Clinical first half sees Roosters down Newcastle

A near-flawless first 40 minutes has seen the Roosters put the Knights to the sword 38-22 at Hunter Stadium today in front of 17,718 fans.

It wasn't all Roosters - the Newcastle side pushed hard in the second half to peg back the margin to just ten points going into the final fifteen minutes.

After leading 26-0 at the break, the Roosters looked likely to keep going with their rampage when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck scored just a minute after the resumption of play, but the Knights were able to hold the visitors to 32 points for most of the rest of the half before running in 22 points of their own. Sione Mata'utia kick-started the resurgence just a few minutes later, with a treble of tries between the 60th and 70th minute came through Tapine, Smith and Gidley to help the hosts cut the margin to 10 points.

A late converted try to LeagueUnlimited.com Man of the Match James Maloney sealed the result for the premiership favourites.

Earlier, the Roosters had dominated proceedings, opening their account down the left flank in the 8th minute with an easy try to Daniel Tupou. Newcastle's feeble defence continued to be exposed down the right edge five minutes later when Brendan Elliott dotted down out wide.

While Newcastle held the Roosters out for fifteen minutes in the middle of the half, the Roosters surged further ahead when Roger Tuivasa-Sheck bagged the first two of his three tries for the day after the 30th minute, before Kane Evans completed the side's near-perfect first forty with a try of his own before the break.

The Knights will get a chance to lift themselves off the bottom next Saturday afternoon when they head to Campbelltown for a potential wooden spoon playoff against the Wests Tigers, while the Roosters are at home to the Eels as they continue to chase down the minor premiership on Saturday night.

Match Details

Newcastle Knights 22 Sydney Roosters 38
Venue: Hunter Stadium
Crowd: 17718
Halftime Score: Newcastle Knights 0 Sydney Roosters 26

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (22)
Tries: Sione Mata'utia, Joseph Tapine, Jeremy Smith, Kurt Gidley
Conversions: Tyrone Roberts (3/4)

SYDNEY ROOSTERS (38)
Tries: Daniel Tupou, James Maloney, Brendan Elliott, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (3), Kane Evans
Conversions: James Maloney (5/7)

LeagueUnlimited.com Players of the Match:

3 points - James Maloney
2 points - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
1 point - Kurt Gidley

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary

Welcome to our coverage of Sunday ... well, evening footy. The last-placed Newcastle are at home to the Roosters who will be looking to make themselves the only top four side this weekend to record a win. Such a win for the Tricolours will ultimately push them within swiping distance of the top two pair of Brisbane and the Cowboys - and an outside chance of snagging the minor premiership!

The TEAM NEWS is plentiful today - Newcastle have lost four of their named side from Tuesday while the Roosters have opted to rest Mitchell Pearce and Shaun Kenny-Dowall. There are plenty of changes which you can find simply by clicking here.

UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Nathan Ross makes an unforced error.
Ross spills it from the kickoff. Not the best start for the Knights.

2: Brendan Elliott goes out trying to ground it in the corner. Knights scrum.

5: End to end stuff since the pacey opening set. Both sides just working it up to halfway and kicking deep.

7: First penalty of the evening goes to the Roosters, Beau Scott dangerous tackle.

8: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Daniel Tupou. Kick to come.
Too easy, Tupou! The Roosters find the numbers to the left and the up-and-in Knights defence is caught short in the corner.

10: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney unsuccessful.
Nice strike by Maloney from the sideline, but it fades away at the end. No goal.

12: UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Akuila Uate makes an unforced error.
Butterfingers for Uate. Roosters scrum 10m from the Knights line...

13: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Brendan Elliott. Kick to come.
Elliott won't be denied this time, and the defence from Newcastle... just... yeah. Great try Roosters!

14: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney unsuccessful.
This one is off the upright. Could these misses come back to haunt the Roosters?

16: Friend kicks on the last, Gidley's trailing back and JWH! BOOM! He nails him in-goal. Drop-out Knights.

17: Nathan Ross down after a heavy hit from Dylan Napa. Nope, he's ok. Up and on we go.

21: Newcastle starting to wrestle back a bit of control here, only trailing by eight.

23: Roosters penalty on halfway after Jeremy Smith committed what realistically should've been a professional foul & sin bin. The tricolours attack now.

