FULLTIME! Souths can't pack in time. Knights hold on.
Souths lost their way late in the set. Walker puts in a nothing kick and Ponga falls on it. Knights should hold on from here.
KNIGHTS HOLD! Some desperate defense then Ponga swoops on the Reynolds kick and gets into the field of play.
Big play McCullough! but the Knights trying to ruck it out, lose it through Tuala. CHALLENGE. On the evidence it will remain UNSUCCESSFUL. Here come Souths!
The Knights go the powerplay on last but Moga is taken over the sideline. Can Souths go the length?
Thomas Burgess has been huge in his second effort. He tries to get them on the front foot here and looks to have lost it. CHALLENGE! The angles don't look positive for Tom here. UNSUCCESSFUL.
Reynolds brings them within two.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Cook gets there first! Souths are on fire! What a kick from the youngster in Paulo as well! He walked the top rope, kicked inside and Cook won the race.. against his own man.
BUNKER TIME AGAIN! CAN SOUTHS DO THIS! They run it on sixth, checking touchline, onside and grounding.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! MAYBE NOT! Burgess refused to go down and spinning wide lost it. Scrum.
BUNKER TIME! Thomas Burgess might have three in a row for Souths!
Klemmer spills it. Souths ball.
Reynolds converts again, quickly.
HANG ON! Is the game back on? Johnston just sliced through the middle and is taken by Jacob Saifiti. Damien Cook, who was a sprinter ya know, does the rest.
Reynolds adds the extras, quickly.
Deserved four-pointer for Nicholls. The veteran has been solid since coming on and sprinted over.
Reynolds tries to show-and-go but gets hammered, losing it.
Rabbitohs can't hold onto the ball tonight! Tatola loses it now. Wait! CHALLENGE from the Rabbitohs. No drop there. SUCCESSFUL.
PENALTY RABBITOHS! Nicholls earns the whistle. Newcastle are CHALLENGING! It is SUCCESSFUL. No striping motion from Klemmer. Nichols lost ball.
Johnston loses it off a sloppy play.
PENALTY RABBITOHS! Nicholls gets the whistle.
The star fullback puts the margin beyond three converted tries.
PENALTY RABBITOHS! Tackled off the ball. Knights will opt for the kick.
PENALTY KNIGHTS! Ruck interferece. All going the visitors way tonight.
Left side kick as the Newcastle rings through Bnakwest. Missed.
The Knights have been at their BEST tonight. Ponga got the repeat set and finished the deal. Weighted it perfectly for Bradman Best to finish.
Ponga shows the full range of skills tonight. He dabs a kick through and causes a restart.
Jimmy the Jet hasn't been cleared for take-off yet! The centre tries to go on the outside and gets taken over the touchline.
Bright start from the Rabbitohs in defense. Saulo was cut down in his first run and coughs it up here.
Back underway! Knights with first use.
Ponga chips one into touch. HALFTIME. All Knights thus far.
Reynolds spied the gap and tries to float one to Allan who spills it.
PENALTY RABBITOHS! Moga pinged now. Must be close to a bin.
PENALTY RABBITOHS! Knights are pushing their luck here. A pair of set restarts then caught offside after an error from the Rabbitohs. They will be tested here.
Rabbitohs try the crash play for Bayley Sironen but he can't gather.
PENALTY RABBITOHS! Johnston is caught high. Rabbitohs have some sustained pressure here. First of the contest too. All been restarts.
Flicks everywhere now! Best tries to position his man again but Tuala spills the low effort.
Ponga steps up to convert his own effort. Studies and can't curl it over.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Ponga has been quiet this season but he delivered here. The fullback got the ball, clapped on the speed and left Johnston for dust.
BUNKER TIME! It might be some Ponga magic.
RED LIGHTS.. NO TRY! Obviously, and the contact is cleared in the tackle. Knights ball.
BUNKER TIME! It is definitely NO TRY but we're checking to see if Cam Murray is hit before he gets the ball.
Reynolds might turn the tides with this. The Souths half shaped the kick and it pitched perfectly for the 40/20.
Moga has got flick happy. Ponga drifted into space, released the centre who looked captured but he flicked it behind Hunt who can only take it into touch.
The Knights were rampaging on the left, now gone right. Tautau Moga flicked it to Hymel Hunt who romped into space. The winger was brought down and it went to the milestone man Aiden Guerra who was captured. Turnover.
Pressure relieved. Ese'ese almost rolls to the line. He tried to play it quick and loses it.
Knights are en fuego early doors! Pearce nails the direction of the kick and Johnston had no chance.
Another left side assignment for Ponga. He takes his time, studies and curls it wide.
Bradman is having the BEST start to this game, broke through. Next tackle, Pearce scoops and sends Mann across.
Grant Atkins has been strict on the ruck thus far. Newcastle have a THIRD set restart for the contest and are charging into the Rabbitohs red zone.
Ponga from the left touchline, first up. He has taken off the headgear, mimes his run-up and sents it over.
The pressure tolls! Mann took it to the line again, drew in the defender and Enari Tuala has the finish.
Ponga has been involved in the contest and earns his side a SET RESTART after Cody Walker held on too long. Newcastle right on the attack.
Reynolds tries to pilot one but he puts it dead. Knights can relax and get their own seven-tackle set. Now get a SET RESTART x2!
Pearce tries to drive one for his chasers but it goes dead. Gagai sprints to the 20 and munches metres into the Knights half. Rabbitohs right on the attack.
The Rabbitohs were getting a roll on through Tom Burgess then Damien Cook sprinting from the markers but the pass is low to Roberts and the Knights can go!
Knights go wide and get Tuala into some space. From there, the kick from Pearce is held well and now the Rabbitohs can find their stride.
Solid start from both sides. Got to their kicks and the Knights are rucking it out.
Not the ideal start for the Rabbitohs. Ethan Lowe has it pop free trying to play it.
Ponga places it on the tee and launches it into a picturesque Sydney sky and it's game on!
Tonight is Wayne Bennett's 850th game as coach as we see some pictures of him up in the box. It is another milestone man that leads out the Knights, Aiden Guerra in his 200th game, trots them onto the Bankwest surface. Next is the Rabbitohs in their cardinal-and-myrtle roll onto the field and ready to rock as they take residence in the south end.
Welcome to the second of the triple-header tonight, South Sydney hosting Newcastle at Bankwest stadium. Both sides are inside the top eight but tonight will go a long way to shaking out where they might find themselves after the regular season. No Mitchell for the Rabbitohs while the Knights look to build off their close loss to the Eels last weekend. Get comfy and let's go!
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Grant Atkins
Touch Judges: Chris Butler, Todd Smith
Video Referee: Steve Clark, Ben Galea
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS (18)
Tries: Mark Nicholls, Damien Cook (2)
Field Goals:
Conversions: Adam Reynolds (3/3)
Penalty Goals:
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (20)
Tries: Enari Tuala, Kalyn Ponga, Kurt Mann, Bradman Best
Field Goals:
Conversions: Kalyn Ponga (1/4)
Penalty Goals: Kalyn Ponga (1/1)