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| ROUND 6 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 16th April Gold Coast v St George-Illawarra (7:30pm, Skilled Park) Wests Tigers v Canterbury (7:30pm, Sydney Football Stadium) Saturday 17th April Newcastle v North Queensland (5:30pm, Energy Australia Stadium) Sydney Roosters v Canberra (7:30pm, Sydney Football Stadium) Sunday 18th April New Zealand Warriors v Penrith (12:00pm, Mt Smart Stadium) Brisbane v Cronulla (2:00pm, Suncorp Stadium) Parramatta v South Sydney (3:00pm, ANZ Stadium) Monday 19th April Melbourne v Manly (7:00pm, Docklands) |
St George returned to the winners’ list on Friday night while ensuring the hapless Broncos would remain
on the bottom of the competition table when the Dragons took out a 34-16 victory at WIN Stadium.
Decimated by injuries, with 5 first-season players in their starting lineup and 11 players making their debut
in the under 20s curtain raiser, the Brisbane team that took the field showed little resemblance to the
dominant Broncos sides of recent seasons. And from the start the Dragons were out to prove they had
no sympathy for the woes of their opponents, with Beau Scott going over to score in just the 7th
minute.
But the baby Broncos weren’t going down without a fight, and teenage centre Dale Copley made a
break to level the scores at 6-6; and that’s how it would remain till 5 minutes before half time. But the
grit and determination of the Broncos would only go so far; and the Dragons, with Wayne Bennett
coaching against his old club, stepped up with a double to Brett Morris to take an 18-6 lead into the
sheds. And the demolition continued in the second half, with quick-fire tries to Nightingale, Hornby and
Young turning the game into a blowout.
The Broncos scored two late tries to save some respectability, but it wasn’t enough to lift them off their
unfamiliar ranking at the bottom of the competition table. But for St George, after their loss to the
Storm last week, the win keeps them in the top reaches of the competition.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 34 def Brisbane Broncos 16
Dragons : Tries – B Morris 2, B Scott, J Nightingale, B Hornby, D Young. Goals – J Soward 5/6.
Broncos : Tries – D Copley, J Hoffman, A McCullough. Goals – P Wallace 2/3.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Klein. Crowd – 15,374 at WIN Stadium.
Gold Coast threw the competition wide open and dished out Melbourne’s first defeat of the season
when the Titans came from behind to take out a hard-fought 20-16 win at Robina on Friday night.
Anthony Quinn scored early for the Titans, with Cam Smith converting to give the Storm a 6-0 lead, but
on 19 minutes Joseph Tomane crossed the line while being pressured by Greg Inglis. The video ref was
called to answer the question whether the ball was grounded or whether Tomane was held up, and
after extensive deliberation the try was awarded.
Quinn brought up a first-half hat-trick to give the Storm a 16-4 lead at the break; but the Titans weren’t
done yet. On 46 minutes, Greg Bird chased a bomb from Preston Campbell to set up Ashley Harrison, and
with 15 minutes to go Bird crashed through the Storm defence to score himself. Both tries were
converted, and scores were level at 16-16.
With 6 minutes to go, the Titans received a penalty within kicking range, which Mat Rogers put over to
give the Titans the lead for the first time in the game. And with seconds to go, another penalty was
awarded, and Rogers again kicked truly to put the issue beyond doubt.
Gold Coast Titans 20 def Melbourne Storm 16
Titans : Tries – J Tomane, A Harrison, G Bird. Goals – M Rogers 4/5.
Storm : Tries – A Quinn 3. Goals – C Smith 2/3.
Referees – B Cummins, J Maxwell. Crowd – 20,083 at Skilled Park.
on the bottom of the competition table when the Dragons took out a 34-16 victory at WIN Stadium.
Decimated by injuries, with 5 first-season players in their starting lineup and 11 players making their debut
in the under 20s curtain raiser, the Brisbane team that took the field showed little resemblance to the
dominant Broncos sides of recent seasons. And from the start the Dragons were out to prove they had
no sympathy for the woes of their opponents, with Beau Scott going over to score in just the 7th
minute.
But the baby Broncos weren’t going down without a fight, and teenage centre Dale Copley made a
break to level the scores at 6-6; and that’s how it would remain till 5 minutes before half time. But the
grit and determination of the Broncos would only go so far; and the Dragons, with Wayne Bennett
coaching against his old club, stepped up with a double to Brett Morris to take an 18-6 lead into the
sheds. And the demolition continued in the second half, with quick-fire tries to Nightingale, Hornby and
Young turning the game into a blowout.
The Broncos scored two late tries to save some respectability, but it wasn’t enough to lift them off their
unfamiliar ranking at the bottom of the competition table. But for St George, after their loss to the
Storm last week, the win keeps them in the top reaches of the competition.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 34 def Brisbane Broncos 16
Dragons : Tries – B Morris 2, B Scott, J Nightingale, B Hornby, D Young. Goals – J Soward 5/6.
Broncos : Tries – D Copley, J Hoffman, A McCullough. Goals – P Wallace 2/3.
Referees – M Cecchin, A Klein. Crowd – 15,374 at WIN Stadium.
Gold Coast threw the competition wide open and dished out Melbourne’s first defeat of the season
when the Titans came from behind to take out a hard-fought 20-16 win at Robina on Friday night.
Anthony Quinn scored early for the Titans, with Cam Smith converting to give the Storm a 6-0 lead, but
on 19 minutes Joseph Tomane crossed the line while being pressured by Greg Inglis. The video ref was
called to answer the question whether the ball was grounded or whether Tomane was held up, and
after extensive deliberation the try was awarded.
Quinn brought up a first-half hat-trick to give the Storm a 16-4 lead at the break; but the Titans weren’t
done yet. On 46 minutes, Greg Bird chased a bomb from Preston Campbell to set up Ashley Harrison, and
with 15 minutes to go Bird crashed through the Storm defence to score himself. Both tries were
converted, and scores were level at 16-16.
With 6 minutes to go, the Titans received a penalty within kicking range, which Mat Rogers put over to
give the Titans the lead for the first time in the game. And with seconds to go, another penalty was
awarded, and Rogers again kicked truly to put the issue beyond doubt.
Gold Coast Titans 20 def Melbourne Storm 16
Titans : Tries – J Tomane, A Harrison, G Bird. Goals – M Rogers 4/5.
Storm : Tries – A Quinn 3. Goals – C Smith 2/3.
Referees – B Cummins, J Maxwell. Crowd – 20,083 at Skilled Park.
Souths extended their winning streak to 3 games, while condemning Newcastle to a 4-game losing streak,
when the Rabbitohs were far too good for the Knights and raced away to a comfortable 28-10 win at Gosford
on Saturday evening.
The Knights opened the scoring when Daniel Tolar burst through, but a strong run by Isaac Luke in the 12th
minute saw him in a position to set up Nathan Merritt; and Luke’s conversion gave the Rabbitohs the lead.
From there it was end to end for the next 20 minutes, when both sides tightened their defences. But shortly
before the break, Beau Champion managed an intercept before running 60 metres to score under the posts;
and Souths went in to the break with a 12-4 advantage.
The Rabbitohs had a chance to add to their advantage shortly after the restart, but an individual effort by
Chris Sandow was denied by the video ref. And 5 minutes later, Akuila Uate ran down the touchline to score
and the margin was cut to 2 points.
But on the hour, a clumsy looking grubber from Dave Taylor sat up with a lucky bounce to enable Fetuli
Talanoa to score in the corner. And from there it was one-way traffic. Nathan Merritt found the smallest of
gaps out wide to score in the corner, and Rhys Wesser pounced on a grubber to add another. The Rabbitohs
had the bulk of possession, and only some desperate defence from the Knights prevented the score from
blowing out further. But it was Souths’ night, the Rabbitohs looking a side in form; while the Knights’ season
opening upset of the Bulldogs by now seems a distant memory.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 def Newcastle Knights 10
Rabbitohs : Tries – N Merritt 2, B Champion, F Talanoa, R Wesser. Goals – I Luke 4/5.
Knights : Tries – D Tolar, A Uate. Goals – W Naiqama 1/2.
Referees – P Haines, S Lyons. Crowd – 16,098 at Bluetongue Stadium.
Wests Tigers took their entertaining show on the road, travelling to Townsville to take on the North
Queensland Cowboys and coming home with the points after a 23-16 victory.
