The second Friday night game saw South Sydney continue on their winning ways, with the Rabbitohs winning their fourth game on the trot
with a comfortable 36-18 result over Canberra at ANZ Stadium.
The game got off to a lacklustre start, with both sides committing plenty of errors. But it was the Rabbitohs who clicked into gear quicker.
Justin Hunt made a run to score out wide, and then Dave Taylor crashed through the defensive wall to score; but both conversions were
missed. And when Greg Inglis burst through a gap to score under the posts, and Adam Reynolds converted the try, the Rabbitohs were out to
a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes.
The Raiders had been under the pump, but hit back hard with two quick tries as Jarrod Croker twice burst through holes to score. But as good
as Croker’s run was, his kicking was poor with two missed conversions that should have been kicked.
With half time just seconds away, the Raiders continued their fightback, with Joel Thompson getting through an opening to score out wide.
Jarrod Croker had a kick at goal to level the scores, but again was off target; and the teams returned to the rooms at half time with the
Rabbitohs leading 14-12.
The Raiders would have cause to rue those missed kicks, as the Rabbitohs put on a devastating burst. After ten scoreless minutes, the
Rabbitohs would score three times in the next five minutes to open up what would be a match-winning lead. Ben Lowe shrugged a tackle to
score, Dylan Farrell found room to move out wide, and then Dave Taylor strolled through a gap to bring up his double. Isaac Luke took over at
the kicking tee and converted all three tries, opening up a 32-12 lead.
That burst ended any hopes the Raiders may have had of stealing the result, and the sting went out of the game in the final 20 minutes. Greg
Inglis brought up his double, and then Reece Robinson got a consolation try for the Raiders in the final minutes. But the overall tale of the
night was one in which a devastating period in the early minutes of the second half gave the Rabbitohs an insurmountable lead and which sees
them win four in a row and climbing further into the top reaches of the ladder; establishing themselves once again as genuine contenders.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 36 def Canberra Raiders 18
Rabbitohs : Tries – G Inglis 2, D Taylor 2, B Lowe, D Farrell, J Hunt. Goals – I Luke 3/4, A Reynolds 1/3.
Raiders : Tries – J Croker 2, R Robinson, J Thompson. Goals – J Croker 1/4.
Referees – A Klein, C James. Crowd – 10,054 at ANZ Stadium.
Gold Coast Titans, a club in crisis early in the season, have taken another step towards getting themselves back on track; recording back to
back wins for the first time this season, with a 24-14 win over Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on Saturday night.
The Knights welcomed back their Origin players; and one of them, Akuila Uate, was on the scoreboard after just six minutes. Junior Sau drew
two defenders before finding an unmarked Uate out wide for a try in the corner. Tyrone Roberts’ conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
At the 20 minute mark, the Titans were in front. William Zillman intercepted at the half way line and burst 40 metres before off-loading to Matt
Srama, who scored under the posts. Scott Prince’s conversion gave the Titans the lead. And four minutes later, David Mead out-paced the
Knights’ defenders to score in the corner and open up a 10-4 lead.
With half time approaching, Nate Myles dragged the Newcastle defenders with him as he powered over the line to score under the posts; and
with Prince converting the try, the Titans led 16-4 at half time.
The Knights were under pressure, and had to absorb plenty more as Darius Boyd knocked on five metres from his own line; and although they
defended grimly they were forced into a string of drop-outs as the Titans received a glut of possession. And eventually the weight of
possession took its toll as Greg Bird found the line to put the Titans 18 points ahead and looking safe.
With twelve minutes to go, Willie Mason put on a burst and was pulled down just a few metres short of the line. And on the next play, the ball
found its way to Tyrone Roberts, who found the line to score. But any hopes of a miracle comeback were snuffed out as Roberts failed to
convert his own try.
Time was running out, but the Knights did get another try back, with Jarrod Mullen setting up Alex McKinnon. But it was too little too late; and
in the dying seconds the Titans added another two points to their score thanks to a long-range penalty goal.
Gold Coast Titans 24 def Newcastle Knights 14
Titans : Tries – N Myles, G Bird, D Mead, M Srama. Goals – S Prince 4/5.
Knights : Tries – A Uate, A McKinnon, T Roberts. Goals – T Roberts 1/3.
Referees – S Hayne, A Shortall. Crowd – 17,192 at Hunter Stadium.
A three-game losing streak had caused St George to drop out of the top eight. But on Saturday night at Kogarah, the Dragons took a step
towards getting their season back on track when they recorded a hard-earned 14-12 win over the struggling Parramatta.
It has been a disastrous season to date for Parramatta, but the Eels started brightly in this match, forcing a knock-on early and then in the third
minute Casey McGuire burst through for the first score of the match. Luke Burt nailed the conversion and the Eels were on their way. They
continued to attack, but they were unable to break through for a second try.
And at 20 minutes, it was the Dragons who would score next. It was hardly convincing, but they got away with it, with Daniel Vidot fielding a
mongrel punt from Jamie Soward and batting it back for Kyle Stanley to dive over in the corner. The try was awarded, but Soward was unable
to convert and the Eels were still ahead.
And four minutes later, after some creative lead-up work by Chris Sandow, Matt Ryan made a break and run through to score under the posts.
The Eels had been the better team in the first half, and deserved the 12-4 lead they took into the rooms at half time.
Seven minutes into the second half, and the game was up for grabs when Jason Nightingale offloaded to Brett Morris who ran 60 metres to
score. And the conversion reduced the margin to two points.
The game was tense and tight. Both sides strove desperately for a try but came up short. The buildup of pressure saw both sides do several
knock-ons, struggling to control the ball despite near-perfect conditions.
But with ten minutes to go, the Eels suffered a blow when Casey McGuire was stretchered off with a knee injury; likely to be out for the
remainder of the season.
And with just three minutes remaining, Kyle Stanley powered through the Parramatta defenders to score and give the Dragons the lead. The
Eels had led for all but the first three and last three minutes of the game, with the Dragons only leading for the first time in the final moments.
But it was the Dragons who led at the time that mattered most, finally ending their losing streak but condemning the Eels to their sixth loss on
the trot and keeping them stuck on the bottom of the ladder.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 14 def Parramatta Eels 12
Dragons : Tries – K Stanley 2, B Morris. Goals – J Soward 1/3.
Eels : Tries – C McGuire, M Ryan. Goals – L Burt 2/2.
Referees – J Maxwell, T De las Heras. Crowd – 12,756 at WIN Jubilee Stadium.
Few observers gave Penrith any hope of beaten Manly when the two sides clashed at Penrith Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Manly, defending
champions, were in hot form with a four-game winning streak; while the struggling Panthers were languishing on second last on the ladder. But
against all expectations, it was the Panthers who rose to the occasion to record a well-earned 22-4 win over the Sea Eagles.
Scoring chances were few and far between in the first half. The ball was held up in the midfield for much of the half, both sides defending
strongly but struggling to get any attacking flair going. Dean Whare had a try disallowed by the video referee, but the attacking move that
created it was one of the few during those early stages, and it would be over half an hour before the first score of the game was recorded.
After Luke Walsh wrong-footed the Manly defenders with a dummy, he found Ryan Simpkins in support, who then fired off a flick-pass to send
Lachlan Coote to the line for the first try of the game; which Walsh converted.
The Sea Eagles hit back almost instantly, Dean Whare at the end of a pass by Jamie Lyon, who had made a 30-metre break. Whare had a try
disallowed earlier, but no need to go upstairs this time and the try was awarded. But Jamie Lyon was unable to convert; and the scoreboard
remained unchanged for the remainder of the half, with the Panthers leading 6-4 at the break.
The arm-wrestle continued in the second half, both sides determined to keep each other out. The hour mark came and went, still no change
to the half time score. But eventually it was the Sea Eagles who cracked; and the Panthers took advantage with three tries in 11 minutes.
A grubber on the last tackle by Lachlan Coote sat up in a freakish bounce, allowing Brad Tighe to run through and score after the ball had
rebounded off Brett Stewart. Another grubber, this time by Luke Walsh, set up Geoff Daniela. And then Luke Lewis bamboozled the Manly
defence as he threw a dummy and then burst through the hole he created.
And so the upset was completed. And that period of play for the Panthers, a rare highlight of the season to date, was enough to claim the
scalp of the defending champion; just maybe a circuit-breaker for the Panthers to get their season back on track.
Penrith Panthers 22 def Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 4
Panthers : Tries – B Tighe, L Lewis, G Daniela, L Coote. Goals – L Walsh 3/4.
Sea Eagles : Tries – D Whare. Goals – J Lyon 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, D Reynolds. Crowd – 11,844 at Centrebet Stadium.
It was a battle between two of rugby league’s best playmakers when Benji Marshall’s Wests Tigers took on Johnathan Thurston’s North
Queensland Cowboys at Campbelltown on Sunday afternoon. And both big name players were pivotal throughout the game, which concluded
with the Wests Tigers continuing on their winning ways with a 26-18 win.
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. In the fourth minute, a swirling bomb was put up by Benji Marshall. Matt Bowen was
unable to judge the flight of the ball, misjudged it and fumbled; and Tim Moltzen pounced to score. The video referee was called into action
and took an eternity to make a ruling, eventually giving Moltzen the benefit of the doubt. Benji Marshall converted the try, and then added a
penalty goal a few minutes later.
Glenn Hall got the Cowboys running at the 20 minute mark. His first run was pulled down just short of the line, but after playing the ball he got
it back and this time raced through to score under the posts. And three minutes later, Johnathan Thurston sent Antonio Winterstein through
a gap to score; giving the Cowboys the lead.
The Cowboys went close to scoring again five minutes before half time, but the video replay disallowed James Segeyaro’s efforts as it was a
double movement. The Tigers were off the hook, and with a minute before the break, Lote Tuqiri gathered a loose ball and ran 70 metres to
score under the posts; with Benji Marshall’s conversion giving the Tigers a 14-12 lead at half time.
Neither side would trouble the scorers for 20 minutes in the second half. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, with both sides attacking hard but being
frustrated as their attacking moves would break down late in the set. Finally the deadlock would be broken on the hour, with Benji Marshall
throwing a dummy before bursting through the gap to score.
But five minutes later, a long pass from Matt Bowen found Ashley Graham, and the margin was cut to just two points. The Cowboys kept
coming, kept putting the Tiger defenders under pressure, but they were unable to snatch the lead. And in the final minutes, Tim Moltzen sped
through an opening to score the try that put the result beyond doubt; launching the Tigers into the top eight.
Wests Tigers 26 def North Queensland Cowboys 18
Tigers : Tries – T Moltzen 2, B Marshall, L Tuqiri. Goals – B Marshall 5/5.
Cowboys : Tries – A Graham, G Hall, A Winterstein. Goals – J Thurston 3/3.
Referees – B Cummins, B Suttor. Crowd – 13,059 at Campbelltown Stadium.
The Sydney Roosters and Canterbury resumed their bitter rivalry on Monday night at the Sydney Football Stadium; with the Bulldogs taking
their second win on the trot with a 30-12 win over the Roosters.
The Roosters started strongly, with Mitchell Pearce cutting through the defence to score under the posts; with Braith Anasta adding the
extras. But the tide turned two minutes later with a penalty to the Bulldogs.
Krisnan Inu, after departing Parramatta and then having an unhappy stint at the New Zealand Warriors, crossed over midweek to the Bulldogs.
And in the ensuing set after the penalty, Inu found some space to score in the corner. Taking the kick from the tee, the kick was
unsuccessful; but the Bulldogs were on the board.
The Roosters raced out wide and were soon on the board again, with Anthony Minichello flying through to score in the corner. Braith Anasta’s
sensational conversion from the sideline gave the Roosters a 12-4 lead.
Inu found a way through the Roosters’ defensive line, before offloading to Frank Pritchard for a run to the line. And with half-time approaching,
Jonathan Wright burst through to the line to score, and Inu’s conversion gave the Bulldogs a 14-12 half-time lead.
Early in the second half, Anthony Minichello had a chance to restore the lead for the Roosters and bring up his double, but the video referee’s
extensive deliberation over the replays found the ball wasn’t grounded correctly; and the try was disallowed. Instead, with 23 minutes to go, it
would be the Bulldogs who would open the second half scoring, with Inu burrowing over from dummy-half to score.
Three minutes later, David Stagg chased down a grubber to score and the Bulldogs were on their way to victory. In the dying minute of the
game, Wright brought up his double. Inu’s mid-season transfer had seen a dream start at his new club, and an important win for the Bulldogs.
Their second win on the trot strengthens their position in the top eight; but for the Roosters, the risk of falling behind the pack is very real
after their third straight defeat.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30 def Sydney Roosters 12
Bulldogs : Tries – K Inu 2, J Wright 2, F Pritchard, D Stagg. Goals – K Inu 3/6.
Roosters : Tries – A Minichiello, M Pearce. Goals – B Anasta 2/2.
Referees – J Robinson, A Devcich. Crowd – 11,343 at Allianz Stadium.
with a comfortable 36-18 result over Canberra at ANZ Stadium.
The game got off to a lacklustre start, with both sides committing plenty of errors. But it was the Rabbitohs who clicked into gear quicker.
Justin Hunt made a run to score out wide, and then Dave Taylor crashed through the defensive wall to score; but both conversions were
missed. And when Greg Inglis burst through a gap to score under the posts, and Adam Reynolds converted the try, the Rabbitohs were out to
a 14-0 lead after 20 minutes.
The Raiders had been under the pump, but hit back hard with two quick tries as Jarrod Croker twice burst through holes to score. But as good
as Croker’s run was, his kicking was poor with two missed conversions that should have been kicked.
With half time just seconds away, the Raiders continued their fightback, with Joel Thompson getting through an opening to score out wide.
Jarrod Croker had a kick at goal to level the scores, but again was off target; and the teams returned to the rooms at half time with the
Rabbitohs leading 14-12.
The Raiders would have cause to rue those missed kicks, as the Rabbitohs put on a devastating burst. After ten scoreless minutes, the
Rabbitohs would score three times in the next five minutes to open up what would be a match-winning lead. Ben Lowe shrugged a tackle to
score, Dylan Farrell found room to move out wide, and then Dave Taylor strolled through a gap to bring up his double. Isaac Luke took over at
the kicking tee and converted all three tries, opening up a 32-12 lead.
That burst ended any hopes the Raiders may have had of stealing the result, and the sting went out of the game in the final 20 minutes. Greg
Inglis brought up his double, and then Reece Robinson got a consolation try for the Raiders in the final minutes. But the overall tale of the
night was one in which a devastating period in the early minutes of the second half gave the Rabbitohs an insurmountable lead and which sees
them win four in a row and climbing further into the top reaches of the ladder; establishing themselves once again as genuine contenders.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 36 def Canberra Raiders 18
Rabbitohs : Tries – G Inglis 2, D Taylor 2, B Lowe, D Farrell, J Hunt. Goals – I Luke 3/4, A Reynolds 1/3.
Raiders : Tries – J Croker 2, R Robinson, J Thompson. Goals – J Croker 1/4.
Referees – A Klein, C James. Crowd – 10,054 at ANZ Stadium.
Gold Coast Titans, a club in crisis early in the season, have taken another step towards getting themselves back on track; recording back to
back wins for the first time this season, with a 24-14 win over Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on Saturday night.
The Knights welcomed back their Origin players; and one of them, Akuila Uate, was on the scoreboard after just six minutes. Junior Sau drew
two defenders before finding an unmarked Uate out wide for a try in the corner. Tyrone Roberts’ conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
At the 20 minute mark, the Titans were in front. William Zillman intercepted at the half way line and burst 40 metres before off-loading to Matt
Srama, who scored under the posts. Scott Prince’s conversion gave the Titans the lead. And four minutes later, David Mead out-paced the
Knights’ defenders to score in the corner and open up a 10-4 lead.
With half time approaching, Nate Myles dragged the Newcastle defenders with him as he powered over the line to score under the posts; and
with Prince converting the try, the Titans led 16-4 at half time.
The Knights were under pressure, and had to absorb plenty more as Darius Boyd knocked on five metres from his own line; and although they
defended grimly they were forced into a string of drop-outs as the Titans received a glut of possession. And eventually the weight of
possession took its toll as Greg Bird found the line to put the Titans 18 points ahead and looking safe.
With twelve minutes to go, Willie Mason put on a burst and was pulled down just a few metres short of the line. And on the next play, the ball
found its way to Tyrone Roberts, who found the line to score. But any hopes of a miracle comeback were snuffed out as Roberts failed to
convert his own try.
Time was running out, but the Knights did get another try back, with Jarrod Mullen setting up Alex McKinnon. But it was too little too late; and
in the dying seconds the Titans added another two points to their score thanks to a long-range penalty goal.
Gold Coast Titans 24 def Newcastle Knights 14
Titans : Tries – N Myles, G Bird, D Mead, M Srama. Goals – S Prince 4/5.
Knights : Tries – A Uate, A McKinnon, T Roberts. Goals – T Roberts 1/3.
Referees – S Hayne, A Shortall. Crowd – 17,192 at Hunter Stadium.
A three-game losing streak had caused St George to drop out of the top eight. But on Saturday night at Kogarah, the Dragons took a step
towards getting their season back on track when they recorded a hard-earned 14-12 win over the struggling Parramatta.
It has been a disastrous season to date for Parramatta, but the Eels started brightly in this match, forcing a knock-on early and then in the third
minute Casey McGuire burst through for the first score of the match. Luke Burt nailed the conversion and the Eels were on their way. They
continued to attack, but they were unable to break through for a second try.