24: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Michael Jennings makes an unforced error.
Jenko can't handle a pass and it's back to Newcastle with a scrum 10m from their own line.

28: After a hectic start this one has really calmed down. Knights starting to find more starch in defence while the Roosters keep pushing up the park.

30: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kick to come.
Normal transmission resumes, RTS benefits from the beautiful wrap-around play by Maloney to score 10m to the left of the sticks.

32: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Third time lucky.

35: VIDEO REF | Possible Roosters TRY to Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Checking onside.

35: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kick to come.
A double for RTS and the Knights are disintegrating before everyone's eyes. Too easy, he just plucked it out of the air.

36: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
From beside the posts, Maloney makes the margin twenty.

37: VIDEO REF | We're going back upstairs, Nathan Ross has missed a catch at a regulation kick and Kane Evans and that amazing hairstyle have followed through on the chase, looks good to us.

37: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Kane Evans. Kick to come.
This could be anything. Evans has capitalised on the Ross error to score.

38: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
This is getting ugly.

40: Halftime at Hunter Stadium and the Roosters have one hand on the two competition points. Can the Knights salvage anything?

41: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kick to come.
HAT TRICK! Roger is in for another and that is NOT how the Newcastle faithful would've liked to start the second.

42: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Geez this is good for the Roosters for-and-against...

44: TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Sione Mata'utia. Kick to come.
Sione! The Knights just drive to the line on the left edge and Mata'utia gets it down. Newcastle on the board!!

45: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Superb sideline effort from Tyrone. Newcastle having a dig here, hopefully they make the scoreline a bit more respectable.

50: Newcastle hand possession over to the Roosters through Aiden Guerra near halfway. Guerra's able to break away and push the Roosters deep into the Knights' half!

55: Not much to miss in the last five minutes, just our friends at the FTA broadcaster plugging their own shows and each side attempted to throw punches which are really just either slaps or shirt-pulls.

56: RTS FOR FOUR! Nope, the pass to him was forward. Newcastle scrum 20m from the Roosters' line.

57: VIDEO REF | Possible Knights try, Klein says NO TRY for Akuila Uate. Checking earlier possible knock-on and then potential obstruction.

57: NO TRY. Knock on against Jeremy Smith. Roosters scrum on their own 10m.

60: TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Joseph Tapine. Kick to come.
RTS is human! Tapine is on the spot after Tuivasa-Sheck bumbles a Tyrone Roberts grubber.

61: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Twenty points the margin now.

63: TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Jeremy Smith. Kick to come.
RTS AGAIN! Hero to villain for the visitors now, he's spilled it straight into Gidley who finds Smith in support. Knights back in it!

64: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Tyrone converts and now the margin is just fourteen points...

65: Penalty Newcastle, Levi upended into a dangerous position by the Roosters defence. Newcastle attack from 22m out.

67: If they want to pull off a miracle upset, Newcastle need to work a try into this set... but Mata'utia has it on the short side on the last and is held 35m out. Roosters ball.

68: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Kane Evans makes an unforced error.
Evans loses it next play! Knights ball 30m out!!

69: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Blake Ferguson makes an unforced error.
Ferguson desperately gets fingertips to a cut-out pass and it flies into touch. Scrum Newcastle 10m out...

70: VIDEO REF | Gidley's claiming a try for Newcastle! Checking grounding...

70: TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Kurt Gidley. Kick to come.
Gidley's burrowed over! What a comeback from the home side.

70: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts unsuccessful.
Roberts rushes the conversion and it hits the post. No goal.

71: Newcastle with a penalty late in the set. Knights on the front foot massively here.

72: ANOTHER PENALTY! Jennings smacks Houston in the face accidentally. Newcastle lead the penalty count 8-5.

73: Gidley winds up behind two lead runners and concedes an obstruction penalty. Backs it up with being marched 10m for dissent, a couple of choice words for Klein from the Knights' captain.

75: Roosters steam up the other end and force a drop out.

76: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by James Maloney. Kick to come.
That's the game folks! The Novocastrians start streaming out of the ground as Maloney darts through the line to cap a nervous win for the Roosters.

77: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney caps off a solid day at the office with his fifth goal.

79: UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Chris Houston makes an unforced error.
No luck for the Knights late here, Houston tries to find Gidley but the pass is called forward.

That will do us folks. Clinical first half gets the Roosters home over a spirited Newcastle outfit who launched an impressive comeback.