

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10 minutes gone in the second half and still no change to the halftime score, neither side really looking likely to score

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Jarrod Mullen only just misses out on his second 40/20 with the ball going into touch just 1m short of the 20m line, Souths with possession

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Both sides look to be playing risk free football although the Rabbitohs won't be happy with their second half completions

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PENALTY - Newcastle get just their second penalty off the match, which will let them get away from their own line

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Isaac Luke takes a 1 on 1 strip and gets to halfway before he was taken down

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Second Half underway and this time its Souths who have the first possession of the half

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HALF TIME at ANZ Stadium and its all square at 12-12 with both sides scoring 2 converted tries, Knights looked the better side in the opening 20 but a 7-1 penalty count has helped the Rabbitohs back level

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PENALTY - Knights penalised yet again this time for Joey Leilua being offside from the kick, Penalty count now 7-1 to Souths

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Souths release the pressure on the Knights with an error 30m out from the Knights line

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South Sydney get their third set in a row as Jarrod Mullen is taken down in goal after Kevin Naiqama is unable to clean up the kick on his on goal line

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A good kick from John Sutton secures Souths a repeat set after Josh Mantellato has to push the ball over the dead ball line

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VIDEO REFEREE's put up the red lights and South Sydney get possession as it was the last tackle

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VIDEO REFEREE - Checking a possible Knights try, Joey Leilua the possible tryscorer, Referee Gavin Badger says no try and wants the video referees to check grounding from a different angle

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While Alex McKinnon gets stretchered off with what could be a serious ankle injury, some trivia it is Wayne Bennett's 669th game as head coach equalling with Tim Sheens record

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TIME OFF at ANZ Stadium with Alex McKinnon receiving attention with a nasty head gash and as well as what could be a serious ankle injury

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Knights manage to force the ball loose from the Rabbitohs and go on the attack inside the Souths 10m

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PENALTY - Souths get their 5th penalty of the half and keeps the pressure on the Knights

Newcastle Knights 12-6

PENALTY - Souths get another penalty, this time its against Adam Cuthbertson for being late into the tackle as well as being too slow away, Penalty count now 4-1 to Souths

Newcastle Knights 12-6

Beau Champion told by the referees to clean his face up with blood streaming from his nose

Newcastle Knights 12-0

PENALTY - South Sydney get their third penalty of the game, go on the attack from the touch finder 40m out from Knights line

Newcastle Knights 12-0

A poor Adam Reynolds kick gives James McManus and the Knights a free passage back to the 20m

Newcastle Knights 12-0

South Sydney get a repeat set after Dylan Walker slams the Newcastle defender in goal

Newcastle Knights 12-0

PENALTY - South Sydney get their second penalty of the game after Tyrone Roberts ruled to be too slow away from the tackle

Newcastle Knights 12-0

South Sydney make an error on the set from the dropout giving Newcastle possession in their own half

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Some good work from John Sutton gives Souths a repeat set after trapping knights debutant Josh Mantellato in goal

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PENALTY - South Sydney get their first penalty of the night, Knights being penalised for being inside the 10m, Referee Gavin Badger telling Jarrod Mullen that they were offside for 2 plays in a row

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Both sides playing risk free Football at the moment, just looking like they are both seeing where the weaknesses lie

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Some good work from Dylan Walker diffuses a Tyrone Roberts bomb and gets into the field of play to give Souths the ball

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PENALTY - Knights get the opening penalty after South Sydney have been ruled to have stripped the ball out of the tackle, Knights go on the attack

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Game Underway with the badge (referee Gavin Badger) calling time on, Newcastle have first possession

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Sides about to head out to a soggy ANZ Stadium tonight, Rain been around since mid afternoon, hopefully it doesn't get too damaged for origin on Wednesday night

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A big challenge for South Sydney tonight with a few Origin stars missing in Greg Inglis, Ben Te'o and Chris McQueen, plus Sam Burgess' suspension draining their second-row stocks. In TEAM NEWS, they lose big Sam, who's replaced in jersey #16 by Jeff Lima, with Josh Starling and Luke Keary coming onto the bench. Justin Hunt is the player left out.
For Newcastle, Peter Mata'utia is out replaced by Josh Mantellato on the wing, while Adam Clydsdale is out with illness, his replacement on the bench is Matt Hilder.

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Rabbitohs: 1. Nathan Merritt 2. Andrew Everingham 3. Beau Champion 4. Dylan Walker 5. Bryson Goodwin 6. John Sutton 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Dave Tyrrell 9. Issac Luke 10. Roy Asotasi 11. Ben Lowe 16. Jeff Lima 13. Nathan Peats
Interchange: 15. Jason Clark 17. George Burgess 18. Josh Starling 19. Luke Keary

Knights: 1. Kevin Naiqama 2. James McManus 3. Dane Gagai 4. Joseph Leilua 18. Josh Mantellato 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Kade Snowden 9. Travis Waddell 10. Willie Mason 11. Robbie Rochow 12. Alex McKinnon 13. Jeremy Smith
Interchange: 15. David Fa'alogo 16. Adam Cuthbertson 17. Korbin Sims 19. Matt Hilder

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