Wow! What a final 20 minutes to that match. The Knights threw everything at the Dragons but were unable to to crack the defense until it was too late.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-16
The Knights go the length of the field and a kick is put in for Uate in the corner for a Try! Gidley misses the conversion and thats the end of that.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-16
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-16
90 seconds left and Soward kicks deep into the Knights in goal. Uate brings it back into the field of play.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Uate stopped on the last tackle again by a superhuman effort from the Dragons to deny them another chance.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
The Knights now giving the Dragons a lesson in offloads and passes as it moves through the hands of just about every Knights player on the field (bench included). Korbin Sims ends up with the ball but is held out half a metre from the try line on the last tackle.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
The Dragons offload at will and put a grubber into the in goal but its expertly cleaned up by Tahu and taken out of the in goal safely.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Newcastle make a midfield attacking raid down the right side but the cut out ball meant for Uate is touched by McKinnon and it goes out over the line.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Cooper with a big tackle on Boyd who is down and looks injured. Replays show nothing in it and Boyd is back up to his feet to play the ball.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Nightingale drops the ball in the tackle and the Knights have it back.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Newcastle have been pinged for a forward pass on their own 20m line.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
The Dragons are running on fumes and the Knights are making great metres however Korbin knocks on the ball. Big let off then as the Knights were really putting a roll on.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
A bomb goes up from the Knights and Soward lets it bounce. Houston picks it up but drops it and Cooper cleans up the ball.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Boyd with a pass out to Tahu who goes out to McManus. McManus streaks down the sideline and finds Tahu in support for a Try! Gidley successfully kicks the goal.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-12
Drainkwater puts Cooper into open space but then knocks it on coming up in support as the defense close in on Cooper. Knights get the ball back through the scrum.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-6
A wayward pass from Rochow and Fien has cleaned it up.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-6
Merrin loses the ball and the Knights have it back inside the Dragons 50.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-6
A kick goes down to Boyd and he runs it back but loses it in the tackle. Stanley passes it out to Frizell and hes over for a try. Soward converts to take the lead beyond 2 converted tries.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-6
St. George Illawarra Dragons 19-6
VIDEO REFEREE - A knock on from Boyd sees Frizell in to the right of the posts. They've gone to the video ref to check the tackle.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
Newcastle diffuse the attacking raid by the Dragons and Boyd cleans it up. Mullen completes the set almost kicking a 40/20 but the ball stopped dead before going out.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
Costigan loses it into a Dragons defender and the Dragons get a scrum feed on halfway.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
Drinkwater kicks the ball but it's gone out dead in goal. The Knights will start on the 20m.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
The Knights complete another set with a high swirling bomb which is safely diffused by Soward.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
TRY - The ball goes out through the hands of Fien and Soward who throws the cut out pass to Nightingale who is in for a try in the corner. Soward misses the conversion.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
St. George Illawarra Dragons 13-6
PENALTY - Prior held down too long in the tackle and the Dragons will take the tap 20m out.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-6
KNOCK ON - Costigan has knocked it on on halfway to give the Dragons a scrum feed on halfway.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-6
Beale has injured his knee and has come off. Drinkwater on in the halves and Soward looks to be at fullback.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-6
TRY! - Gidley through to Boyd and he slices through the defenders to score next to the posts. Gidley puts is dead straight over the black dot.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-6
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-6
Matt Prior knocks on and it'll be a scrum for the Knights right on the halfway line.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
This is better from the Knights and they are making good meters up the field and its put up high by Mullen on the last. Beale takes it comfortably.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
Rein kncocks on close to the Knights line and lets them off the hook.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
Soward attempts to kick long and dead in goal again but Boyd cleans it up this time. It works out better for the Dragons and they drive Boyd back for a goal line drop out.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
We'll be back shortly to continue with the second half. The Dragons have taken this half comfortably, through some great defense. Will the halftime talk rally Newcastle to a comeback or will the Saints go marching into full time with the win?
