Match Centre

One last kick off, but the Storm are happy to just toe it over the dead ball line, and that's the game - the Storm running out winners 44-12.

Melbourne Storm 44-12

We're going to the bunker for another possible try to the Storm.

Melbourne Storm 38-12

Cameron Munster tries a flick pass, but the Knights knock it to ground.

Melbourne Storm 38-12

Vunivalu makes a break down field, and then throws a nothing pass back inside. The ball goes to ground, but the Storm clean up. On the next play the knee of Barnett knocks the ball loose, and the Knights get the ball.

Melbourne Storm 38-12

The Storm head for the right edge again, looking to score again through Vunivalu. The flick the ball back inside and Barnett is there to tidy up.

Melbourne Storm 38-12

A forward pass from the Storm.

Melbourne Storm 38-12

Bit of a scuffle in mid-field now. Munster at the bottom of it.

Melbourne Storm 34-12

Brock Lamb has left the field, succumbing to his injured knee.

Melbourne Storm 34-12

The Storm rush up on the last, and Lamb's injured knee doesn't let him get away from the defence.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

Levi turns Daniel Saifiti back inside but he can't get through.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

And the Storm are penalised - well milked from Barnett.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

Some good second phase play from the Knights at the moment.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

Now the Knights head down the left edge with Gagai making some solid metres.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

The Storm run the ball down the left edge and look set to score, but Josh Addo-Carr goes out over the sideline under attention from Gagai.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

And now Newcastle have kicked the ball out on the full after the kick off.

Melbourne Storm 28-12

Time off and we've got a penalty to Melbourne, with the Knights ruled to have taken Vunivalu out off the kickoff. Rubbish penalty.

Melbourne Storm 22-12

The Knights kick long down field after being pinned in their own half.

Melbourne Storm 22-6

That's something you don't see every day. Dane Gagai holds the ball on the tee here so that the Knights can kick off.

Melbourne Storm 22-6

Croft slices through the defence again. We're going to check the grounding, but it looks good to me.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

The Storm throw another offload, and the Knights intercept it through Sam Stone.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Kenny-dowall is swung around in the tackle, and his boot catches Danny Levi in the ribs.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

The Storm kick high on the last, and Ken Sio is underneath the swirling ball.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Smith throws a pass near the Knights' line, and the ball goes to ground. Pete Mata'utia has made some great tackles so far today.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

A penalty to the Storm, and Gagai is not happy about the decision. Tough one against the Knights there.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Sione Mata'utia has failed his HIA and will not be back.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Curtis Scott also looks to injured - possibly his arm.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Hodkinson kicks on the last looking for Sio, but Suliasi Vunivalu takes it easily.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

On the last the Knights opt to run the ball. Lamb is hit heavily in the tackle, and the ball goes to ground.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Levi runs out of dummy half and makes some good metres for his side.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

And we're underway in the second half, and again the kickoff stays short.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

The siren goes for half time, and the Storm go to the break leading 16-6.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Less than a minute left in the first half.

Melbourne Storm 16-6

Quick hands out to Josh Addo-Carr, but the ball goes out over the sideline. It's ruled to have come off Shaun Kenny-dowall, so the Storm will feed the scrum.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Nelson Asofa-Solomona makes a huge run down field. The Knights really need to hang on in defense here.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Fitzgibbon tries to force an offload, but Lamb can't handle it.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Another piggy back penalty for the Knights. That's seven penalties against the Storm already. Very uncharacteristic.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

A bit impatient from the Knights and the ball goes to ground.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

The Storm penalised, and Gagai takes a quick tap and sprints down field.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

The Knights kick into the legs of a Storm player, and the Storm get the ball back.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Sione Mata'utia has left the field for an HIA after getting his head in the wrong position in a tackle.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Smith goes long to the left. Scott kicks, but it's way too deep.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Now Curtis Scott makes an incisive run, making it to the Knights 30 metre line.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Danny Levi is on the field for the Knights. They again work the right edge, but Shaun Kenny-dowall is dragged down.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Jesse Bromwich throws an offload, but Hodkinson intercepts.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

On the last Kenny-dowall runs down the right edge, before throwing it back in field to Hodkinson, but he knocks it on in heavy traffic.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

NO TRY. A let off for the Knights.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

We're going to the Bunker for a possible try to the Storm, but it looks like they have stepped on the sideline in the run to the line.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

The Knights looking tired - struggling to get out of their own end.

