Fulltime at McDonald Jones Stadium and a courageous Knights without enough in the tank to overcome a Bulldogs side just finding its feet this season.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 22-12
UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Conversion attempt by Adam Elliot unsuccessful.
Elliot fails to add the extras late on.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 22-12
TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Scored by Marcelo Montoya. Kick to come.
A double for Marcelo in the corner seals victory!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 22-12
Eastwood backs it up with a clever end-of-set grubber and forces a drop-out!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Newcastle grubber on the last but EASTWOOD comes up with it and he's AWAY! He gets to 45m as the chasers reach him.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Kasiano tries an offload but Newcastle manage to deflect it backwards and come up with possession, Gagai surging up field.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Pete Mata'utia loses it and Canterbury get a scrum 15m out. Ross claims a try saying it's come off his legs but he has lost it.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Newcastle get it back 25m out through a 1 on 1 strip!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Lamb puts it high on the last but Brett Morris is under it and takes it calmly, and makes some metres!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Time off with a Knights player down injured.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Canterbury go up the other end but Jackson is tackled with it on the last.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
NO TRY! Sione has gained it and lost it according to the Bunker. Bulldogs 20m restart.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
Short drop out fails! Pete Mata'utia has it 15m out!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
The Newcastle crowd are up! A long kick forces a drop out from Brett Morris!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
His first kick from the right touchline this season... and it's perfect. Margin down to six!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-12
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Scored by Dane Gagai. Kick to come.
Green lights!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-10
Checking a knock on for Newcastle with the Bunker - it's gone up a TRY and it looks like Gagai has it after bouncing off a few defenders.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-6
UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Conversion attempt by Adam Elliot unsuccessful.
Elliot assumes the kicking duties from Mbye... and nearly gets it - but it fades away!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-6
TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Scored by Josh Morris. Kick to come.
Frawley with a HUGE looping pass to an unmarked Josh Morris who scores in the corner!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 18-6
Great little kick through from Frawley forces a dropout from Elliot.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Sione Mata'utia makes an unforced error.
Sione drops the ball getting up to play it.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
Neither side able to cut through, Canterbury with some basic mistakes cruelling their attack - and Newcastle not much better.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Brenko Lee makes an unforced error.
Lee loses the ball trying to get an offload away just short of the Knights' 30m.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
NO TRY is the ruling. Canterbury get a penalty with Buhrer interfering with Bulldogs defenders.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
Looks held up here... also checking obstruction.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
54' @NRLBunker possible try to Gagai. Checking grounding here and any obstruction. #NRLKnightsBulldogs
— LeagueUnlimited.com (@LeagueUnlimited) April 7, 2017
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
And another penalty for Newcastle. Canterbury pinged for a strip. Newcastle tap and go 20m out.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
Bulldogs get up to the Knights' 30m but a high kick from Reynolds isn't really doing much and finds its way to Newcastle hands. The Dogs' defenders then compound it by conceding a penalty.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Conversion attempt by Moses Mbye unsuccessful.
Moses misses.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Scored by Marcelo Montoya. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! It was a full length effort from the Bulldogs! All started from the break fromMoses Mbye before he is corralled. Bulldogs shifted right and Lee gave the ball for Montoya to dive across.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 14-6
BUNKER TIME! Montoya might have scored a beauty here!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10-6
Lamb stabs one through, J Moz rifles it over the line. Dropout.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10-6
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Josh Jackson makes an unforced error.
Jackson with some work in the tackle, loses it. Big chance for the Knights.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10-6
SUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Conversion attempt by Moses Mbye successful.
Moses converts.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 10-6
TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Scored by Matt Frawley. Kick to come.
That's one way to open the half! Matt Frawley dummied through the gap and just trucked on to the try-line!
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 8-6
Knights have the ball on the tee, we're back underway!
Newcastle Knights 6-4
After a tight first stanza, we're back for the second!
Newcastle Knights 6-4
UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Conversion attempt by Moses Mbye unsuccessful.
Moses can't split the post, HALFTIME.
Newcastle Knights 6-4
TRY CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Scored by Brenko Lee. Kick to come.
Right on the siren for half-time! Bulldogs strike back! An offload gave them space and Brenko Lee finished it well.
Newcastle Knights 6-4
All action there! Dane Gagai somehow forced an error for the Knights but they spread left and Saifiti dropped it.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Josh Morris makes an unforced error.
Frawley with a curved kick almost gave Josh Morris enough room but the centre can't plant it. 7 tackle set.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Sione Mata'utia makes an unforced error.
Sione is given a hospital ball there, and is hammered! Drops it.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Michael Lichaa makes an unforced error.