The Cowboys made the early front-running but were unable to trouble the scorers, and eventually the
momentum shifted to the Tigers. The Tigers would play their entertaining brand of rugby league, throwing
the ball around and backing themselves, and in the 11th minute a grubber from Benji Marshall was brilliantly
chased by Chris Lawrence for the opening try.
But this was a game that both sides would pay a heavy price for. Not long after the opening try, Tigers’
fullback Tim Moltzen fell onto his knee, doing damage to the ligaments and likely ending his season. And the
Cowboys would also suffer, with star halfback Johnathan Thurston suffering a shoulder injury shortly before half
time that is expected to see the North Queensland playmaker spend some time on the sidelines.
On 18 minutes, a trademark sideline run by Lote Tuqiri resulted in the former Wallaby scoring in the corner,
maintaining his record of having scored in every game so far this season. The Cowboys got a penalty goal to
get on the board, but Chris Heighington put on a strong run to outmuscle the Cowboy defence and score to
give the Tigers an 18-2 lead at the break.
A knock-on from a bomb shortly after the restart was pounced on by Scott Bolton, who took advantage of
the Tigers’ defenders being out of position to score North Queensland’s first try. And when Willie Tonga
wrong-footed the Tigers’ defence to score in the corner, the score was 18-12 and the home side with the
crowd finding voice looked to have the momentum.
With 10 minutes to go, Benji Marshall attempted a field goal but missed. But a minute later, Robbie Farah
banged the drop goal over to give the Tigers a buffer. Chris Lawrence went over for his second try shortly
afterwards to make the game safe; and even though Watts scored in the final minute, it wasn’t enough for
the Cowboys to challenge and the Tigers’ impressive run continued.
Wests Tigers 23 def North Queensland Cowboys 16
Tigers : Tries – C Lawrence 2, L Tuqiri, C Heighington. Goals – B Marshall 3/5. Field Goals – R Farah 1/1, B
Marshall 0/1.
Cowboys : Tries – S Bolton, W Tonga, A Watts. Goals – J Williams 1/3, J Thurston 1/1.
Referees – G Badger, B Suttor. Crowd – 16,273 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
The Bulldogs went into 2010 with high expectations, but their season threatens to unravel after they suffered
a 30-24 home defeat to the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday night.
The Warriors took a gamble, rushing injured winger Manu Vatuvei back sooner than expected, and an early
fumble from Vatuvei was pounced on by Brett Kimmorley for the opening try. But the Warriors hit back in the
18th minute when Brent Tate chased down a grubber from James Maloney to score, Maloney’s conversion
levelling the scores. And Vatuvei then redeemed himself by going over in the corner to give the Warriors the
lead, before up-and-coming Bulldog impact player Ben Barba levelled the scores on the stroke of half time.
10 minutes after the break, and it looked like the Warriors were set to run away with the game. A cut-out
pass from Maloney found Jacob Lillyman who scored under the posts. And after Barba knocked on a bomb,
Kevin Locke ran in to score; and with both tries converted the Warriors were leading 24-12.
But the Bulldogs quickly fought back. Winning a scrum 20 metres out from the Warriors’ line, the Bulldogs
pressed the line for five tackles before a grubber sat up perfectly for Luke Patten to score under the posts.
And on the hour, Jamal Idris found a gaping hole in the Warriors’ defence to run through for a simple try; and
when Bryson Goodwin converted, scores were level.
From end to end the ball travelled, but neither side could find a way through. With 5 minutes to go, Brett
Kimmorley attempted a field goal, but the kick went wide. But as the clock ticked down, and the game looked
set to go to golden point, a knock on from Patten saw an opportunity for Lance Hohaia, and making no
mistake the try was scored and the Warriors had stolen the game.
New Zealand Warriors 30 def Canterbury Bulldogs 24
Warriors : Tries – B Tate, M Vatuvei, J Lillyman, K Locke, L Hohaia. Goals – J Maloney 5/5.
Bulldogs : Tries – B Kimmorley, B Barba, L Patten, J Idris. Goals – B Goodwin 4/4. Field Goals – B Kimmorley
0/1.
Referees – T De las Heras, J Robinson. Crowd – 17,095 at ANZ Stadium.
Cronulla were set crashing back to earth when the Sharks were comprehensively defeated 40-12 by Manly at
Brookvale Oval on Sunday.
