Broncos end Year of the Knight

Finals 2006 Week 2
Newcastle Knights 6 v Brisbane Broncos 50
at Aussie Stadium
Referee: Steven Clark
Crowd: 22,081

Match Summary:
Newcastle?s season has ended in dramatic circumstances at Aussie Stadium in Sydney tonight, going down to the Brisbane Broncos 50 to 6. Brisbane led 24-0 at the break before scoring four tries to one in the second half. It is the Broncos? first victory in September since week one in 2002 at ANZ Stadium against Parramatta.

The signs were ominous for the Knights in the opening stages, after captain Andrew Johns missed a penalty goal attempt. The Broncos opened the scoring just a quarter of an hour later with a long ball from Lockyer finding Hodges who put Stagg away on the western touchline to open the scoring for the match.

Just a few minutes later, the Broncos had their second of many for the evening as a flick pass from Hunt found Tate who stepped through some ordinary defence to score near the posts. Both these tries were on the back of poor ball control from the Novocastrians.

With the scoreboard reading 18-0 to the Broncos with just a minute left in the first half, hooker Shaun Berrigan struck a big blow to the Knights on the stroke of halftime. Berrigan caught the Knights? marker defence napping on halfway and went straight through. He picked up Australian fullback Karmichael Hunt back on the inside and the Broncos went to the break up by 24 points.

The game was put out of reach of Newcastle with a Corey Parker penalty just after the interval, while the floodgates were opened just five minutes later when back rower Dane Carlaw crossed the stripe from close range to stretch the margin out to more than five converted tries.

With the score at the half century mark with twenty minutes remaining, Brisbane captain Darren Lockyer got a spell from coach Wayne Bennett. The bench for the Broncos with just 10 minutes remaining then was Webcke, Lockyer, Berrigan and Civoniceva.

The crowd was 22,081 that can be seen as quite reasonable with two out of towners taking part. However, it would have been good to move the game to Brisbane, where the game would have been able to get a sell out of 50,000.

Kurt Gidley crossed for Newcastle?s only try just two minutes from time, however it was Brisbane?s night as they ran out victors 50-6. This was the last game for Brian Carney at the Knights as he moves to play for the Titans next season while prop Craig Smith will retire from the game of football.

The Broncos live to fight another day in 2006, as they go on to meet the Bulldogs at Aussie Stadium next Friday night for a chance to play in the Grand Final.

Scorers:
Newcastle Knights: 6
Tries: Kurt Gidley
Goals: Andrew Johns 1/2
Brisbane Broncos: 50
Tries: Dane Carlaw, Petero Civoniceva, Justin Hodges, Karmichael Hunt, Darren Lockyer, David Stagg, Brent Tate, Darius Boyd
Goals: Darren Lockyer 1/1, Corey Parker 8/8

By the Clock:
The Jersey Flegg match has come to an end between the second placed Roosters and sixth placed Bulldogs.In the end the Bulldogs have just got home 22-18 and eliminate their arch rivals.The Doggies now go on to play the Panthers next weekend.

Now Balmain-Ryde are taking on Manly in Premier League.The Tigers lead Manly 14-8 with 10 to go till halftime.Halftime now and Manly lead the Tigers 20-14.We now have a finish on our hands here with Manly leading 26-20.

A classic end to the Premier League fixture as Manly knockout Balmain-Ryde by 32 to 26.Now First Grade is just around the corner...

Steve Simpson is out for the Knights,with Reynoldson coming in to the 2nd row and Todd Lowrie comes on to the bench replacing Daniel Abraham.Luke Quigley has big shoes to fill tonight in the hooking position,replacing the suspended Danny Buderus.

Brisbane are as per the program,with Karmichael Hunt coming back on to the wing replacing Tame Tupou.A crowd of around 20000 currently here inside Aussie Stadium,the venue of two out of town sides.

Brisbane are in the tunnel,led out by captain Darren Lockyer in the white away jerseys.

Now here come Newcastle,in their home navy jerseys,despite being lower on the ladder than Brisbane,led out by Matt Gidley.

Your referee is Steven Clark in the green and black.

1 min: Brisbane kickoff!

2 min: After a penalty against Brisbane on the second tackle for a hand on the ball.The Knights go on the attack and force a repeat set.

4 min: ATTEMPTED PENALTY GOAL Newcastle Knights
After another penalty for a hand in the play the ball,Johns takes a shot at goal from 30 out right in front, misses to the right and goes dead.
0 all.

7 min: Brent Tate dives for the line for the Broncos however some great cover defence holds him up in goal.

8 min: Brent Tate chips over the top on the last tackle and looks to be taken out by referee Clark rules play on.

11 min: A penalty against Matt Gidley for a high tackle and Kurt Gidley runs in to defend his brother and could have been sinbinned for a 3rd man in.

12 min: The Broncos are on the attack but a poor crossfield kick from Lockyer goes out on the full.

16 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
The Knights keep dropping ball in their own red zone and finally the crack as numbers open up on the left hand flank.A long ball from Lockyer finds Hodges who hits Stagg on the wing who dives for the corner to score.
Lockyer's kick is a ripper from the sideline.
Broncos 6-0

19 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
Once again the Knights knock on in their own quarter and send the Broncos on the attack.The ball goes out to the right hand side and centre Brent Tate latches on to a Karmichael Hunt flick pass who strolls through some poor Newcastle defence to score.
Parker converts.
Broncos 12-0

21 min: Josh Perry goes up the tunnel for Newcastle.

27 min: A grubber from Andrew Johns hits the post but luckily Shane Perry is there to clean up the scraps.

28 min: Josh Perry has a bruised hip but will be back.

29 min: Karmicharl Hunt hit in an absolute ripping shoulder charge from Matt Gidley on a kick return.

31 min: Kurt Gidley makes a break midfield and on the next tackle a pass is knocked down by Brent Tate.

33 min: Some great ball movement by the Broncos finds Boyd in open space who chips over the top of Gidley however Lowrie gets back in time but it is a goal line dropout.

33 min: Checking for a Broncos try..

35 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
A stabbing grubber kick through by Lockyer and out of no where like a thief in the night Hodges somehow gets the ball done.
Parker converts from out wide.
Broncos 18-0

38 min: Kurt Gidley goes on a 60m run from a grubber kick.On the next play a pass is knocked down by Shane Perry and the Knights get a repeat set.

40 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
Berrigan goes straight through the marker area on halfway and finds Hunt backing up on the inside who stolls away to score under the posts.A big blow for Newcastle on halftime.
Parker converts.
Broncos 24-0

Halftime - The Broncos have dominated the first half as the scoreboard shows.This is on the back of poor defence and ball control from the Knights.Newcastle have completed 15/21 sets while Brisbane 19/24.Newcastle have missed 21 tackles to the Broncos'15.Newcastle must score next.

41 min: Second half underway!

43 min: PENALTY GOAL Brisbane Broncos
A penalty against Newcastle for a slow play the ball and from 38m out Corey Parker slots the kick.Surely Newcastle can't come back now.
Broncos 26-0

46 min: A goal line dropout for the Knights and it is dropped by Smith!Josh Perry also won't be back with a rib problem.

48 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
The whitewash continues as on the back of Smith's blunder,Dane Carlaw barges over from close range on the next set to seal the match.
Parker converts the try.
Broncos 32-0

52 min: Checking for a Broncos try...

53 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
The murder at Aussie Stadium continues as a Refs Call decision from the video referee is awarded and Steve Clark rules try judging that Civoniceva put the ball on the line.
Parker converts from next to the posts.
Broncos 38-0

55 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
As the ball goes to ground on the right hand side,Tate goes down the touchline and throws a ball back inside to Lockyer who scores under the posts.
Parker converts and the romp continues.
Broncos 44-0

59 min: TRY Brisbane Broncos
One of the tries of the year which goes through a thousand sets of hands before Lockyer throws a long cut out pass to Boyd who runs around to score under the posts.Brisbane hit the half century still with twenty minutes remaining.
Broncos 50-0

64 min: Captain Darren Lockyer gets a well earned rest.

74 min: A bombed try by the Broncos as Carroll goes through a gap on tackle 5,finds Boyd on the sideline who should have passed back to Carroll for the try but went himself and lost the ball.

75 min: Crowd - 22,081

78 min: TRY Newcastle Knights
It has taken them almost the whole match and finally the Knights have their first try.Andrew Johns on the eastern sideline turns the ball back on the inside to Kurt Gidley who scores outwide.
Johns kicks the goal from the sideline.
Broncos 50-6

Fulltime - The Knights have been eliminated in the worst possible fashion while the Broncos have advanced to week three of the finals and will take on Canterbury back at Aussie Stadium next Friday night.
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Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 - Shaun Berrigan
2 - Darren Lockyer
1 - Petero Civoniceva
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