Match Centre

Jacob Saifiti has gone full headbutt

Mahoney is held up

PENALTY DOGS: Foul play

Newcastle are in quick sand

Sexton splits them!!! Brought down by inches... but then on the last they crash play and it's ended.

Short dropout fails to go 10

Yet another mistake, this is going from bad to worse, to ugly, to something even Al Bundy couldn't love.

Knights make another mistake. It has been the story of the Knights night tonight.

Back 13 v 13 - this has been very resilient from the Dogs. There is some very intense emotions out there at the moment. The refs need to be careful because it could explode into a powderkeg.

Newcastle's attack is cooked... they have shown absolutely nothing and they've had 20 minutes almost now against 12 men...

Hastings loses it just mere metres out from the line. It was lovely from Cogger, there was space but the half looked first and spilled it. Country Roads, Takes Me Home spills out over Newcastle too

PENALTY DOGS: Frizell offside on kick chase.

VIDEO REF: Atkins has a NO TRY and we will look at a professional foul by Toby Sexton.

SIX AGAIN x 2: Can the Knights break them?

PENALTY KNIGHTS: High shot from Lord Hutchison

Morrin tries to offload the ball and he spills it!

Yet another mistake, looks like a knock on ruling from Atkins there. The Knights are absolutely having an attacking disaster.

Curran is on-report.

PENALTY KNIGHTS: Dangerous tackle against Josh Curran

JAC won't be back with a hamstring injury

Challenge is unsuccessful

Knights are challenging as Marzhew has knocked on!

JAC is coming off the field.

JAC hamstring problem here...

HT Notes from the Sheds: Cam Ciraldo - not happy with his side's first half attack. Adam O'Brien wants more ruck control his side. Daniel Saifiti's return is doubtful this evening.

Back underway for the second stanza

PENALTY KNIGHTS: Disruptor contact on David Armstrong.

VIDEO REF: Atkins has NO TRY on grounding.

Short dropout is well defused by KPP, he runs cross field and gets it to Cogger who is caught 10 out.

Newcastle force a dropout. Brailey grubbers it and Tracey can't get out!

PENALTY KNIGHTS: High tackle against Toby Sexton.

This time the Knights force a legit error and yes we have another push and shove and YES Mahoney is in there and HAS BEEN PENALISED!

PEN DOGS: Hand on ball

Hand of Krystian Mapapalangi knocks it out. Challenge successful and a PENALTY DOGS. This time the kick for touch is much much better.

Hold the phone, Dogs are challenging this one.

That is the worst kick for touch this season... absolutely horrible and the Dogs lose the ball...

PENALTY DOGS: Dangerous leg lift from Tyson Frizell

Best defensive set of the game from the Knights. Hutchison launches the kick deep, but Tuala gets it to 30m out from his own line.

Daniel Saifiti concedes and comes from the field. Looks like a knee complaint for the NSW prop.

Mistake from the Dogs in the set post points.

Congrats to Lipoi Hopoi on NRL debut tonight. A Canterbury junior who has been immense in the second tier competition.

OHHHHH DAVEY ! Armstrong puts it down - he's looked so unsure of the kicks since the try from JAC.

Starting to turn the screws here. Dogs struggling to get out of their own end.

Newcastle can't execute. Great scrap and pick up by Toby Sexton. Dogs now working it out of their own end.

SIX AGAIN KNIGHTS: Slow peel

PENALTY KNIGHTS: Inside 10m. Reed Mahoney left earlier than Penrith fans did in the 2023 grand final.

Bronson won't be thanking Helen there. Got caught way too wide and is crashed over the sideline.

Really critical chance for the Dogs - if they can get try 2. This game gets that little bit spicy.

Both sides are treating this stadium like an ice-skating rink. Lots of slipping around and now a mistake from Krystian Mapapalangi.

Dogs just seem to have the upper hand at the moment. Seems to be more fluditiy in their attack and are getting up and over the advantage line.

We're back 13 v 13 as well

Canterbury look like they are going to hang on in this sin-bin period. Newcastle only have themselves to blame for that though.

VIDEO REF NO TRY: Canterbury going from one side to the other and it nearly backfires. Gagai runs up field just shy of the 10 metre line. Newcastle quickly kick the ball across the field Sam Walker style, Marzhew tries to play hero ball but is brought down in a CRACKING tackle by Jacob Preston!

Canterbury playing the sin-bin period very well. That penalty goal might have been a mistake in hind-sight if the Knights don't deliver.

VIDEO REF: Atkins is looking for interference on Armstrong.

PENALTY NEW: Slow peel against Sam Hughes. Great first carry by Greg Marzhew in the set earns his side a fresh start inside Canterbury territory.

PENALTY DOGS: Flop by Jackson Hastings. No surprises that Reed Mahoney has some niggly behaviour after the whistle is blown.

Newcastle force a mistake from the Dogs coming out of their own end.

Unfortunately, once again we are greeted by rain in Newcastle. Despite that, there is a hearty crowd in attendance at Newcastle despite the start of winter being imminent.

We are underway for the sole Round 13 Friday game. It'll be the Dogs with the first use of the footy running from Left to Right in the first half. Real crunch match in this NRL season as both sides push for September footy.

Grant Atkins is the referee in game 269. Kasey Badger and Jon Stone have the touch judge flags while Ashley Klein is in the bunker for this critical match in the context of both sides' seasons. Kickoff at the top of the hour.

Onto the teams, Knights are 1-17 and Cant is 18th man. Just missing KP and Tyson Gamble. Canterbury without Burton, Crichton, Kikau through Origin and injury respectively. Bailey Hayward starts for Kurt Mann, while we see an NRL debut for Lipoi Hopoi, a local junior but one with an immense work-rate through the middle of the field. Poasa Fa'amausili comes out with Harry Hayes is the concussion sub.

Evening everyone and welcome to LU's coverage for Round 13 with the Newcastle Knights playing the Bulldogs. These teams have played once before and the Knights lost KP the last time these sides played. However, that seemed to galvanise the Knights and have been unbeaten without KP. Canterbury have been very improved defensively, conceding the second least points in 2024.