Slow starting Roosters run down Knights

A spirited second half has seen the Sydney Roosters victors 29-12 over the Newcastle Knights tonight at Allianz Stadium in front of just under 10,000 fans.

In a contest that never reached any inspiring heights, it was the visiting Newcastle Knights who started the stronger of the two clubs despite running last coming into the game. The first try for Newcastle was courtesy of Jeremy Smith, who found a yawning gap in the hosts' defence to dive over and snatch an early lead.

The Roosters' performance in the first twenty minutes was error-strewn and continued to invite trouble but eventually they had some ball in the Knights' danger zone and Roger Tuivasa Sheck ran perfectly onto an inside ball to score under the posts, enabling Maloney to level the scores with a conversion.

The last laugh of the first half went to the visitors though with a try to Newcastle through youngster Jake Mamo, tip-toeing along the sideline before planting it down in the corner. Tyrone Roberts' second conversion attempt was also successful, and would see his side to the break as 12-6 leaders.

That's effectively where any hope for Newcastle ended. The Roosters came out fresh in the second half and wasted little time in levelling the scores courtesy of a second try for Tuivasa-Sheck. Subsequent four-pointers (both converted to become six-pointers) through Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Jake Friend saw the Roosters snatch the lead and from there they looked largely untroubled. Both sides fell back into an error-strewn rut after the 60th minute, while on the injury front both Tuivasa-Sheck and Jeremy Smith left the field for their respective sides.

A late Mitchell Pearce field goal and try to Isaac Liu in the corner (off a forward pass, mind you) sealed the game for the hosts, a seventeen point margin ensuring the Roosters would finish the weekend having won seven of their last eight matches.

The win sets the Roosters up perfectly going into next week as they are lucky enough to have the bye, while the Knights quest to avoid the spoon heads home to Hunter Stadium on Monday week when they face the team with the league's worst away record going around... the Cowboys.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS (29)
Tries: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2), Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Jake Friend, Isaac Liu
Field Goals: James Maloney (1/1)
Conversions: James Maloney (4/5)

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (12)
Tries: Jeremy Smith, Jake Mamo
Conversions: Tyrone Roberts (2/2)

Big night at Allianz Stadium for the visiting team - Newcastle have been taken over by the NRL today and with their future settled off the park, it's time for them to step up and have a go at resurrecting an otherwise poor season on the park. The Roosters will want a win to stay in touch with the competition leaders this evening and are the favourites, missing just two backline players to Origin. Team news coming up soon, kickoff 7:30pm.

Newcastle's late changes - Josh Mantellato is OUT - he played NSW Cup earlier today at Henson Park. Kurt Gidley goes to fullback, Jake Mamo moving into Mantellato's vacant wing spot. Adam Clydsdale comes in at hooker, with Travis Waddell the new man on the bench.

Roosters late changes - Kane Evans drops off the bench, meaning Willis Meehan will debut tonight!

Teams coming out onto the park at Allianz. Not a huge crowd in attendance. Kickoff imminent.

1: We are UNDERWAY. Roosters ball first.

3: Newcastle the first to venture into opposition territory tonight. They have a penalty now as well.

5: Decent attacking set but it's a handover on the last for Newcastle. Roosters to work it off their own line.

6: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Anthony Minichiello makes an unforced error.
Ahhh dear. Mini can't handle it and it's a Knights scrum on the Roosters 20m. Danger signs early for the premiers...

7: TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Jeremy Smith. Kick to come.
Jeremy Smith dives over and scores through some very, very poor Roosters defence.

8: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Roberts adds the extras for the visitors.

10: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves makes an unforced error.
Geez, ordinary opening from the hosts. JWH spills it. Claiming a strip but it was ruled an error. Newcastle scrum 30m out.

13: Newcastle utterly dominant so far but the Roosters are really shaky. Too many errors and very unconvincing attack thus far.

14: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Mitchell Pearce makes an unforced error.
Somehow in there it looks like the ref has ruled Pearce knocked it forward into a Knights player but it's clearly the wrong call, other way around.

17: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kick to come.
Roger runs off an inside line and it's just too easy there. That's the Knights of 2014 we're used to. Walked through that hole.

18: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
The BBQ man converts for the Roosters, scores level.

22: End to end footy at the moment. Newcastle lost all the momentum they had early on, Roosters will like their chances now.

28: Knights working it up the park here after sustaining some pressure. Neither side looking too threatening though.

30: Ball going wide for the Roosters... Knights tap it out of the air via Mamo... and into touch. Roosters scrum 10m, more pressure on the Knights here.

31: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Sonny Bill Williams makes an unforced error.
Ohhhhh SBW. Takes the ball too low from Friend and it's a dropsie. Knights scrum.

33: UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Chris Houston makes an unforced error.
Houston runs onto a spiralling pass near the Roosters' line but can't hold it. Roosters with it now.

33: And the Roosters hand it straight back! Knights straight back on the attack!

34: Roberts' grubber on the last is taken well by Mini and the Roosters have it on their own line again.

36: Uate trapped in goal off a long range grubbing kick put on the toe by Pearce. Roosters to receive from a Knights drop-out.

36: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Remi Casty makes an unforced error.
And.... another Roosters error. 11/19 completions so far, not good.

37: Penalty now for the Roosters, set starts inside the Roosters' 40m.

38: VIDEO REFEREE possible Knights TRY to Jake Mamo. Checking grounding in the corner.

38: TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Scored by Jake Mamo. Kick to come.
Great stuff, he keeps himself inside the field of play to score young Mamo. Knights take he lead.

39: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Conversion attempt by Tyrone Roberts successful.
Roberts nails it perfectly from the touchline!

That'll do us for the first forty. Newcastle stunning the premiers with a 12-6 halftime lead!

44: Roosters on the attack here with the second half back on.

46: Roosters put it dead. Knights 20m restart.

49: Knights spill it just over halfway. Roosters scrum.

50: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Kick to come.
RTS gets a double! Poor play from the Knights, spilling a cross-field kick and it's a TRRYYYY!

51: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Jimmy adds two more to level the scores again.

55: VIDEO REFEREE possible TRY to the Roosters. Kenny-Dowall is in.

55: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Shaun Kenny-Dowall. Kick to come.
Kenny-Dowall gets the ball down of a very awkward piece of play. Home side in front for the first time tonight.

59: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney converts for a six point lead.

60: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Jake Friend. Kick to come.
Jake Friend burrows over close to the posts and we're looking at a landslide to the hosts suddenly. Terrible defence Newcastle.

62: SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney successful.
Maloney converts from just beside the posts.

63: The Roosters are just rolling up the park here. Newcastle have run out of gas and it's coincided with the Roosters finding their groove. Could get ugly with just over fifteen left...

67: Roosters threatening the Knights' line again...

69: UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Akuila Uate makes an unforced error.
Akuila of an error by Uate. Roosters scrum 10m from the Knights line. Could put the game away this set...

69: UNFORCED ERROR SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Sam Moa makes an unforced error.
Big tackle on Sam Moa on the next play... dropped. Handling not a priority tonight.

71: Roosters back on the attack again here. Time for the Roosters to put this one to bed, surely.

71: Roger Tuivasa Sheck is off injured. Roosters still on the attack.

72: Jeremy Smith is down clutching at his neck. Looks like some contact from JWH there, alleged forearm... but it's play on.

75: SUCCESSFUL FIELD GOAL SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Field goal attempt by James Maloney successful.
Another one point for the tally. Game over, five to go!

78: TRY SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Scored by Isaac Liu. Kick to come.
Looks like a forward pass out wide but it's a try for Isaac Liu in the corner.

79: UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Conversion attempt by James Maloney unsuccessful.
Maloney misses. Roosters by 17 into the final minute.

Game, set, match. Roosters dominate the second half to beat the Knights 29-12.