It was the first game at Brookvale for the season, and a big crowd was on hand. But they were soon stunned
into silence when Tim Smith ran in to score under the posts. Stapleton added the extras, and the Sharks had
a shock 6-0 lead.
But it didn’t take long for the Sea Eagles to bounce back. And on 16 minutes, a run down the sideline by
Jamie Lyon put the Sea Eagles on the scoreboard. Some weak Sharks defending allowed Michael Robertson to
cross the line in the corner, and after what seemed an eternity the referee finally awarded the try which gave
Manly the lead. And in the final 5 minutes before half time, Glen Stewart and Trent Hodgkinson crashed over
the Cronulla and then Matt Cross forced a turnover to score in the corner on the half time siren. Three
converted tries in five minutes had extended the scoreline to 30-6, and a game that looked in the balance just
a few minutes earlier threatened to turn into a blowout.
The Sharks, if they were to have any hope of getting back into the game, needed to score some quick tries
early in the second half. But it took all the pluck they could muster just to hold the Sea Eagles out, as the
home side pressed the line, forcing a bulk of possession and numerous repeat sets. And eventually on 57
minutes, Jamie Lyon found the line and the contest was over.
The Sharks did eventually get one try back when Grant Millington chased down a grubber to score under the
posts. But it was too little too late, and Michael Robertson’s second try was the icing on the cake for Manly.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40 def Cronulla Sharks 12
Sea Eagles : Tries – J Lyon 2, M Robertson 2, G Stewart, T Hodgkinson, M Cross. Goals – J Lyon 6/7.
Sharks : Tries – T Smith, G Millington. Goals – N Stapleton 2/2.
Referees – T Archer, A Shortall. Crowd – 16,055 at Brookvale Oval.
Penrith announced themselves as genuine contenders for 2010 with a comprehensive 28-6 win over the in-
form Sydney Roosters in sensational sunny conditions at CUA Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers were first on the board after 7 minutes. On the 5th tackle, Walsh launched a bomb which was
collected magnificently by Joe Paulo to score the opening try. The conversion was unsuccessful, but a break
by Lachlan Coote a few minutes later set up Michael Jennings, and after a successful conversion the Panthers
led 10-0 after 12 minutes.
The Roosters attempted to manufacture field position, but too many mistakes prevented them from making
any impression on the Panthers. After the drinks break, the Panthers had a try disallowed, but on the stroke
of half time they were in again after a flick pass from Coote put Adrian Purtell into space. Michael Gordon
converted and the Panthers led 16-0 at the break.
10 minutes after the break, Lachlan Coote chased down a grubber from Walsh, and after numerous looks at
the replay the video referee awarded the try. Finally on the hour the Roosters were on the board, with Mitch
Aubusson finding the line; but the Roosters were unable to go any further to make any inroads into the deficit.
The Panthers were happy to play out time. Michael Gordon missed a penalty goal attempt, but with 4 minutes
to go he found the line to record the Panthers’ 5th try and take them into the top 8
Penrith Panthers 28 def Sydney Roosters 6
Panthers : Tries – J Paulo, M Jennings, A Purtell, L Coote, M Gordon. Goals – M Gordon 4/6.
Sharks : Tries – M Aubusson. Goals – T Carney 1/1.
Referees – J Maxwell, B Sutton. Crowd – 14,023 at CUA Stadium.
Parramatta’s quest for a repeat of last year’s grand final appearance hit a snag when the Eels were stunned 24-
14 at home against Monday night specialists Canberra.
It was end to end for 11 minutes, but after the Raiders won a scrum feed 20 metres from Parramatta line,
Shaun Fensom gathered the ball off the ground and scrambled over the line for the opening try. But the Eels
hit back, with the Eels winning repeat sets before Luke Burt crashed over in the corner. But he was unable to
convert his try, the Raiders remaining 2 points ahead. And on 28 minutes, Daniel Vidot flew high to catch a
bomb and run into the corner to score. Campese kicked an excellent conversion from the sideline and the
Raiders held a 12-4 lead.
Some magic from Jarryd Hayne, wrong-footing the Eels’ defence before offloading to Mateo, created a run
that saw Luke Burt go over for his second try. But just 4 minutes later, Joel Thompson threw a dummy to get
the Parramatta defence in knots before going over; and at half time the Raiders led 18-10.
7 minutes after the break, the game was back in the balance after a bizarre try from Ben Smith. Smith fumbled
a pass, the ball bouncing off his chest but he recovered to take the ball in goal before it hit the ground and
then grounded the ball. Burt missed the conversion, but the margin was back to 4 points. But just 3 minutes
later, the Raiders were back in control with Josh McCrone pouncing on a grubber to score. Campese’s
conversion gave the Raiders a 24-14 lead.
There was still half an hour to go, but remarkably there would be no more scoring. The Eels threw everything
at the Raiders, but the Canberra defence held firm. As time ran out, the Eels became desperate but made too
many mistakes to pose any serious threat to the Raiders. And so the Raiders took out a rare win at Parramatta
Stadium, moving ahead of the Eels on the ladder.
Canberra Raiders 24 def Parramatta Eels 14
Raiders : Tries – S Fensom, D Vidot, J Thompson, J McCrone. Goals – T Campese 4/4.
Eels : Tries – L Burt 2, B Smith. Goals – L Burt 1/3.
Referees – B Cummins, G Sutton. Crowd – 15, 122 at Parramatta Stadium.
when the Rabbitohs were far too good for the Knights and raced away to a comfortable 28-10 win at Gosford
on Saturday evening.
The Knights opened the scoring when Daniel Tolar burst through, but a strong run by Isaac Luke in the 12th
minute saw him in a position to set up Nathan Merritt; and Luke’s conversion gave the Rabbitohs the lead.
From there it was end to end for the next 20 minutes, when both sides tightened their defences. But shortly
before the break, Beau Champion managed an intercept before running 60 metres to score under the posts;
and Souths went in to the break with a 12-4 advantage.
The Rabbitohs had a chance to add to their advantage shortly after the restart, but an individual effort by
Chris Sandow was denied by the video ref. And 5 minutes later, Akuila Uate ran down the touchline to score
and the margin was cut to 2 points.
But on the hour, a clumsy looking grubber from Dave Taylor sat up with a lucky bounce to enable Fetuli
Talanoa to score in the corner. And from there it was one-way traffic. Nathan Merritt found the smallest of
gaps out wide to score in the corner, and Rhys Wesser pounced on a grubber to add another. The Rabbitohs
had the bulk of possession, and only some desperate defence from the Knights prevented the score from
blowing out further. But it was Souths’ night, the Rabbitohs looking a side in form; while the Knights’ season
opening upset of the Bulldogs by now seems a distant memory.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 def Newcastle Knights 10
Rabbitohs : Tries – N Merritt 2, B Champion, F Talanoa, R Wesser. Goals – I Luke 4/5.
Knights : Tries – D Tolar, A Uate. Goals – W Naiqama 1/2.
Referees – P Haines, S Lyons. Crowd – 16,098 at Bluetongue Stadium.
Wests Tigers took their entertaining show on the road, travelling to Townsville to take on the North
Queensland Cowboys and coming home with the points after a 23-16 victory.
The Cowboys made the early front-running but were unable to trouble the scorers, and eventually the
momentum shifted to the Tigers. The Tigers would play their entertaining brand of rugby league, throwing
the ball around and backing themselves, and in the 11th minute a grubber from Benji Marshall was brilliantly
chased by Chris Lawrence for the opening try.
But this was a game that both sides would pay a heavy price for. Not long after the opening try, Tigers’
fullback Tim Moltzen fell onto his knee, doing damage to the ligaments and likely ending his season. And the
Cowboys would also suffer, with star halfback Johnathan Thurston suffering a shoulder injury shortly before half
time that is expected to see the North Queensland playmaker spend some time on the sidelines.
On 18 minutes, a trademark sideline run by Lote Tuqiri resulted in the former Wallaby scoring in the corner,
maintaining his record of having scored in every game so far this season. The Cowboys got a penalty goal to
get on the board, but Chris Heighington put on a strong run to outmuscle the Cowboy defence and score to
give the Tigers an 18-2 lead at the break.
A knock-on from a bomb shortly after the restart was pounced on by Scott Bolton, who took advantage of
the Tigers’ defenders being out of position to score North Queensland’s first try. And when Willie Tonga
wrong-footed the Tigers’ defence to score in the corner, the score was 18-12 and the home side with the
crowd finding voice looked to have the momentum.
