FULLTIME - A convincing victory after the Knights after being under the pump in the opening quarter of the game.
Newcastle Knights 34-6
79th Minute: Unneeded penalty from Neville Costigan, striking at the player.
Newcastle Knights 34-6
76th Minute: GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Jarrod Mullen chips one for Uate to compete for and he beats the winger to the ball, spills it back for Boyd to stroll in. Roberts converts.
Newcastle Knights 34-6
Newcastle Knights 34-6
75th Minute: VIDEO REFEREE: Darius Boyd TRY.
Newcastle Knights 28-6
72nd Minute: A last tackle weaving run from Thurston doesn't come off. Changeover.
Newcastle Knights 28-6
70th Minute: Short pass from Thurston to Taumalolo is errant.
Newcastle Knights 28-6
69th Minute: Error off the kick-off from the Knights.
Newcastle Knights 28-6
69th Minute: Pinpoint kick from Mullen found Uate on the chest and he wrests away from two defenders and plants it down. That is curtains for the Cowboys. Roberts from out wide,
Newcastle Knights 28-6
Newcastle Knights 28-6
68th Minute: VIDEO REFEREE: Possible Uate TRY.
Newcastle Knights 22-6
66th Minute: Thurston tries to kick for his centre Brent Tate but McManus is there. Another penalty against the Cowboys for a Thurston strip.
Newcastle Knights 22-6
65th Minute: Penalty against Jeremy Smith. Cowboys will start their set on their own 30 metre line.
Newcastle Knights 22-6
63rd Minute: High shot and Newcastle will get piggybacked out of their own end.
Newcastle Knights 22-6
61st Minute: TRY James McManus! Tyrone Roberts stabs through a perfect kick for James McManus to latch onto and score. Roberts puts it straight over the dot.
Newcastle Knights 22-6
Newcastle Knights 22-6
58th Minute: Knights are just too fast for them here. Darius Boyd pokes his nose through and earns the penalty.
Newcastle Knights 16-6
Roberts from in front slots it.
Newcastle Knights 16-6
Newcastle Knights 16-6
54th Minute: PENALTY for an obvious strip. They opt for the two points.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
53rd Minute: Knights are just dominating physically here tonight, forcing another knock on.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
51st Minute: No cohesion for the Cowboys tonight, Dallas Johnson with the error.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
51st Minute: PENALTY to Taumalolo after a strip.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
50th Minute: Uate has room to motor but he's hemmed in and taken over by several Cowboys defenders.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
49th Minute: Great kick from Jarrod Mullen finds Matthew Bowen out of place and Ashley Graham has to take it dead. DROPOUT.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
43rd Minute: Good hit from Robbie Rochow dislodges the ball from Michael Morgan.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
42nd Minute: Lucky play by Mitchell on last, he scoots from dummy-half earning a penalty otherwise it was a changeover.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
We're back for the second half. Cowboys will kick-off.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
HALFTIME. After a nervy start, Newcastle dominated the half, scoring three tries.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
39th Minute: There is our sixth stoppage for blood in this half. A lot of players being cut tonight.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
37th Minute: Frantic end to the set as the ball rebounds off Michael Morgan and is lost by the Knights.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
36th Minute: Another drop ball from the Cowboys in their own end.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
36th Minute: Quick hands to the left, Anthony Quinn is jarred in the tackle losing the ball.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
35th Minute: Too hard of a pass from Michael Morgan as it rebounds off Tate's chest, knocked on.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
33rd Minute: Good run by Anthony Mitchell undone with a knock on at the end of it.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
31st Minute: Similar play to the second try but instead of hitting the winger, Boyd hits McKinnon who is one on one, strides in for the Knights third TRY. Roberts squeezes this one inside the posts.
Newcastle Knights 14-6
Newcastle Knights 14-6
28th Minute: Momentum has shifted to the Knights, earning them another penalty after some crashing runs.
Newcastle Knights 8-6
27th Minute: Switch play from Mullen sensing an opportunity down the right. Simple catch and pass from McKinnon sends Akuila Uate in for a try. Roberts misses again.
Newcastle Knights 8-6
Newcastle Knights 8-6
25th Minute: Cowboys are caught offside, saving the Knights from handing the ball over from a forward pass. PENALTY.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-4
23rd minute: Jarrod Mullen dummies his way through a hole and saw the tryline, drawing the fullback and sending Buderus over until the hooker dropped the pass. He has bombed a certain try there.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-4
22nd minute: Matthew Scott charges onto the ball, looking to bend the defensive line but he only succeeds in dropping the ball.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-4
22nd Minute: HIGH tackle penalty against Chris Houston.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-4
19th Minute: TRY Tyrone Roberts. A nice pass finds Roberts who dummies, steps and walks in for the opening try for the home side. That was Newcastle's first attacking set as well. Roberts steps up and misses the conversion.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-4
North Queensland Cowboys 6-4
17th Minute: Michael Morgan spills a pass coming from his own end.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-0
16th Minute: Cowboys hand it straight back though with their own knock-on allowing Darisu Boyd to go on a mazing run.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-0
15th Minute: Error by the Knights. Cowboys are coming right back onto the attack.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-0
13th minute: PENALTY to Newcastle, using the head in the ruck.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-0
10th Minute: Gavin Cooper crashes over for the away side after sustained pressure. Thurston curls it inside the posts.
North Queensland Cowboys 6-0
North Queensland Cowboys 6-0
Newcastle have repelled the Cowboys in three forays to their line. Another dropped ball invites North Queensland in again.
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KICK-OFF. Tyrone Roberts boots the ball and we're underway.
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TEAM CHANGES:
NEW: There are several changes for the Knights. Captain Kurt Gidley is out, as is Timana Tahu and Matt Hilder. Neville Costigan and Robbie Rochow have been promoted to the starting side with Danny Buderus, Adam Cuthbertson and debutant Korbin Sims joining the bench.
NTH QLD: Unchanged. 1-17.
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Welcome to a warm Hunter Stadium where the Newcastle Knights return home after being humbled last week at Brookvale Oval, looking to get back into the winner's circle against North Queensland. For the Cowboys, they are also coming off a large loss to the reigning premiers and trying to fix their record in NSW.
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Referees & scorers:
Referee: Jason Robinson, Gavin Morris
Touch Judges: Paul Holland, Dave Ryan
Video Referee: Ashley Klein, Phil Haines
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (34)
Tries: Tyrone Roberts, Akuila Uate (2), Alex McKinnon, James McManus, Darius Boyd
Field Goals:
Conversions: Tyrone Roberts (4/6)
Penalty Goals: Tyrone Roberts (1/1)
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS (6)
Tries: Gavin Cooper
Field Goals:
Conversions: Johnathan Thurston (1/1)
Penalty Goals: