And we're done from Central Coast Stadium, that's full-time. Thanks for joining the live update tonight. Wests Tigers v Raiders coming up next!
A safe set from Melbourne with their last touch of the footy.
Smith makes it 5/5 on the night, simple kick near the posts on right-field.
It's been awarded by The Bunker, we can see the ball planted on the line. Not many players will score that type of try.
Brandon Smith might have the match-winning try. He's confident he's grounded the ball with three defenders on him. We're going to The Bunker with a no-try ruling.
Jacks gets a grubber kick in that rebounds off the defence, ruled to have been played at by the defence and a regather by Melbourne means six again for them.
It's now a crucial eight-point lead for Melbourne.
PENALTY STORM. We thought we had a penalty for the Knights but a referee interjects to mention Klemmer made contact without the ball on Finucane. Tough call, that's a fairly common play. Melbourne as a result get a penalty shot from right in front and about 10 metres out.
PENALTY STORM. Newcastle did not clear the ruck around halfway. They're kicking for touch.
Newcastle gets out of danger and kicks high for Papenhuyzen, but he takes it without pressure.
Brenko Lee was pushing an offload for Papenhuyzen but he lost it forward in the tackle.
The Knights repel Melbourne for most of the set. On the last Olam is seemingly wrapped up and the play is over, but a late offload to Munster and a pass after had to be deflected by the Knights to stop a try and it goes over the sideline. Six more tackles for Melbourne.
The Knights are caught short on their left and Melbourne gain 50m on the play through Vunivalu on the wing. He kicks in-field and Cam Smith collects and is tackled. The next play the ball comes back to Vunivalu and he's juggled the ball and is caught high. Penalty.
The Knights respond with turning the ball over deep in the Storm half. Building pressure.
Vunivalu had a brain snap on the last. He had the ball from dummy-half to deliver to Papenhuyzen, but he double pumps looks at the defence, then delivers to the fullback. Clunky and lucky to get the kick away.
Pearce kicks from inside the 40m on tackle four which could have made his kick a 40/20 but it was easily caught on the full.
48m on the set from Melbourne, but Cam Smith's kick will make them a lot of ground as it bounces to the in-goal uncovered.
61m on the set from the Knights after the kickoff. Papenhuyzen is brought down inside his 10m zone. The Knights are back.
From the left sideline Ponga swings it in.
Knights shift side-to-side on the set and finally crack Melbourne on the last. Edrick Lee has dived in the corner to score and taken a hit to the ribs. Papenhuyzen also dealing with pain on the play.
The Knights head short-side through Pearce on the last where they had numbers, a Pearce grubber kick forces Papenhuyzen to send the ball dead. Goal-line dropout coming up.
52m on the set for Melbourne and Munster's put on a kick that nudges the corner post and bounces on the sideline in-goal. Seven tackle set coming up, good patience from Ponga to let the ball go dead.
Newcastle's held onto the ball more to start this half and they're putting more pressure on Melbourne.
From the left sideline it veers right of the posts.
On a six again penalty restart Kurt Mann has delivered a grubber for Best and Lee to chase down. Best gets to the ball first and The Bunker clears the suspect grounding.
Sorry folks, technical difficulties in the last five minutes. Back on deck now.
McCullough runs from dummy half but no support was given for him to make a pass. On the next play Pearce drops a pass.
Vunivalu drops a fifth tackle bomb from Newcastle and the Knights regain the ball for a fresh set of six.
It comes to the last through Melbourne once again and Munster kicks high for Ponga, Ponga makes a linebreak on the chasers and is brought to ground 20m later.
An average set from Newcastle and Pearce gets a hard hit on the last after his kick. All legal.
Melbourne get out of their own half and then kick on the last. A small kick from Munster is swallowed by Ponga and he gets a bit of space to move.
The Knights had a 4-on-2 out on the right. Ponga passes for Tuala and Addo-Carr presses up to force the ball out. Scrum for the Storm.
PENALTY KNIGHTS. Newcastle gets a fresh set inside the Storm 20m zone.
Tex Hoy is on standby if Mann can't run off this injury.
An unusal mistake on a routine hit-up from Fa'asuamaleaui in his own half. Scrum for Newcastle.
Guerra and Mann gain metres on a backtracking Storm line. Mann comes up limping holding his left foot/ankle. The sixth play goes high in the corner and over the sideline through Edrick Lee.
Safe set from Melbourne. No advantage for the Knights through Ponga to begin their set.
The Knights kickoff to Melbourne for the start of the second half.
Ponga sneaks the ball inside the posts to end the half.
PENALTY KNIGHTS. Felise Kaufusi lays in the play-the-ball, doesn't attempt to move. Looks like a professional foul but not in a likely try scoring situation. No call to the sin bin for Kaufusi. Knights elect to shoot for a penalty goal with seconds before half-time.
SIX AGAIN PENALTY. Hand on the ball by Melbourne gives the Knights a couple more chances to attack at close range before half time.
The Storm get up to about 35m out on the last and Cam Smith tries a field goal which lands just left of the posts. It stays in the field of play and Newcastle bring it back.
Newcastle gets up to just outside the 20m on the last. Vunvivalu and Lee both contest for the ball in the air and it's Suliasi with the better position and take.
SIX AGAIN PENALTY. The Knights get saved by this call.
Melbourne getting all the metres they want in this set. Munster kicks low for Ponga and the Storm are quick to cover him up.
3/3 so far tonight from Cam Smith.
It's the second try assist of the half for Smith. From dummy-half on the last he runs diagonally infield to link up with the charging for Tino Fa'asuamaleaui to barge over. That's his first NRL career try.
SIX AGAIN PENALTY. Melbourne now get this and it'll get them out of their own half.
Pearce gets hit hard after kicking high on the last. Ponga chasing through gets to contest it but is ruled to have knocked on.
SIX AGAIN PENALTY. The Knights once again benefit from the call in this first half.
Brenko Lee gets the better of Best to make a sizeable gain on tackle four. Well in the Newcastle half on the last Edrick Lee takes a kick deep in his corner.
McCullough showing his experience with a kick to the sideline on the last to give the Knights a breather.
The set is broken up by the stoppage and Papenhuyzen's last tackle kick is ineffective, Lee takes it comfortably.
Play is stopped for Mata'utia as he needed a trainer. Now we're playing on.
A forward pass to Daniel Saifiti on an early tackle might be a killer for Newcastle.
A 60m gain followed by a low Melbourne kicked is deflected off McCullough and Addo-Carr gets a reflex kick to put Ponga under pressure at the posts. Ponga stays in the field of play.
From the right sideline Smith, the 80% kicker on the season, has increased his percentage.
That's a Cameron Smith special. From a play-the-ball two metres out form the tryline and about 15 metres in-field, Smith throws long for Vunivalu. The winger beats one and avoids another while planting the ball down.
The ball comes away from Daniel Saifiti's grasp in the completed tackle.
67m from Melbourne and one the last Olam is set up for a charge at the line and the defence is not troubled. Turnover.
It will be a seven tackle set for Melbourne.
A high kick for Edrick Lee to crash over on the last has gone out of bounds on the full.
PENALTY Storm. The marker was not square. Melbourne kick for touch but it's not made it to the sideline, bad mistake.
Sensational one-on-one defence. Papenhuyzen with a great back-to-back play. Ponga with a big step had split the line metres from the tryline and Ryan wrapped up Ponga a metre out and ball secured. Next tackle a dangerous grubber is cleaned up by the Storm No.1.
SIX AGAIN PENALTY. Knights get the advantage and the momentum shift.
Munster's taken a fifth tackle kick once again but this one is too long, grubber goes dead.
Poor error from Ese'ese. Dropped it cold 10m out and let Cam Smith get to the ball first, he gains 10-15 metres on the pickup.
PENALTY KNIGHTS. Mata'utia makes a shock linebreak and a penalty comes from a two-man strip. No challenge from the Storm.
Melbourne get back up the field quickly and a wonky fifth tackle kick across the field is not caught and deflected out by Melbourne.
The Knights get up to Melbourne's end on the last, Hymel Hunt grabs a cross-field kick but his pass to Mata'utia isn't great and is put down by Mata'utia.
The Storm look a step slow to react to the gaps in defence. Credit to Newcastle as they survived three consecutive sets from Melbourne's attack. A desperate last tackle kick goes dead and gives away a seven tackle set for the Knights.
Papenhuyzen drags four defenders on tackle three to put Newcastle on the back foot. The rest of the set is messy but another grubber kick forces a second consecutive goal-line dropout.
Strong defence from the Knights, Melbourne asked a few questions and forced a goal-line dropout.
PENALTY Storm. From 30m out and Munster goes for the quick tap. Smart move.
The Knights run some confusing lines on tackle four, Mitchell Pearce had to go to ground to prevent obstruction but he lost the ball in the tackle.
The speed of Brandon Smith gives Cam Smith a great platform to kick on the last. Makes up for an average set.
The Knights get a bit of a roll on and an attacking kick away. Papenhuyzen is up to the high ball.
No mistakes from Melbourne on the first set after points. Ponga has to clean up the footy deep in his half.
Cameron Smith with a solid kick for two points.
The Bunker has cleared Jacks to be onside. The put down from Jacks is far from traditional, but it's been given the green light. Great desire from the Storm to create that try and for Jacks to be first to the ball, Ese'ese caught out trying to clean up the ball.
Melbourne look switched on early. Munster has the ball on the last and decides the Storm will run. Addo-Carr's kicked in field eventually and Jacks might have a try!
Finucane drives Guerra into the ground to set the standard in defence. Storm only allow the Knights 35m on the set.
Melbourne with the better opening set. Munster tests Hunt under the high ball on the last. Hunt gathers it but Munster almost forces a strip.
Safe set to start from the Knights. Pearce kicks long for Addo-Carr.
Here we go! Melbourne kickoff to the Knights.
Hello and welcome to this live update of the Knights v Storm from Central Coast Stadium. Melbourne with some minor team changes one hour before kickoff. Check out our squads page for the changes. It's overcast but rain is not expected. We should be set for a cracking game, kickoff well be approximately 5:30pm.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Ben Cummins
Touch Judges: Todd Smith, Gavin Badger
Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Ben Galea
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (12)
Tries: Bradman Best, Edrick Lee
Field Goals:
Conversions: Kalyn Ponga (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Kalyn Ponga (1/1)
MELBOURNE STORM (26)
Tries: Ryley Jacks, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Brandon Smith, Suliasi Vunivalu
Field Goals:
Conversions: Cameron Smith (4/4)
Penalty Goals: Cameron Smith (1/1)