Newcastle crack 50 with help from Titans

The Gold Coast Titans travelled to Newcastle to help the Novocastrians give their fans this season's first half century when the Knights made easy meat of some weak defence to smash the Titans 50-20.

The Titans started well and took a deserved lead very early on putting on a try in the fifth minute. The Gold Coast attack was very threatening and got full reward when Bird forced a kick return free from Uate to set up the play that pu Mead nto core the game's first points.

Determined to be gracious guests, Gold Coast gave Newcastle the opportunity to take the lead right back, conceding penalties to allow Newcastle on the attack. Newcastle capitalsed on the penalties utilising them for all their first half tries. The Titans conceded their first penalty in the tenth minute and points followed through McManus being put in to score, Gidley converted and scores were level.

Gold Coast conceded their next penalty in the 16th minute and again Newcastle points followed, this time through opposite winger Uate, Gidley failed to convert on this occasion making the Titans' path back into the game appear present.  This disappeared when they conceded another penalty and another Uate try ensued putting Newcastle ten points ahead.

Gold Coast were finally given some ball to play with and their attack looked like fighting for the game. n the 34th minute Prince created a solo try and converted to claw the deficit back to 4. Gold Coast conceded one more penalty in the half but for the first time did not allow points to ensue, finding their way to half time with Newcastle ahead by only 4 with a 16-12 lead.

The game was poised for a contest coming out of the half time interval, the Gold Coast defence however did not looking very flimsy through out the half to help Newcastle become the 2011 season's first team to crack 50 points in a match. Newcastle grabbed a hold of the second half early turning the opening play into James McManus's second try.

In the play the immediately followed the kick off, Gold Coast conceded yet another penalty to lead to another Newcastle try in the space of three minutes, this to Ciraldo who just strolled through to score. The Titans had their first touch of the football for the second half in the 48th minute but forgot how to hold on to the ball, dropping it twice before showing Newcastle to their try line. MacDougall accepted the invitation scoring a try in the 51st minute. 

Newcastle were quick to return the favour inviting Gold Coast to their try line with a penalty in the 54th minute. The Titans looked good in offence and Greg Bird claimed the try making a come back look possible however unlikely give the Gold Coast side's terrible defence.

A Gold Coast error ensured there was was no way back into the game for the Titans after the Knights went onto the attack collecting a Minichiello mistake. Following the error, Uate claimed his third try in the 61st minute and the Knights hit 40 points. The Knights proceeded to claim their 8th try soon after through Lulia.

In an effort to prove that their defence could be just as flimsy as the Titans', Newcastle conceded a very soft try in the 70th minute, when Bodene Thompson was allowed to stroll through to help the Gold Coast to 20 points for the match. Newcastle were six short of the half century but had to pursue them without captain Gidley who left the field 6 minutes early with a hamstring complaint.

Newcastle still had their own milestone to reach and did so in the final minute of the game, when Stig was asked to take over the goal kicking duties with Gidley off the field. Stig successfully converted the try scored by Costigan and Newcastle celebrated a 30 point victory defeating the Titans 50 points to 20.

More to follow ...

Match Details
Newcastle Knights 50 defeated Gold Coast Titans 20