Bulldogs found some space behind the ruck, but Lichaa can't grip the ball enough to give a crisp pass.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
PENALTY BULLDOGS! Second effort from Barnett.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Once again, Dane Gagai just created space! He got them all the way to the ten.. Knights shift it back left and Pete Mata'utia is hurled over the sideline.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Josh Morris makes an unforced error.
Bulldogs with an arrowed kick, J Morris can't reel it in.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Matt Frawley is on! The young gun makes his second NRL game.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
BUNKER TIME! Dane Gagai just created space from nothing and tried to flick it to Sio, who touched the whitewash.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
PENALTY KNIGHTS! Brendan Elliott with a great diving take to get back in the field of play, silly from Josh Jackson to make a second effort.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
Sam Kasiano is on and makes an immediate impact! The big forward rumbled forward and gets stripped. PENALTY.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
PENALTY BULLDOGS! Abbey was clipped high and was groggy enough for the whistle to blow.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
UNSUCCESSFUL CONVERSION NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Conversion attempt by Trent Hodkinson unsuccessful.
A tough conversion for Trent Hodkinson here. The half from the sideline, hooked it.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
TRY NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Scored by Nathan Ross. Kick to come.
GREEN LIGHTS.. TRY! Can't deny him this time! Hodkinson spied the winger inside, chipped it to Nathan Ross, who took a speccy then planted it down.
Newcastle Knights 6-0
BUNKER TIME! Nathan Ross again leaping high!
Newcastle Knights 2-0
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Josh Reynolds makes an unforced error.
Brenko Lee stepped past a defender and tried to find Reynolds with an offload but the half grassed it.
Newcastle Knights 2-0
SUCCESSFUL PENALTY GOAL NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Penalty goal attempt by Trent Hodkinson successful.
Hodkinson pilots over the first points of the net.
Newcastle Knights 2-0
Sione can't keep out of the action! He charged onto it again and earnt the whistle. Shot at goal.
0 all
Lamb kick is looped back to Sione Mata'utia. SIX MORE.
0 all
Strong defense from the home side. They were challenged several times on the line and repelled the visitors.
0 all
Reynolds in the thick of the action again, spied the defense up and stabbed one through. Pete Mata'utia knocked it dead. Dropout.
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PENALTY BULLDOGS! Josh Reynolds caught high.
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PENALTY BULLDOGS! Eastwood tackled twice, quick tap! Here we go!
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UNFORCED ERROR NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Nathan Ross makes an unforced error.
Ross did all the hard work chasing the kick, but he muffed the final part.
0 all
BUNKER TIME! Nathan Ross might have the opener, checking grounding.
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PENALTY KNIGHTS! The ball rocketed out from the Stockwell charge but it was ruled stripped.
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PENALTY BULLDOGS! Strong carry from Brenko Lee and he caught the Knights napping.
0 all
UNFORCED ERROR CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS: Brad Abbey makes an unforced error.
Dos shift it right and heavy tackle from Pete Mata'utia forced an error.
0 all
PENALTY BULLDOGS! Mbye takes on the line and Mitchell Barnett just lies in the ruck.
0 all
What a start for Canterbury! The Knights allowed the kick-off to bounce and Jack Stockwell is forced over the sideline.
Bulldogs are lined up on halfway! KICK-OFF! Let's have some fun for Friday night!
Both teams are out onto the field! Here we go!
TEAM CHANGES:
NEW: The home side have made some cosmetic changes to their line-up tonight. Jamie Buhrer starts at hooker which shunts Danny Levi to the bench. Joe Wardle alo fills Buhrer's role in the second row. The other change is Luke Yates coming onto the bench.
CBY: A single change for the Bulldogs. Young gun Matt Frawley will make his second appearance in the NRL from the bench, as he replaced Raymond Faitala-Mariner.
Welcome to the Hunter, for the first of two contests tonight for Friday night football! Newcastle Knights look to get themselves off their three game slide following the round two victory against Gold Coast. They host a revitalised Canterbury side that dug in, in wet conditions to upset Brisbane - this shapes up an intriguing contest to start the weekend off! Join us for kick-off at 6PM AEST.
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Adam Gee, Gavin Reynolds
Touch Judges: Jeff Younis, Adam Reid
Video Referee: Jared Maxwell, Luke Patten
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (12)
Tries: Nathan Ross, Dane Gagai
Field Goals:
Conversions: Trent Hodkinson (1/2)
Penalty Goals: Trent Hodkinson (1/1)
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS (22)
Tries: Brenko Lee, Matt Frawley, Marcelo Montoya (2), Josh Morris
Field Goals:
Conversions: Moses Mbye (1/3), Adam Elliot (0/2)
Penalty Goals: