Full Time
80:00
5:30pm Sat April 21, 2018
Round 7 - Scully Park, Tamworth / Kamilaroi - Crowd: 10082
80min

And that's the game! An exciting game of Rugby League, and the Knights have come away with the game 22-20.

79min

Marshall goes for a short kick off, but the Knights pick it up.

79min

The Knights will need to hold on for 30 seconds...

79min

Conversion: Knights
Attempted by Ken Sio.

Ken Sio attempts the conversion from the right sideline this time. It's again across the face of the goal.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 20 - 22 Knights
79min

Try: Knights
Scored by Shaun Kenny-dowall. Kick to come.

But it doesn't matter! Buhrer kicks on the last, across field, and SKD is there to catch it and muscle his way over for a try. Absolute rocks and diamonds this bloke!

Knights lead Wests Tigers 20 - 22 Knights
78min

Ponga almost gets to the line, but it stopped just short.

77min

SKD milks a penalty, and the Knights kick their way downfield.

77min

Brooks gets tackled with the ball on the last, and the Knights will need to go 95 metres.

75min

Mitchell Pearce is leaving the field now for a Head Injury Assessment.

75min

But Ese'ese loses the ball after the Tigers' arm knocks it out.

75min

A seven tackle set for the Knights, after Marshall's kick goes astray.

72min

The Knights kick high on the last. SKD comes down with it, and attempts a pass, but the ball goes to ground.

71min

Conversion: Knights
Attempted by Kalyn Ponga.

Ponga lines up from the left sideline, but he floats it across the face of goal.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 20 - 18 Knights
71min

Try: Knights
Scored by Ken Sio. Kick to come.

It's a try! Sio gets a hattrick, and Ponga will line up the conversion attempt to tie the game.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 20 - 18 Knights
70min

Ken Sio looks to have scored in the corner for his third! We're going to the bunker...

70min

It's no try. No surprise there.

70min

We're going to the bunker, but it's most likely a no try, with Fitzgibbon held up over the line. The Knights are looking dangerous though.

69min

Massive penalty to the Knights. The Tigers are penalised for blocking, with Brooks just taking out the kick chaser on the way through.

69min

A contested bomb on the Tigers' 10 metre line, but Malakai Watene-Zelezniak is up to the task.

67min

The Knights really lifting the intensity in defence. The Tigers have only made 20 metres from their set.

66min

Penalty Goal: Wests Tigers
Kicked by Esan Marsters.

Marsters takes the two, and the Tigers are back to a converted try in front.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 20 - 14 Knights
64min

Thompson makes a break, and it's Ponga again that cleans up. Fitzgibbon then concedes a penalty only metres from his tryline. The Tigers opt for the 2.

63min

Brooks kick back inside on the last, but Ponga reads it well and gets underneath it. He's then buckled under an awkward tackle, but he's ok.

62min

The Knights kick deep on the last from well within their own half.

61min

Conversion: Knights
Attempted by Kalyn Ponga.

Ponga fails with the conversion attempt.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 18 - 14 Knights
60min

Try: Knights
Scored by Ken Sio. Kick to come.

And it's a try! Some great work on the left edge - a decoy, and Sio scores untouched in the corner.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 18 - 14 Knights
59min

We're going to the bunker again for another possible try to Ken Sio. Just checking the grounding.

58min

A knock on against the Tigers.

56min

It's Rochow's turn for a heavy hit now, smashing Jamie Buhrer. Absolute hospital ball there from Guerra.

54min

Brooks kicks early looking for a 40/20, but Ponga is back there and cleans up easily.

54min

Ponga throws a long cut out ball, but it goes behind his outside men. Try opportunity gone begging.

53min

The Tigers are penalised, and the Knights will attack from within ten metres with a fresh set.

52min

Yates with another belter of a tackle. He then gets a foot in the way of the play the ball, and the ref calls it sloppy against the Tigers. Perhaps an even up?

50min

Conversion: Wests Tigers
Kicked by Esan Marsters.

Marsters again converts.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 18 - 10 Knights
49min

Try: Wests Tigers
Scored by Corey Thompson. Kick to come.

And off the back of that, another try to the Tigers. The Knights' defence has gone to pieces so far in the second half.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 16 - 10 Knights
48min

Luke Yates makes a massive tackle of Taylor. It's a great tackle, but the referees rule it high. Yet another shit call against the Knights. Taylor is off for a Head Injury Assessment.

46min

Conversion: Wests Tigers
Kicked by Esan Marsters.

Marsters converts the try, and the Tigers take the lead.

Wests Tigers lead Wests Tigers 12 - 10 Knights
46min

Try: Wests Tigers
Scored by Kevin Naiqama. Kick to come.

It's a try! Naiqama reaps the rewards after a dropped bomb from Kenny-dowall.

Tied up at Wests Tigers 10 - 10 Knights
45min

Marshall kicks from the right sideline back in field, and Shaun Kenny-dowall makes a mess of things. We're going to the video referee for a possible Tigers try.

43min

Conversion: Wests Tigers
Kicked by Esan Marsters.

Marsters adds the extras.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 6 - 10 Knights
42min

Try: Wests Tigers
Scored by Michael Chee Kam. Kick to come.

A knock down, and the tackle count restarts for the Tigers. A no look pass from Brooks and Michael Chee Kam scores under the posts.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 4 - 10 Knights
41min

A good set from the Tigers here, making 60 metres. They kick high on the last, and SKD takes it within his in goal. The refs miss it, and he's forced to play on.

40min

The second half gets underway, and Twal gets monstered from the kickoff.

40min

The dropout goes 60 meters on the fly, and the Tigers only manage 2 tackles after the kick. The Knights go the break leading 10-0.

39min

The Tigers kick into the in goal, but Pearce bats it over the dead ball line. Pearce is having a massive game.

38min

Ken Sio knocks the ball on from a kick, and the Tigers will get a set attacking the Knights' line with 90 seconds remaining.

37min

Pearce drums a kick into touch to get his team a bit of breathing space.

37min

Conversion: Knights
Kicked by Kalyn Ponga.

This time Ponga nails the conversion.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 0 - 10 Knights
36min

Try: Knights
Scored by Mitchell Pearce. Kick to come.

And now Pearce does it all himself! A slicing run, straight through the middle of the ruck, some lazy defenders, and a yawning gap. Another try for the Knights.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 0 - 8 Knights
35min

Another penalty for the Knights, and they'll start a set just their side of halfway.

34min

Pearces goes high on the last again - Malakai Watene-Zelezniak almost drops it, but regathers at the last second.

33min

Benji Marshall is leaving the field for an HIA.

32min

The Knights making good metres down the field at the moment. On the last, Pearce kicks high but the Tigers blockers stop the Knights' chasers from getting through.

31min

A let off for the Knights, with David Nofoaluma losing the ball in the tackle.

29min

The Tigers kick into the in goal. The Knights valiantly try to get the ball out of their in goal but the drop out is forced.

22min

Conversion: Knights
Attempted by Kalyn Ponga.

Ponga has no luck with the conversion attempt.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 0 - 4 Knights
21min

Try: Knights
Scored by Ken Sio. Kick to come.

Finally, the Knights have broken the Tigers defence! Ponga sends a cut out ball to Ken Sio, who crashes over the line to get the first try of the game.

Knights lead Wests Tigers 0 - 4 Knights
17min

Sione Mata'utia kicks early in the set, but it's easily cleaned up by the Tigers.

16min

The Knights with all the ball at the moment, but not able to convert it into points.

14min

An injury to Malakai Watene-Zelezniak - looks to be a knee injury, but he's in a bit of pain.

13min

Pearce attempts a 40/20 but it's stopped just short. Yet another high spiraling bomb from the Tigers on the last.

11min

The Tigers kick high again - it's swirling around and SKD doesn't want to know anything about it. He lets it bounce, and Siona Mata-utia has to clean it up.

10min

The Tigers get a penalty now to help them out of their own end.

9min

The Knights marching down field at the moment - 80 metres in that set, before kicking high on the last.

8min

The Tigers look almost certain to score, but Ponga is there for the Knights to save the day. He then counter-attacks, beating two defenders on his way downfield.

6min

Mitch Barnett makes his way over the tryline, but is held up. On the last, Ese-ese takes a hit up, and dies with the ball.

4min

The Tigers work the ball down field now.

4min

Penalty Goal: Knights
Attempted by Kalyn Ponga.

Ponga hits the posts, and the Tigers come up with the ball.

Tied up at Wests Tigers 0 - 0 Knights
2min

Chance for the Knights - Fitzgibbon draws a penalty 3 metres out from the Tigers' line, and the Knights opt for a penalty goal attempt.

1min

Kick off! The Knights get first use of the ball, and Robbie Rochow has been penalised already for the Tigers. Pearce kicks long down field.

Welcome to Tamworth this evening, for this clash between the Wests Tigers and the Newcastle Knights. Despite it being a Tigers' home game, the Knights look to have the crowd... just. Kick off shortly.

Referees & scorers:

Referee: Chris Butler, Matt Noyen

Touch Judges: Rickey McFarlane, Jarrod Cole

Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Ben Galea

WESTS TIGERS (20)
Tries: Michael Chee Kam, Kevin Naiqama, Corey Thompson
Field Goals:
Conversions: Esan Marsters (3/3)
Penalty Goals: Esan Marsters (1/1)

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (22)
Tries: Ken Sio (3), Mitchell Pearce, Shaun Kenny-dowall
Field Goals:
Conversions: Kalyn Ponga (1/4), Ken Sio (0/1)
Penalty Goals: Kalyn Ponga (0/1)