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
The ball goes out to Soward from Stanley and he kicks a field goal from 40m out. They goto the video ref and it's bounced off the cross bar and through the posts.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
St. George Illawarra Dragons 9-0
Tahu intercepts the Dragons attacking raid and is tackle but gets a pass away that is intercepted by Stanley.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - Hunt earns a penalty after Gidley is called out.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Uate throws a forward pass after almost sending McKinnon in over the line and it's called back by the referee.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - Soward pinged for throwing the ball away.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Soward puts up a bomb and its knocked on by the Dragons in goal for a Knights restart.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - Rochow is penalised for having his hands all over the ball in the tackle.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Soward with another good tackle on Houston who is down and looks to be injured. He gets up and looks to be OK. They put up an attacking bomb and its caught by Boyd but the Dragons have been able to hold them out and the score stays at 8 - 0.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Gidley almost tunnels his way through for a try but is held back by Dragons defenders.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - Dragons give away a penalty after holding down Mullen too long.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Newcastle has a scrum 5m out from the Dragons line.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Another deep, long kick by Soward and its out in goal for another 20m restart for the Knights.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Newcastle put up an attacking bomb and its recovered through Fa'alogo but a wayward pass is put away and Cooper cleans it up.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Rein looks to be ok and they restart. Fien kicks over the sideline for a Knights scrum.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Rein is down and looks to be injured. The clock has been stopped and Drinkwater is warming up on the sidelines.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Soward with a crunching tackle on McKinnon, the Knights complete another set with a kick down field. It's a bit of an arm wrestle at the moment with both teams completing all of their sets comfortably. Only one error recorded so far.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Soward kicks to complete another set and it's gone out over the dead ball line.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Soward kicks into the in goal and it stops dead. Boyd manages to bring it back out into the field of play.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Mullen kicks the ball over the sideline and the Dragons will get a scrum feed from 15m out from their own line.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Soward bombs high in the air and Stanley gets the ball, it goes through the hands but the Kmights are able to recover to stop the attacking raid.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Morris cleans up the ball in goal on the full after a rough kick from Newcastle.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - Tahu held down too long and its a penalty to the Knights.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
The Knights get a scrum after Soward kicks long and it bounces over McManus' head.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
Houston knocks on after a great low tackle from Rein.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - The Knights get a relieving penalty after the Dragons are called for offside.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
TRY! - Trent Merrin with an offload to Stockwell and he gets it out to Cooper who puts Morris in for a try! Soward puts a great curl on the ball and kicks the conversion from the sideline.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
St. George Illawarra Dragons 8-0
PENALTY - The Knights called offside again as Stockwell takes it up. They take the tap this time.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 2-0
Soward kicks early in the tackle count but it's cleaned up by McManus on his own 5m line and they'll work it out of their own half.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 2-0
Frizell with a break down the side but can't find any support. Soward puts up a bomb and theyre going to get the ball back as its been deemed the Knights were offside in getting the ball back from the bomb.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 2-0
Soward kicks the penalty successfully through the posts to take an early 2 point lead.
St. George Illawarra Dragons 2-0
St. George Illawarra Dragons 2-0
PENALTY - Dan Hunt earns a penalty in front after being held down in the tackle for too long.
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The Dragons will get the ball back after kicking deep into the Knights in goal. Boyd takes it out.
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The ball is back with the Dragons through Morris after a Gidley kick. Dragons are 45m out from their own line.
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Fien completes yet another set with a kick down into the Knights in goal. They work it out successfully.
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Newcastle make good metres in that set and it's another one completed with a Mullen kick low along the ground to Beale.
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Sowards kick goes over the sideline and its a scrum to the Knights.
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The Knights complete their first set with a kick from Mullen to Beale on the full.
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Stanley kicking off for the Dragons and the Knights will have the first set.
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A moments silence for Ian Walsh before the kick off.
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The Knights have finalised their squad for this afternoons clash. Tahu has been brought in for Quinn who is out with a suspected elbow injury, while Sims replaced Buderus on the bench.
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Team news for the Dragons is in! The run on squad remains the same with the bench including Harrison, Prior, de Belin and in his NRL debut - Josh Drinkwater.
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Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ben Cummins, Gavin Morris
Touch Judges: Steve Carrall, Jason Walsh
Video Referee: Paul Simpkins, Matt Rodwell
ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS (19)
Tries: Brett Morris, Jason Nightingale, Tyson Frizell
Field Goals: Jamie Soward (1/1)
Conversions: Jamie Soward (2/3)
Penalty Goals: Jamie Soward (1/1)
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (16)
Tries: Darius Boyd, Timana Tahu, Akuila Uate
Field Goals:
Conversions: Kurt Gidley (2/3)
Penalty Goals: