Match Centre

Hodkinson kicks high on the last, but the ball is batted back and finds Mitch Rein. The Dragons win their final game, in heartbreaking fashion for Jeremy Smith.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 28-26

Less than two minutes remaining, and the Knights are penalised inside their own half. We've got a penalty attempt coming up for the Dragons to win the game. 40 metres out.

26 all

Jacob Saifiti straightens the attack on the last. Mullen attempts a field goal, but it's a shocker off the boot.

26 all

And now a big carry from Jeremy Smith, making a break straight through the middle.

26 all

Nathan Ross again works the short side, and steals some solid metres.

26 all

Rein allowed to run from dummy half. Marshall finds touch on the last, and the Knights will bring the ball out of their own end.

26 all

Big defence from the Knights after the scrum.

26 all

The Dragons attempt an offload now, but Jarrod Mullen swoops onto it and makes a break down field. He can't find his support. On the next play Gagai loses the ball in the tackle.

26 all

The Knights spread the ball left. Barnett attempts an offload, but the Dragons recover it.

26 all

Gagai makes a break down the right edge.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Marshall throws a pass to Widdop, who attempts a bat on, but instead hits it up to the bloke in row 6.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Euan Aitken tries to out-muscle Dane Gagai to force his way over the tryline, but is stopped. The Dragons work the blindside on the last. Elliott intercepts, but the Knights are penalised for a push.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Feeney has moved back to full back for the Knights. Dylan Phythian is at hooker, with Mullen at five-eighth. As I write this Phythian makes another mistake.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Feeney links up with Ross on the left edge. Ross attempts to kick, but goes out.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Dylan Phythian makes a mistake for the Knights.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Ross sprints out of dummy half, and makes it up to the Dragons' 20. They kick low on the last, but Dugan is there again.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

Mullen takes an offload from the Dragons, and brings the ball up. He gets up slowly, and is limping in backplay.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 26-20

But Mitchell Barnett piles the pressure back on his side, losing the ball on the second tackle.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

The Dragons kick too deep this time, and the Knights will get a 20 metre restart and extra tackle.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

Ross gets penalised for dragging the leg around, but I'm pretty certain that was a crafty milk from Nightingale.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

Jeremy Smith trucks it forward now.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

Marshall kicks behind on the last, but Ross does brilliantly to clean it up, stay low, and then steal a few metres.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

Joel Thompson comes rushing up in defence and shuts down the play. The Knights kick low on the last, but it dribbles dead.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

The Dragons get an overlap on the right edge, but kick back inside. Mamo is waiting for it, and cleans it up for the Knights.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

The Knights heavily on attack, but good defence from the Dragons forces an error.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

Marshall puts a bit too much on this kick, and puts it out on the full.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

A big, hard run from Korbin Sims - running over one defender and smashing into another. Mullen drives the ball over the sideline, and his team gets a breather.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-20

Feeney running the ball now, barking orders at Mamo to get out of the way.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-14

Ross works the blind side again.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-14

Taane Milne runs the ball down the right edge, but a rush in defence from Peter Mata'utia sees him make a mistake. Great defence.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-14

A forward pass from Newcastle - Korbin Sims the culprit.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-14

Barnett crashes his way towards the line now, and is stopped 1 metre short.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

Dugan makes an early break, but passes the ball forward. Let off for the Knights.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

The second half is underway, and Jack de Belin brings the ball back for the Dragons.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

That's halftime. The Knights looked good early, but the Dragons took the game away from them midway through the first half. Can they crawl back?

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

Widdop throws an inside pass to Nightingale, who then throws a massive Hail Mary pass out to Milne near the right sideline. Widdop attempts a field goal, but it's nowhere near.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

The Knights knock the ball on in the tackle now through Pat Mata'utia.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

Gagai goes out of dummy half,and there's some nice play from the Knights. Dugan cleans up after the kick, but knocks it on, and the Knights get a chance to cut down the deficit.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

The Dragons are penalised, and its a much needed one for the Knights.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

Mullen kicks into touch, and the Knights tap from outside their own 30. Mamo kicks over the top after a break, but can't recover this time.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

The Dragons kick high on the last. Elliot jumps early and gets his legs taken out from underneath him, landing heavily on his shoulder. The Knights get a penalty and play is stopped while he gets treatment.

St. George Illawarra Dragons 22-10

Ross gets taken over the dead ball line, and it's the fourth line drop out.

10 all

Widdop kicks into the in goal, and yet again it's a repeat set for the Dragons.

10 all

The Dragons marching up field at will at the moment.

10 all

Another offload goes astray from the Knights.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

The Knights get lucky - a play the ball to no dummy half is ruled in their favour, and they get a scrum feed.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

Gagai recovers from the kick into the in goal, puts on a sprint, and makes it out to the 30.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

The Dragons go right again, but Nathan Ross does a great job, reading it, rushing in and shutting down the play.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

Jacob Saifiti attempts an offload, but it goes straight to a Dragon.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

A mistake from the Dragons though, and the Knights breathe a sigh of relief.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

And now the Dragons get a penalty, and take the tap inside the Knights' half.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

And not accounting for the wind is Trent Hodkinson, putting the kick off well over the dead ball line.

Newcastle Knights 10-6

Feeney aims for the sideline this time, but it's a fantastic catch from Euan Aitken.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

The Dragons kick in behind again after a good set, and Brendan Elliot is trapped in his in-goal. Another drop out for the Knights.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

Feeney takes the drop out, and it's traveled 55 metres on the fly.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

Rein throws a terrible pass out the back, but Dugan manages to recover and trucks it up towards the line. On the last Marshall kicks into the in goal, but Mamo gets there just in time.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

Widdop heads across field, before offloading to Kurt Mann.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

Nightingale makes a break now, running 40 metres before being pulled down.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

Sione Mata'utia looking good down the right edge for the Knights too.

Newcastle Knights 10-0

Mitchell Barnett making some good metres for the Knights at the moment.

Newcastle Knights 4-0

Widdop finds a bit of space for the Dragons, but is dragged down desperately. On the last Dugan forces a rushed kick, and then Joel Thompson crushes Brendan Elliot in a massive collision.

Newcastle Knights 4-0

A solid set after points for the Knights, running out to halfway, and then trapping Nightingale on his own 10 metre line.

Newcastle Knights 4-0

The Knights work the blindside from the scrum.

0 all

And now the Dragons have made an error, with Nightingale dropping the ball in the tackle.

0 all

Dugan getting up slightly gingerly there.

0 all

A big run there from Barnett. Feeney attempts a kick on the last, but it's a shocker, going sideways and backwards. Elliot cleans it up, and manages to toe it forward, but Dugan is there.

0 all

Hodkinson kicks the Knights down field, and they'll tap the ball on their own 30.

0 all

A good kick from Benji Marshall, but the kick chasers have given away a penalty.

0 all

Rein dummies for the Dragons, but is collared by Mitch Barnett.

Mullen kicks out of dummy half, and it's a good kick, sending Josh Dugan well back down field.

And we're underway - the Knights getting first use of the football. Interesting mix up from Nathan Brown, with Jarrod Mullen playing dummy half.

Ben Creagh, unfortunately unavailable for this game through injury, is being farewelled warmly by the crowd. Benji Marshall will also be playing his last game for the Dragons, while Jeremy Smith will be playing his last game for the Knights.

The teams take the field, the Knights in their Hi-vis jersey.

The St George Illawarra Dragons have been forced into a few changes for this afternoons match against the Newcastle Knights. Ben Creagh and Tyson Frizell have both been ruled out with knee injuries, to be replaced by Joel Thompson and Will Matthews. Tim Lafai has been named on the interchange bench, along with Jacob Host, Luciano Leilua and Jake Marketo.

For the Knights, Tyler Randell drops out of the side at hooker, replaced by Jaelen Feeney in jersey 19.