With 10 minutes to go, Benji Marshall attempted a field goal but missed. But a minute later, Robbie Farah
banged the drop goal over to give the Tigers a buffer. Chris Lawrence went over for his second try shortly
afterwards to make the game safe; and even though Watts scored in the final minute, it wasn’t enough for
the Cowboys to challenge and the Tigers’ impressive run continued.
Wests Tigers 23 def North Queensland Cowboys 16
Tigers : Tries – C Lawrence 2, L Tuqiri, C Heighington. Goals – B Marshall 3/5. Field Goals – R Farah 1/1, B
Marshall 0/1.
Cowboys : Tries – S Bolton, W Tonga, A Watts. Goals – J Williams 1/3, J Thurston 1/1.
Referees – G Badger, B Suttor. Crowd – 16,273 at Dairy Farmers Stadium.
The Bulldogs went into 2010 with high expectations, but their season threatens to unravel after they suffered
a 30-24 home defeat to the New Zealand Warriors on Saturday night.
The Warriors took a gamble, rushing injured winger Manu Vatuvei back sooner than expected, and an early
fumble from Vatuvei was pounced on by Brett Kimmorley for the opening try. But the Warriors hit back in the
18th minute when Brent Tate chased down a grubber from James Maloney to score, Maloney’s conversion
levelling the scores. And Vatuvei then redeemed himself by going over in the corner to give the Warriors the
lead, before up-and-coming Bulldog impact player Ben Barba levelled the scores on the stroke of half time.
10 minutes after the break, and it looked like the Warriors were set to run away with the game. A cut-out
pass from Maloney found Jacob Lillyman who scored under the posts. And after Barba knocked on a bomb,
Kevin Locke ran in to score; and with both tries converted the Warriors were leading 24-12.
But the Bulldogs quickly fought back. Winning a scrum 20 metres out from the Warriors’ line, the Bulldogs
pressed the line for five tackles before a grubber sat up perfectly for Luke Patten to score under the posts.
And on the hour, Jamal Idris found a gaping hole in the Warriors’ defence to run through for a simple try; and
when Bryson Goodwin converted, scores were level.
From end to end the ball travelled, but neither side could find a way through. With 5 minutes to go, Brett
Kimmorley attempted a field goal, but the kick went wide. But as the clock ticked down, and the game looked
set to go to golden point, a knock on from Patten saw an opportunity for Lance Hohaia, and making no
mistake the try was scored and the Warriors had stolen the game.
New Zealand Warriors 30 def Canterbury Bulldogs 24
Warriors : Tries – B Tate, M Vatuvei, J Lillyman, K Locke, L Hohaia. Goals – J Maloney 5/5.
Bulldogs : Tries – B Kimmorley, B Barba, L Patten, J Idris. Goals – B Goodwin 4/4. Field Goals – B Kimmorley
0/1.
Referees – T De las Heras, J Robinson. Crowd – 17,095 at ANZ Stadium.
Cronulla were set crashing back to earth when the Sharks were comprehensively defeated 40-12 by Manly at
Brookvale Oval on Sunday.
It was the first game at Brookvale for the season, and a big crowd was on hand. But they were soon stunned
into silence when Tim Smith ran in to score under the posts. Stapleton added the extras, and the Sharks had
a shock 6-0 lead.
But it didn’t take long for the Sea Eagles to bounce back. And on 16 minutes, a run down the sideline by
Jamie Lyon put the Sea Eagles on the scoreboard. Some weak Sharks defending allowed Michael Robertson to
cross the line in the corner, and after what seemed an eternity the referee finally awarded the try which gave
Manly the lead. And in the final 5 minutes before half time, Glen Stewart and Trent Hodgkinson crashed over
the Cronulla and then Matt Cross forced a turnover to score in the corner on the half time siren. Three
converted tries in five minutes had extended the scoreline to 30-6, and a game that looked in the balance just
a few minutes earlier threatened to turn into a blowout.
The Sharks, if they were to have any hope of getting back into the game, needed to score some quick tries
early in the second half. But it took all the pluck they could muster just to hold the Sea Eagles out, as the
home side pressed the line, forcing a bulk of possession and numerous repeat sets. And eventually on 57
minutes, Jamie Lyon found the line and the contest was over.
The Sharks did eventually get one try back when Grant Millington chased down a grubber to score under the
posts. But it was too little too late, and Michael Robertson’s second try was the icing on the cake for Manly.
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 40 def Cronulla Sharks 12
Sea Eagles : Tries – J Lyon 2, M Robertson 2, G Stewart, T Hodgkinson, M Cross. Goals – J Lyon 6/7.
Sharks : Tries – T Smith, G Millington. Goals – N Stapleton 2/2.
Referees – T Archer, A Shortall. Crowd – 16,055 at Brookvale Oval.
Penrith announced themselves as genuine contenders for 2010 with a comprehensive 28-6 win over the in-
form Sydney Roosters in sensational sunny conditions at CUA Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Panthers were first on the board after 7 minutes. On the 5th tackle, Walsh launched a bomb which was
collected magnificently by Joe Paulo to score the opening try. The conversion was unsuccessful, but a break
by Lachlan Coote a few minutes later set up Michael Jennings, and after a successful conversion the Panthers
led 10-0 after 12 minutes.
The Roosters attempted to manufacture field position, but too many mistakes prevented them from making
any impression on the Panthers. After the drinks break, the Panthers had a try disallowed, but on the stroke
of half time they were in again after a flick pass from Coote put Adrian Purtell into space. Michael Gordon
converted and the Panthers led 16-0 at the break.
10 minutes after the break, Lachlan Coote chased down a grubber from Walsh, and after numerous looks at
the replay the video referee awarded the try. Finally on the hour the Roosters were on the board, with Mitch
Aubusson finding the line; but the Roosters were unable to go any further to make any inroads into the deficit.
The Panthers were happy to play out time. Michael Gordon missed a penalty goal attempt, but with 4 minutes
to go he found the line to record the Panthers’ 5th try and take them into the top 8
Penrith Panthers 28 def Sydney Roosters 6
Panthers : Tries – J Paulo, M Jennings, A Purtell, L Coote, M Gordon. Goals – M Gordon 4/6.
Sharks : Tries – M Aubusson. Goals – T Carney 1/1.
Referees – J Maxwell, B Sutton. Crowd – 14,023 at CUA Stadium.
Parramatta’s quest for a repeat of last year’s grand final appearance hit a snag when the Eels were stunned 24-
14 at home against Monday night specialists Canberra.
It was end to end for 11 minutes, but after the Raiders won a scrum feed 20 metres from Parramatta line,
Shaun Fensom gathered the ball off the ground and scrambled over the line for the opening try. But the Eels
hit back, with the Eels winning repeat sets before Luke Burt crashed over in the corner. But he was unable to
convert his try, the Raiders remaining 2 points ahead. And on 28 minutes, Daniel Vidot flew high to catch a
bomb and run into the corner to score. Campese kicked an excellent conversion from the sideline and the
Raiders held a 12-4 lead.
Some magic from Jarryd Hayne, wrong-footing the Eels’ defence before offloading to Mateo, created a run
that saw Luke Burt go over for his second try. But just 4 minutes later, Joel Thompson threw a dummy to get
the Parramatta defence in knots before going over; and at half time the Raiders led 18-10.
7 minutes after the break, the game was back in the balance after a bizarre try from Ben Smith. Smith fumbled
a pass, the ball bouncing off his chest but he recovered to take the ball in goal before it hit the ground and
then grounded the ball. Burt missed the conversion, but the margin was back to 4 points. But just 3 minutes
later, the Raiders were back in control with Josh McCrone pouncing on a grubber to score. Campese’s
conversion gave the Raiders a 24-14 lead.
There was still half an hour to go, but remarkably there would be no more scoring. The Eels threw everything
at the Raiders, but the Canberra defence held firm. As time ran out, the Eels became desperate but made too
many mistakes to pose any serious threat to the Raiders. And so the Raiders took out a rare win at Parramatta
Stadium, moving ahead of the Eels on the ladder.
Canberra Raiders 24 def Parramatta Eels 14
Raiders : Tries – S Fensom, D Vidot, J Thompson, J McCrone. Goals – T Campese 4/4.
Eels : Tries – L Burt 2, B Smith. Goals – L Burt 1/3.
Referees – B Cummins, G Sutton. Crowd – 15, 122 at Parramatta Stadium.