Melbourne Storm 10-6

Big penalty late in the tackle count against the Knights. The Storm get a tap only ten metres out.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Last play for the Knights, and they kick it dead.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

The Storm get penalised for a hand in the ruck. The Knights kick for touch, and will start their set 40 metres from the Storm line.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

The Saifiti boys switch places - Dan Off, Jacob on. Dan Saifiti already has 65 metres.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

On the last Ken Sio reads the play beautifully, and kills the Storm play. The referee stops the clock while Brock Lamb gets his left knee strapped after awkwardly twisting it in a tackle.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

A big break from Josh Addo-Carr. A Knights player is down backplay - it's Lamb.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

The Knights run the ball on the last, and turn it over on the Storm 30 metre line.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Another strong run from Dan Saifiti.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Lamb drops the ball out. It holds up again and Sio recovers the ball.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Munster runs the ball himself, but Buhrer takes him to ground. On the next play Bromwich runs straight at the line but is driven back. The kick for Slateron the last is tidied up by Peter Mata'utia.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Brodie Croft again gets hammered by Dan Saifiti, but he's straight back to his feet.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

The Knights are penalised now for not clearing the ruck.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

The scrum packs on the Storm 10 metre line, and the Melbourne side truck it away from their line.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

The Knights go very wide to the right on the last, but Kenny-dowall is taken over the sideline.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Bromwich returns from the sin bin.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

Peter Mata'utia throws a miracle ball under heavy traffic, but the Knights are stopped just short of the line. Josh Addo-Carr loses the ball, and the Knights get a repeat set on the Storm line.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

This wind is causing havoc at the moment. The Knights kick off, it hangs in the breeze, and the Knights recover the ball.

Newcastle Knights 6-4

On the last Croft kicks across field, and the Storm easily take the ball in open space. We're going to the Bunker to check on the offside, but it looks like a try to the Storm!

Newcastle Knights 6-0

Smith goes short to McLean, but he's dragged down one metre from the Knights' line.

Newcastle Knights 6-0

A strong run from Josh Addo-Carr. On the next play Croft puts the ball down, but the Knights are penalised. Smith kicks for the sideline and the Storm will take the tap from the Knights' 30m line.

Newcastle Knights 6-0

A good set after points for the Knights - getting back to the half way line on the 5th, and hammering a low kick down field.

Newcastle Knights 6-0

The Storm are penalised late in the tackle count for being offside.

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The Knights tap the ball only ten metres out from the Storm line, and will have a full set at a depleted defensive line.

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It's not a try, but the Storm are ruled to have ran Buhrer off the board, and Bromwich has been sent for ten in the bin. Cameron Smith argues his case, but the referee doesn't want a bar of it.

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It's definitely not a try, as Buhrer is nowhere near the ball, but we're checking if it's a deliberate shoulder and a penalty to the Knights.

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The Knights kick back in field. We're going to the video referee for a possible try to the Knights. It's NO TRY, but we're just checking whether Jamie Buhrer was shoulder charged off the ball.

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Heavy contact from Dan Saifiti on Brodie Croft after the kick. Dane Gagai fields the kick and runs back 30 metres.

Tackle 3 and the Storm are back to halfway.

And Brock Lamb kicks off high, and the ball hangs in the air for an eternity.

The Knights will kick off, and Melbourne will have first use of the football.

Both sides take the field.

The Knights will be unchanged from the side named on Tuesday, while the Storm will be without star halfback Cooper Cronk. Brodie Croft comes into the side in jersey 18. Tohu Harris also replaces Jahrome Hughes on the interchange bench.

It's a cool and breezy Newcastle that we greet you from this afternoon, ahead of this cash between the Knights and the Melbourne Storm. Traditionally a bogey team for the Storm, the Knights will be looking to extend their winning streak to four, while the Storm will be looking to coast in to the finals with a win against one of the competition's weaker sides.