| ROUND 2 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 18th March Parramatta v Penrith (7:30pm, Parramatta Stadium) Canberra v Brisbane (8:30pm, Canberra Stadium) Saturday 19th March Melbourne v Gold Coast (5:30pm, AAMI Park) Wests Tigers v NZ Warriors (7:30pm, Leichhardt Oval) North Queensland v Newcastle (9:30pm, Dairy Farmers Stadium) Sunday 20th March South Sydney v Canterbury (2:00pm, ANZ Stadium) Sydney Roosters v Manly (3:00pm, Sydney Football Stadium) Monday 21st March Cronulla v St George (7:00pm, Toyota Stadium) |
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The NRL season began, as it always does, with the Sydney Roosters playing off against South Sydney. And a
blockbuster crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium saw the Roosters make the front running before the Rabbitohs
made their move, only for the Roosters to put their hand up at the death to complete a remarkable 40-29 victory.
Roosters’ captain Braith Anasta scored the opening try of the 2011 season, after the Rabbitohs spilled a cross-field
kick into the in-goals and Anasta was there to clean up; and after extensive deliberation by the video referee, the try
was awarded. But the Rabbitohs fought back on 16 minutes, a lucky bounce after a kick forward on the 5th tackle
seeing the ball sit up for John Sutton to pounce and score to level the game at 6-6.
But the final 15 minutes of the half saw the Roosters make an attacking move that threatened to turn the game
into a blowout. Tries to Anthony Minichiello, Joseph Leilua and Frank-Paul Nuuausala saw the Roosters turn their
dominance around the ground into scoreboard pressure. To make matters worse for the Rabbitohs, Scott Geddes,
Ben Lowe and Sam Burgess departed the field injured in the first half, leaving the Rabbitohs with only one on the
bench. A penalty goal to Anasta on the stroke of half time put the Roosters 22-6 ahead. And when Mitchell Pearce
put up a bomb that Sam Perrett pounced on to score within five minutes of the restart, the game was already
looking safe for the Roosters.
But out of nowhere, the Rabbitohs suddenly sparked into action and worked their way back into the contest. The
Roosters, perhaps resting on their laurels, lost their discipline and helped the Rabbitohs out with a string of penalties.
And the Rabbitohs found their attacking flair with a spirited comeback.
Nathan Merritt kick-started the comeback, reading the play quicker than the Roosters defenders to score in the
corner. On 62 minutes, Greg Inglis scored his first try in Rabbitohs colours, and a few minutes later Eddy Pettybourne
found the line. And when Chris Sandow intercepted and ran 90 metres to score, dangerously celebrating the try
before the ball was gounded over the line. Scores were level.
The Rabbitohs looked to have all the momentum, especially when Sandow landed a field goal with 5 minutes to go
to give the Rabbitohs the lead for the first time. But the Roosters regained use of the ball with a short kick-off, and
the ensuing set saw Tom Symods score to put the Roosters back in frot. Symonds would score another through an
intercept at the death to see the Roosters over the line. Amazingly it was the first time since 2005 that the home
side has won the Roosters v Rabbitohs season opener.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Sydney Roosters 40 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 29
Roosters : Tries – T Symonds 2, B Anasta, J Leilua, A Minichiello, F Nuuausala, S Perrett. Goals – B
Anasta 6/8.
Rabbitohs : Tries – G Inglis, N Merritt, E Pettybourne, C Sandow, J Sutton. Goals – C Sandow 4/4, I
Luke 0/1. Field Goals – C Sandow 1/1.
Referees – T Archer, A Shortall. Crowd – 28,703 at Sydney Football Stadium.
A tumultuous pre-season at Brisbane saw Ivan Henjak given his marching orders as coach just two weeks before the
season started. Alan Griffin at short notice received the coaching gig, just the third coach of the Broncos in the 24th
season. And the turmoil will only worsen as the Broncos suffered an opening round home loss at the hands of North
Queensland Cowboys.
The Broncos started brightly, and after just five minutes were on the scoreboard when Jack Reed received a pass
from Darren Lockyer to score in the corner. The angle was too tight for Corey Parker to land the conversion, but the
Broncos continued to attack. But a second try to pile the pressure on further would not be forthcoming as the
Cowboys held them out.
blockbuster crowd at the Sydney Football Stadium saw the Roosters make the front running before the Rabbitohs
made their move, only for the Roosters to put their hand up at the death to complete a remarkable 40-29 victory.
Roosters’ captain Braith Anasta scored the opening try of the 2011 season, after the Rabbitohs spilled a cross-field
kick into the in-goals and Anasta was there to clean up; and after extensive deliberation by the video referee, the try
was awarded. But the Rabbitohs fought back on 16 minutes, a lucky bounce after a kick forward on the 5th tackle
seeing the ball sit up for John Sutton to pounce and score to level the game at 6-6.
But the final 15 minutes of the half saw the Roosters make an attacking move that threatened to turn the game
into a blowout. Tries to Anthony Minichiello, Joseph Leilua and Frank-Paul Nuuausala saw the Roosters turn their
dominance around the ground into scoreboard pressure. To make matters worse for the Rabbitohs, Scott Geddes,
Ben Lowe and Sam Burgess departed the field injured in the first half, leaving the Rabbitohs with only one on the
bench. A penalty goal to Anasta on the stroke of half time put the Roosters 22-6 ahead. And when Mitchell Pearce
put up a bomb that Sam Perrett pounced on to score within five minutes of the restart, the game was already
looking safe for the Roosters.
But out of nowhere, the Rabbitohs suddenly sparked into action and worked their way back into the contest. The
Roosters, perhaps resting on their laurels, lost their discipline and helped the Rabbitohs out with a string of penalties.
And the Rabbitohs found their attacking flair with a spirited comeback.
Nathan Merritt kick-started the comeback, reading the play quicker than the Roosters defenders to score in the
corner. On 62 minutes, Greg Inglis scored his first try in Rabbitohs colours, and a few minutes later Eddy Pettybourne
found the line. And when Chris Sandow intercepted and ran 90 metres to score, dangerously celebrating the try
before the ball was gounded over the line. Scores were level.
The Rabbitohs looked to have all the momentum, especially when Sandow landed a field goal with 5 minutes to go
to give the Rabbitohs the lead for the first time. But the Roosters regained use of the ball with a short kick-off, and
the ensuing set saw Tom Symods score to put the Roosters back in frot. Symonds would score another through an
intercept at the death to see the Roosters over the line. Amazingly it was the first time since 2005 that the home
side has won the Roosters v Rabbitohs season opener.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Sydney Roosters 40 def South Sydney Rabbitohs 29
Roosters : Tries – T Symonds 2, B Anasta, J Leilua, A Minichiello, F Nuuausala, S Perrett. Goals – B
Anasta 6/8.
Rabbitohs : Tries – G Inglis, N Merritt, E Pettybourne, C Sandow, J Sutton. Goals – C Sandow 4/4, I
Luke 0/1. Field Goals – C Sandow 1/1.
Referees – T Archer, A Shortall. Crowd – 28,703 at Sydney Football Stadium.
A tumultuous pre-season at Brisbane saw Ivan Henjak given his marching orders as coach just two weeks before the
season started. Alan Griffin at short notice received the coaching gig, just the third coach of the Broncos in the 24th
season. And the turmoil will only worsen as the Broncos suffered an opening round home loss at the hands of North
Queensland Cowboys.
The Broncos started brightly, and after just five minutes were on the scoreboard when Jack Reed received a pass
from Darren Lockyer to score in the corner. The angle was too tight for Corey Parker to land the conversion, but the
Broncos continued to attack. But a second try to pile the pressure on further would not be forthcoming as the
Cowboys held them out.
But the Broncos were in trouble when Gagai knocked on from the first tackle, giving the Cowboys a set of tackles
from deep within the Broncos’ half. And the Broncos would pay the penalty, James Tamou crashing over to score
and Johnathan Thurston converting to put the Cowboys in front.
Thurston was again in the thick of the action, breaking through the Broncos’ line before off-loading to Michael
Bani for the next try. And when Will Tupou weaved around the Brisbane defenders before scoring in the corner,
the Cowboys were on their way to a 16-4 lead at half time.
Five minutes into the second half, and the Broncos were back in the contest. Darren Lockyer grubbered the ball
forward on the 5th tackle, and Jharal Yow Yeh raced through to plant the ball down and the video referee
eventually awarded the try. Corey Parker’s conversion cut the margin to six points.
And that’s where it stayed for the next 30 minutes. Half an hour of end to end play, the Cowboys and Broncos
both looking for scoring chances and coming up blank. Matt Bowen had a try disallowed by the video referee after
a knock-on, but few chances were created by either team. With a 6-point margin the Cowboys must have been
tempted to go for the drop goal to give themselves an additional point’s safety margin, but even when they were
within range, the field goal was never attempted.
With five minutes to go, Wallace set up debutant Dane Gagai for a try in the corner. As Corey Parker lined up the
conversion, the Cowboys must have been regretting not attempting the field goal, as a successful conversion
would have levelled the scores. But the Cowboys breathed a sigh of relief as the shot sailed wide; and the
Cowboys were able to hold the Broncos out in the final minutes to take the two points and add to Brisbane’s
2011 misery.
North Queensland Cowboys 16 def Brisbane Broncos 14
Cowboys : Tries – M Bani, J Tamou, W Tupou. Goals – J Thurston 2/3.
Broncos : Tries – J Yow Yeh, J Reed, D Gagai. Goals – C Parker 1/3.
Referees – S Hayne, G Sutton. Crowd – 45,119 at Suncorp Stadium.
For the first time, an NRL premiership match was played at Eden Park, Auckland; and a blockbuster crowd of
38,405 rocked up to take in the action. But the majority would go home disappointed, as Parramatta got on top
and held out the fast-finishing Warriors to complete a 24-18 victory.
It didn’t take long for the Eels to get on the board. Repeat sets put the Eels in attacking position, and from
dummy half Jeff Robson crashed over from close range to open the scoring. Luke Burt landed the easiest of
conversions; bringing up his 1,500th point in his NRL career. A penalty goal gave the Eels an additional two points.
And on the half hour, the Hayne plane took off for the first time in 2011 when Jarryd Hayne flew high to mark a
bomb AFL-style and then put the ball down for a sensational try out wide. Burt’s conversion put the Eels 14-0
ahead.
The Warriors fought back late in the half, finally stringing some possession together and completing their sets.
And Lance Hohaia got involved in the game, wrong-footing the Parramatta defenders before off-loading to
Jerome Ropati for the Warriors’ opening try. But disaster was to strike the Warriors shortly afterwards, Manu
Vatuvei injuring his knee and playing no further part in the game, and looking set for a lengthy stint on the
sidelines.
The Eels led 14-6 at the break, and extended their lead by 6 points within four minutes of the restart, Fisiiati
dropping a bomb and the ball sitting up nicely for Luke Burt to pounce and score. Ten minutes later, Jarryd Hayne
looked set to score with an electrifying run down the sideline, drawing the Warriors’ defenders before off-loading
to Luke Burt for a try in the corner. Burt was unable to convert his second try, but with a 24-6 advantage as the
clock ticked past the hour, the Eels looked set to cruise to an easy win.
But suddenly the Warriors came to life and came perilously close to stealing the game. Jerome Ropati found some
space to score in the corner, with James Maloney landing a magnificent conversion. And with seven minutes to
go, Lewis Brown capitalised on a Parramatta knock-on to score, the conversion cutting the lead to just six points.
The Warriors were by now looking dangerous, with the momentum and a vocal home crowd behind them. But
the try that would force the game into golden point would not be forthcoming, and the Eels were able to hang
on for dear life for a first-up win in 2011.
Parramatta Eels 24 def New Zealand Warriors 18
Eels : Tries – L Burt 2, J Hayne, J Robson. Goals – L Burt 4/5.
Warriors : Tries – J Ropati 2, L Brown. Goals – J Maloney 3/3.
Referees – S Lyons, S James. Crowd – 38,405 at Eden Park.
St George-Illawarra showed no sign of a premiership hangover when the Dragons travelled to the Gold Coast and
took out a 25-16 victory over the Titans on Saturday night.
The Dragons wasted no time getting their first score for 2011. In just the second minute, Ben Hornby made a
break down the sideline before being brought down just a metre short of the Titans’ line. On the next play,
Nathan Fien crashed over and already the Dragons were on the board; and despite the tight angle, Jamie Soward
had no trouble landing the conversion.
On 25 minutes, the Dragons doubled their lead, when Jamie Soward chipped the ball forward for a flying Ben
Creagh to grab the ball and score in the corner. The Titans needed a spark to get into the contest, and it came
shortly before half time when Scott Prince put a bomb up. Neither of the players who attempted the mark were
able to get a touch as the ball landed in the in-goals, with Steve Michaels then pouncing on the loose ball to score.
It was 12-6 to the Dragons at the break, and Jamie Soward added to the Dragons’ buffer with a field goal shortly
after the break.
Ten minutes later, and the game became controversial. Jamie Soward on the 5th tackle chipped the ball forward,
and Gold Coast fullback William Zillman looked to have the ball covered before he collided with referee Phil Haines.
The ball rebounded off the collision into the waiting arms of Darius Boyd who put the ball down and claimed the
try.
Boyd’s second try came shortly after the hour mark and with a 25-6 advantage the Dragons were home and
hosed. The Titans scored two late tries, but it was too little too late. The Dragons, having broken their
premiership hoodoo last year, showed no signs of any let-down after last year’s heroics, and remain favourites to
go back to back in 2011.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 25 def Gold Coast Titans 16
Dragons : Tries – D Boyd 2, B Creagh, N Fien. Goals – J Soward 4/4. Field Goals – J Soward 1/2.
Titans : Tries – S Michaels, A Harrison, S Tagataese. Goals – S Prince 2/3.
Referees – J Maxwell, P Haines. Crowd – 21,729 at Skilled Park.
Playing for points for the first time since April last year, and for the first time ever at AAMI Park, Melbourne starved
Manly of scoring opportunities to take out a 18-6 win on Saturday night.
The Sea Eagles opened the scoring with a penalty goal, and shortly afterwards Cameron Smith responded in kind
to make the score 2-2. It was a closely-fought contest through the first half, both sides defending grimly and it
was difficult for either side to make a break or string a run together. But after the half hour mark, the Storm
made their move. An imaginative pass by Billy Slater set up Matt Duffie for a run for the opening try. But just
three minutes, Brett Stewart threw a similar pass to send Michael Robertson to the line for an equaliser. Both
conversions were missed, and the scores were locked at 6-6 at the break.
The Sea Eagles were rocked when Jamie Lyon suffered a hamstring injury, being assisted from the field and
playing no further part in the game. And after the break, the Storm took control. A front-foot no-ball call against
Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans from a line drop-out gave the Storm a penalty, and taking the tap, the Storm fed the
ball out wide to Chase Stanley for the try that gave the Storm the lead.
On 68 minutes, a knock-on by Anthony Watmough created a chance for the Storm, which Dane Neilsen
converted and victory was assured. After last year’s salary cap scandal saw the club stripped of all points for 2010,
and their 2007 and 2009 premierships, this was the first step on the Storm’s road to redemption.
Melbourne Storm 18 def Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 6
Storm : Tries – C Stanley, D Neilsen, M Duffie. Goals – C Smith 3/4.
Sea Eagles : Tries – M Robertson. Goals – J Lyon 1/1, D Cherry-Evans 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, G Reynolds. Crowd – 14,651 at AAMI Park.
Despite a worsening injury list, Canberra started the 2011 season on a positive note when the Raiders thrashed
Cronulla 40-12 at Bruce Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Matt Orford and Josh Dugan were late withdrawals from the Raiders team, and five minutes into the game they
lost skipper Alan Tongue.
The Sharks had the better of play over the first 15 minutes, but only had one try to show for their efforts with
Luke Douglas finding an opening and beating the chasers to score under the posts. And against the overall run of
play, the Raiders equalised in the 16th minute, with Josh McCrone chasing his own chip kick to recover possession
and score.
10 minutes later, with the Raiders deep in attack, they threw the ball to Dane Tilse who crashed through the
Sharks’ defence to score. There may have been a hint of obstruction, and the decision was referred to the video
referee, but the verdict was that the obstruction wouldn’t have made any difference and the try was awarded.
Not long afterwards, the Raiders were in again when Blake Ferguson lept on a bomb and after a clean take dived
over to score in the corner. And on the stroke of half-time, after the Raiders went into attack again with a
sensational 40-20 from Sam Williams, Jarrod Croker took the ball and scored another try for the Raiders, and they
would take a 22-6 lead into the rooms at half time.
The Raiders were looking good, and it got even better for the men in green as the second half got under way.
Daniel Vidot found himself unmarked as the Sharks came to meet Jarrod Croker, and the offload from Croker to
Vidot set up the easiest of tries. Five minutes later the Sharks’ defence had crumbled completely, allowing Joe
Picker to stroll through for the easiest of tries; but shortly afterwards, Picker joined the Canberra injury ward after
going down with a knee injury.
Nathan Gardner got a try back for the Sharks, but the Raiders had the game comfortably under control, and
Shaun Fensom’s try was the icing on the cake. A dirty day got worse for the Sharks when Paul Aiton got sent off
for a head-butt, forcing them to complete the match with 12 men. The Raiders have enjoyed a comfortable start
to the season, while another year of doom and gloom looks on the cards for the hapless Sharks after an insipid
performance in their opening game.
Canberra Raiders 40 def Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12
Raiders : Tries – D Tilse, J Picker, J Croker, D Vidot, S Fensom, B Ferguson, J McCrone. Goals – J
Croker 6/7.
Sharks : Tries – L Douglas, N Gardner. Goals – J Williams 2/2.
Referees – A Klein, A Devcich. Crowd – 13,500 at Canberra Stadium.
Sunday afternoon’s match between Penrith and Newcastle was played in 38 degree heat. But surprisingly, it was
the Knights who handled the hot conditions better, turning up the heat on the Panthers with a comprehensive
42-8 demolition of the Panthers at Penrith Stadium.
Luke Walsh found himself on report after a high shot on James McManus in the opening minute, but there were
few signs early of the blowout that was to come. The Panthers looked dangerous early, and took the lead
through a penalty goal after the Knights were pinged for going inside their 10.
The Knights scored the first try of the game at the 15 minute mark, Jarrod Mullen putting up a bomb and chasing
it down to score.
The Panthers were letting themselves down with silly errors, twice being penalised for stepping over the line
when taking line drop-outs. And the weight of possession took its toll with Junior Sau crashing over the line to
score. On the half hour mark, Gidley chipped the ball forward, and a flying Akuila Uate came through to score.
And five minutes later, Kurt Gidley went himself to add another. The Panthers were left shell-shocked, as the
Knights took a shock 22-2 lead into the sheds at half time.
If the Panthers were to have any hope of getting back into the contest, they needed to show more discipline
and resolve than they showed in the first half. But it took just two minutes for it to be apparent that this was not
going to happen, the Panthers giving away a silly penalty. Wes Naiqama was given the kicking duties for the
second half, and landed the penalty goal to add another two points to the Newcastle lead.
From there, it was one-way traffic. The Knights would score three more tries, turning a comfortable win into a
demolition. After some lean times in recent seasons, it was the best possible opening to the season for the
Knights, and one that will boost the Novocastrian confidence. Although the Panthers scored a late try, they were
comprehensively thrashed at home; and after a second-placed season after the home & away rounds last year,
the Panthers and their supporters would have expected a better performance than what was shown in this
match.
Newcastle Knights 42 def Penrith Panthers 8
Knights : Tries – J Sau 2, K Gidley, J Mullen, M Hilder, A Uate, B Henry. Goals – W Naiqama 4/4, K
Gidley 3/4.
Panthers : Tries – L Coote. Goals – M Gordon 2/2.
Referees – B Cummins, T De las Heras. Crowd – 12,431 at Centrebet Stadium.
Another blockbuster crowd, over 26,000, turned up for Monday night action at ANZ Stadium, bringing the first
round aggregate crowd over 200,000 and smashing the previous opening round record. And the match was a
cracker, with the Bulldogs getting their 2011 campaign off to a solid start with a 24-14 win over Wests Tigers.
The early period of the game was an arm wrestle, both sides feeling each other out and defending tightly. The
Tigers had a chance to score, but Blake Ayshford was unable to control the ball during the split-second reaction
time he was given. But the defending was tight, and it took 26 minutes before either side could score.
Finally the deadlock was broken, when John Morris made a break and ran the length of the field to score under
the posts. But the Tigers took little time to respond, a cut-out pass by Benji Marshall sending Lote Tuqiri to the
corner to score in the corner. But Marshall was unable to land the conversion and the Bulldogs retained a 2-point
lead; a lead they had a chance to double with a penalty goal attempt on the stroke of half time, but the kick was
just too long for Bryson Goodwin.
Shortly after the break, Chris Lawrence wrong-footed Jamal Idris to score out wide and put the Tigers in front;
but another missed conversion by Marshall kept the lead at just two points. And shortly afterwards the Bulldogs
were back in front, after former Panther Frank Pritchard found the line, Goodwin’s conversion making the score
12-8.
On the hour, Trent Hodkinson set up another Bulldogs’ first-gamer, Kris Keating, and the Bulldogs had another try
on the board. But seven minutes later Benji Marshall weaved through traffic to score and the game was back to
three tries apiece and the Bulldogs’ lead was back to 4 points.
The Tigers worked hard, looking for the winning try, but it wasn’t to come. And with three minutes to go, Steve
Turner made the game safe for the Bulldogs with a break and a try in the corner. It was a first-up win for the
Bulldogs, raising hopes they could turn around the woes of last season with a fresh start in 2011.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 def Wests Tigers 14
Bulldogs : Tries – F Pritchard, S Turner, K Keating, J Morris. Goals – B Goodwin 4/5.
Tigers : Tries – B Marshall, C Lawrence, L Tuqiri. Goals – B Marshall 1/3.
Referees – G Badger, B Suttor. Crowd – 26,737 at ANZ Stadium.
from deep within the Broncos’ half. And the Broncos would pay the penalty, James Tamou crashing over to score
and Johnathan Thurston converting to put the Cowboys in front.
Thurston was again in the thick of the action, breaking through the Broncos’ line before off-loading to Michael
Bani for the next try. And when Will Tupou weaved around the Brisbane defenders before scoring in the corner,
the Cowboys were on their way to a 16-4 lead at half time.
Five minutes into the second half, and the Broncos were back in the contest. Darren Lockyer grubbered the ball
forward on the 5th tackle, and Jharal Yow Yeh raced through to plant the ball down and the video referee
eventually awarded the try. Corey Parker’s conversion cut the margin to six points.
And that’s where it stayed for the next 30 minutes. Half an hour of end to end play, the Cowboys and Broncos
both looking for scoring chances and coming up blank. Matt Bowen had a try disallowed by the video referee after
a knock-on, but few chances were created by either team. With a 6-point margin the Cowboys must have been
tempted to go for the drop goal to give themselves an additional point’s safety margin, but even when they were
within range, the field goal was never attempted.
With five minutes to go, Wallace set up debutant Dane Gagai for a try in the corner. As Corey Parker lined up the
conversion, the Cowboys must have been regretting not attempting the field goal, as a successful conversion
would have levelled the scores. But the Cowboys breathed a sigh of relief as the shot sailed wide; and the
Cowboys were able to hold the Broncos out in the final minutes to take the two points and add to Brisbane’s
2011 misery.
North Queensland Cowboys 16 def Brisbane Broncos 14
Cowboys : Tries – M Bani, J Tamou, W Tupou. Goals – J Thurston 2/3.
Broncos : Tries – J Yow Yeh, J Reed, D Gagai. Goals – C Parker 1/3.
Referees – S Hayne, G Sutton. Crowd – 45,119 at Suncorp Stadium.
For the first time, an NRL premiership match was played at Eden Park, Auckland; and a blockbuster crowd of
38,405 rocked up to take in the action. But the majority would go home disappointed, as Parramatta got on top
and held out the fast-finishing Warriors to complete a 24-18 victory.
It didn’t take long for the Eels to get on the board. Repeat sets put the Eels in attacking position, and from
dummy half Jeff Robson crashed over from close range to open the scoring. Luke Burt landed the easiest of
conversions; bringing up his 1,500th point in his NRL career. A penalty goal gave the Eels an additional two points.
And on the half hour, the Hayne plane took off for the first time in 2011 when Jarryd Hayne flew high to mark a
bomb AFL-style and then put the ball down for a sensational try out wide. Burt’s conversion put the Eels 14-0
ahead.
The Warriors fought back late in the half, finally stringing some possession together and completing their sets.
And Lance Hohaia got involved in the game, wrong-footing the Parramatta defenders before off-loading to
Jerome Ropati for the Warriors’ opening try. But disaster was to strike the Warriors shortly afterwards, Manu
Vatuvei injuring his knee and playing no further part in the game, and looking set for a lengthy stint on the
sidelines.
The Eels led 14-6 at the break, and extended their lead by 6 points within four minutes of the restart, Fisiiati
dropping a bomb and the ball sitting up nicely for Luke Burt to pounce and score. Ten minutes later, Jarryd Hayne
looked set to score with an electrifying run down the sideline, drawing the Warriors’ defenders before off-loading
to Luke Burt for a try in the corner. Burt was unable to convert his second try, but with a 24-6 advantage as the
clock ticked past the hour, the Eels looked set to cruise to an easy win.
But suddenly the Warriors came to life and came perilously close to stealing the game. Jerome Ropati found some
space to score in the corner, with James Maloney landing a magnificent conversion. And with seven minutes to
go, Lewis Brown capitalised on a Parramatta knock-on to score, the conversion cutting the lead to just six points.
The Warriors were by now looking dangerous, with the momentum and a vocal home crowd behind them. But
the try that would force the game into golden point would not be forthcoming, and the Eels were able to hang
on for dear life for a first-up win in 2011.
Parramatta Eels 24 def New Zealand Warriors 18
Eels : Tries – L Burt 2, J Hayne, J Robson. Goals – L Burt 4/5.
Warriors : Tries – J Ropati 2, L Brown. Goals – J Maloney 3/3.
Referees – S Lyons, S James. Crowd – 38,405 at Eden Park.
St George-Illawarra showed no sign of a premiership hangover when the Dragons travelled to the Gold Coast and
took out a 25-16 victory over the Titans on Saturday night.
The Dragons wasted no time getting their first score for 2011. In just the second minute, Ben Hornby made a
break down the sideline before being brought down just a metre short of the Titans’ line. On the next play,
Nathan Fien crashed over and already the Dragons were on the board; and despite the tight angle, Jamie Soward
had no trouble landing the conversion.
On 25 minutes, the Dragons doubled their lead, when Jamie Soward chipped the ball forward for a flying Ben
Creagh to grab the ball and score in the corner. The Titans needed a spark to get into the contest, and it came
shortly before half time when Scott Prince put a bomb up. Neither of the players who attempted the mark were
able to get a touch as the ball landed in the in-goals, with Steve Michaels then pouncing on the loose ball to score.
It was 12-6 to the Dragons at the break, and Jamie Soward added to the Dragons’ buffer with a field goal shortly
after the break.
Ten minutes later, and the game became controversial. Jamie Soward on the 5th tackle chipped the ball forward,
and Gold Coast fullback William Zillman looked to have the ball covered before he collided with referee Phil Haines.
The ball rebounded off the collision into the waiting arms of Darius Boyd who put the ball down and claimed the
try.
Boyd’s second try came shortly after the hour mark and with a 25-6 advantage the Dragons were home and
hosed. The Titans scored two late tries, but it was too little too late. The Dragons, having broken their
premiership hoodoo last year, showed no signs of any let-down after last year’s heroics, and remain favourites to
go back to back in 2011.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 25 def Gold Coast Titans 16
Dragons : Tries – D Boyd 2, B Creagh, N Fien. Goals – J Soward 4/4. Field Goals – J Soward 1/2.
Titans : Tries – S Michaels, A Harrison, S Tagataese. Goals – S Prince 2/3.
Referees – J Maxwell, P Haines. Crowd – 21,729 at Skilled Park.
Playing for points for the first time since April last year, and for the first time ever at AAMI Park, Melbourne starved
Manly of scoring opportunities to take out a 18-6 win on Saturday night.
The Sea Eagles opened the scoring with a penalty goal, and shortly afterwards Cameron Smith responded in kind
to make the score 2-2. It was a closely-fought contest through the first half, both sides defending grimly and it
was difficult for either side to make a break or string a run together. But after the half hour mark, the Storm
made their move. An imaginative pass by Billy Slater set up Matt Duffie for a run for the opening try. But just
three minutes, Brett Stewart threw a similar pass to send Michael Robertson to the line for an equaliser. Both
conversions were missed, and the scores were locked at 6-6 at the break.
The Sea Eagles were rocked when Jamie Lyon suffered a hamstring injury, being assisted from the field and
playing no further part in the game. And after the break, the Storm took control. A front-foot no-ball call against
Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans from a line drop-out gave the Storm a penalty, and taking the tap, the Storm fed the
ball out wide to Chase Stanley for the try that gave the Storm the lead.
On 68 minutes, a knock-on by Anthony Watmough created a chance for the Storm, which Dane Neilsen
converted and victory was assured. After last year’s salary cap scandal saw the club stripped of all points for 2010,
and their 2007 and 2009 premierships, this was the first step on the Storm’s road to redemption.
Melbourne Storm 18 def Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 6
Storm : Tries – C Stanley, D Neilsen, M Duffie. Goals – C Smith 3/4.
Sea Eagles : Tries – M Robertson. Goals – J Lyon 1/1, D Cherry-Evans 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, G Reynolds. Crowd – 14,651 at AAMI Park.
Despite a worsening injury list, Canberra started the 2011 season on a positive note when the Raiders thrashed
Cronulla 40-12 at Bruce Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Matt Orford and Josh Dugan were late withdrawals from the Raiders team, and five minutes into the game they
lost skipper Alan Tongue.
The Sharks had the better of play over the first 15 minutes, but only had one try to show for their efforts with
Luke Douglas finding an opening and beating the chasers to score under the posts. And against the overall run of
play, the Raiders equalised in the 16th minute, with Josh McCrone chasing his own chip kick to recover possession
and score.
10 minutes later, with the Raiders deep in attack, they threw the ball to Dane Tilse who crashed through the
Sharks’ defence to score. There may have been a hint of obstruction, and the decision was referred to the video
referee, but the verdict was that the obstruction wouldn’t have made any difference and the try was awarded.
Not long afterwards, the Raiders were in again when Blake Ferguson lept on a bomb and after a clean take dived
over to score in the corner. And on the stroke of half-time, after the Raiders went into attack again with a
sensational 40-20 from Sam Williams, Jarrod Croker took the ball and scored another try for the Raiders, and they
would take a 22-6 lead into the rooms at half time.
The Raiders were looking good, and it got even better for the men in green as the second half got under way.
Daniel Vidot found himself unmarked as the Sharks came to meet Jarrod Croker, and the offload from Croker to
Vidot set up the easiest of tries. Five minutes later the Sharks’ defence had crumbled completely, allowing Joe
Picker to stroll through for the easiest of tries; but shortly afterwards, Picker joined the Canberra injury ward after
going down with a knee injury.
Nathan Gardner got a try back for the Sharks, but the Raiders had the game comfortably under control, and
Shaun Fensom’s try was the icing on the cake. A dirty day got worse for the Sharks when Paul Aiton got sent off
for a head-butt, forcing them to complete the match with 12 men. The Raiders have enjoyed a comfortable start
to the season, while another year of doom and gloom looks on the cards for the hapless Sharks after an insipid
performance in their opening game.
Canberra Raiders 40 def Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 12
Raiders : Tries – D Tilse, J Picker, J Croker, D Vidot, S Fensom, B Ferguson, J McCrone. Goals – J
Croker 6/7.
Sharks : Tries – L Douglas, N Gardner. Goals – J Williams 2/2.
Referees – A Klein, A Devcich. Crowd – 13,500 at Canberra Stadium.
Sunday afternoon’s match between Penrith and Newcastle was played in 38 degree heat. But surprisingly, it was
the Knights who handled the hot conditions better, turning up the heat on the Panthers with a comprehensive
42-8 demolition of the Panthers at Penrith Stadium.
Luke Walsh found himself on report after a high shot on James McManus in the opening minute, but there were
few signs early of the blowout that was to come. The Panthers looked dangerous early, and took the lead
through a penalty goal after the Knights were pinged for going inside their 10.
The Knights scored the first try of the game at the 15 minute mark, Jarrod Mullen putting up a bomb and chasing
it down to score.
The Panthers were letting themselves down with silly errors, twice being penalised for stepping over the line
when taking line drop-outs. And the weight of possession took its toll with Junior Sau crashing over the line to
score. On the half hour mark, Gidley chipped the ball forward, and a flying Akuila Uate came through to score.
And five minutes later, Kurt Gidley went himself to add another. The Panthers were left shell-shocked, as the
Knights took a shock 22-2 lead into the sheds at half time.
If the Panthers were to have any hope of getting back into the contest, they needed to show more discipline
and resolve than they showed in the first half. But it took just two minutes for it to be apparent that this was not
going to happen, the Panthers giving away a silly penalty. Wes Naiqama was given the kicking duties for the
second half, and landed the penalty goal to add another two points to the Newcastle lead.
From there, it was one-way traffic. The Knights would score three more tries, turning a comfortable win into a
demolition. After some lean times in recent seasons, it was the best possible opening to the season for the
Knights, and one that will boost the Novocastrian confidence. Although the Panthers scored a late try, they were
comprehensively thrashed at home; and after a second-placed season after the home & away rounds last year,
the Panthers and their supporters would have expected a better performance than what was shown in this
match.
Newcastle Knights 42 def Penrith Panthers 8
Knights : Tries – J Sau 2, K Gidley, J Mullen, M Hilder, A Uate, B Henry. Goals – W Naiqama 4/4, K
Gidley 3/4.
Panthers : Tries – L Coote. Goals – M Gordon 2/2.
Referees – B Cummins, T De las Heras. Crowd – 12,431 at Centrebet Stadium.
Another blockbuster crowd, over 26,000, turned up for Monday night action at ANZ Stadium, bringing the first
round aggregate crowd over 200,000 and smashing the previous opening round record. And the match was a
cracker, with the Bulldogs getting their 2011 campaign off to a solid start with a 24-14 win over Wests Tigers.
The early period of the game was an arm wrestle, both sides feeling each other out and defending tightly. The
Tigers had a chance to score, but Blake Ayshford was unable to control the ball during the split-second reaction
time he was given. But the defending was tight, and it took 26 minutes before either side could score.
Finally the deadlock was broken, when John Morris made a break and ran the length of the field to score under
the posts. But the Tigers took little time to respond, a cut-out pass by Benji Marshall sending Lote Tuqiri to the
corner to score in the corner. But Marshall was unable to land the conversion and the Bulldogs retained a 2-point
lead; a lead they had a chance to double with a penalty goal attempt on the stroke of half time, but the kick was
just too long for Bryson Goodwin.
Shortly after the break, Chris Lawrence wrong-footed Jamal Idris to score out wide and put the Tigers in front;
but another missed conversion by Marshall kept the lead at just two points. And shortly afterwards the Bulldogs
were back in front, after former Panther Frank Pritchard found the line, Goodwin’s conversion making the score
12-8.
On the hour, Trent Hodkinson set up another Bulldogs’ first-gamer, Kris Keating, and the Bulldogs had another try
on the board. But seven minutes later Benji Marshall weaved through traffic to score and the game was back to
three tries apiece and the Bulldogs’ lead was back to 4 points.
The Tigers worked hard, looking for the winning try, but it wasn’t to come. And with three minutes to go, Steve
Turner made the game safe for the Bulldogs with a break and a try in the corner. It was a first-up win for the
Bulldogs, raising hopes they could turn around the woes of last season with a fresh start in 2011.
Click here to see Harboursport's photo gallery from this match.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 24 def Wests Tigers 14
Bulldogs : Tries – F Pritchard, S Turner, K Keating, J Morris. Goals – B Goodwin 4/5.
Tigers : Tries – B Marshall, C Lawrence, L Tuqiri. Goals – B Marshall 1/3.
Referees – G Badger, B Suttor. Crowd – 26,737 at ANZ Stadium.
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