And at 20 minutes, it was the Dragons who would score next. It was hardly convincing, but they got away with it, with Daniel Vidot fielding a
mongrel punt from Jamie Soward and batting it back for Kyle Stanley to dive over in the corner. The try was awarded, but Soward was unable
to convert and the Eels were still ahead.
And four minutes later, after some creative lead-up work by Chris Sandow, Matt Ryan made a break and run through to score under the posts.
The Eels had been the better team in the first half, and deserved the 12-4 lead they took into the rooms at half time.
Seven minutes into the second half, and the game was up for grabs when Jason Nightingale offloaded to Brett Morris who ran 60 metres to
score. And the conversion reduced the margin to two points.
The game was tense and tight. Both sides strove desperately for a try but came up short. The buildup of pressure saw both sides do several
knock-ons, struggling to control the ball despite near-perfect conditions.
But with ten minutes to go, the Eels suffered a blow when Casey McGuire was stretchered off with a knee injury; likely to be out for the
remainder of the season.
And with just three minutes remaining, Kyle Stanley powered through the Parramatta defenders to score and give the Dragons the lead. The
Eels had led for all but the first three and last three minutes of the game, with the Dragons only leading for the first time in the final moments.
But it was the Dragons who led at the time that mattered most, finally ending their losing streak but condemning the Eels to their sixth loss on
the trot and keeping them stuck on the bottom of the ladder.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 14 def Parramatta Eels 12
Dragons : Tries – K Stanley 2, B Morris. Goals – J Soward 1/3.
Eels : Tries – C McGuire, M Ryan. Goals – L Burt 2/2.
Referees – J Maxwell, T De las Heras. Crowd – 12,756 at WIN Jubilee Stadium.
Few observers gave Penrith any hope of beaten Manly when the two sides clashed at Penrith Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Manly, defending
champions, were in hot form with a four-game winning streak; while the struggling Panthers were languishing on second last on the ladder. But
against all expectations, it was the Panthers who rose to the occasion to record a well-earned 22-4 win over the Sea Eagles.
Scoring chances were few and far between in the first half. The ball was held up in the midfield for much of the half, both sides defending
strongly but struggling to get any attacking flair going. Dean Whare had a try disallowed by the video referee, but the attacking move that
created it was one of the few during those early stages, and it would be over half an hour before the first score of the game was recorded.
After Luke Walsh wrong-footed the Manly defenders with a dummy, he found Ryan Simpkins in support, who then fired off a flick-pass to send
Lachlan Coote to the line for the first try of the game; which Walsh converted.
The Sea Eagles hit back almost instantly, Dean Whare at the end of a pass by Jamie Lyon, who had made a 30-metre break. Whare had a try
disallowed earlier, but no need to go upstairs this time and the try was awarded. But Jamie Lyon was unable to convert; and the scoreboard
remained unchanged for the remainder of the half, with the Panthers leading 6-4 at the break.
The arm-wrestle continued in the second half, both sides determined to keep each other out. The hour mark came and went, still no change
to the half time score. But eventually it was the Sea Eagles who cracked; and the Panthers took advantage with three tries in 11 minutes.
A grubber on the last tackle by Lachlan Coote sat up in a freakish bounce, allowing Brad Tighe to run through and score after the ball had
rebounded off Brett Stewart. Another grubber, this time by Luke Walsh, set up Geoff Daniela. And then Luke Lewis bamboozled the Manly
defence as he threw a dummy and then burst through the hole he created.
And so the upset was completed. And that period of play for the Panthers, a rare highlight of the season to date, was enough to claim the
scalp of the defending champion; just maybe a circuit-breaker for the Panthers to get their season back on track.
Penrith Panthers 22 def Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 4
Panthers : Tries – B Tighe, L Lewis, G Daniela, L Coote. Goals – L Walsh 3/4.
Sea Eagles : Tries – D Whare. Goals – J Lyon 0/1.
Referees – M Cecchin, D Reynolds. Crowd – 11,844 at Centrebet Stadium.
It was a battle between two of rugby league’s best playmakers when Benji Marshall’s Wests Tigers took on Johnathan Thurston’s North
Queensland Cowboys at Campbelltown on Sunday afternoon. And both big name players were pivotal throughout the game, which concluded
with the Wests Tigers continuing on their winning ways with a 26-18 win.
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. In the fourth minute, a swirling bomb was put up by Benji Marshall. Matt Bowen was
unable to judge the flight of the ball, misjudged it and fumbled; and Tim Moltzen pounced to score. The video referee was called into action
and took an eternity to make a ruling, eventually giving Moltzen the benefit of the doubt. Benji Marshall converted the try, and then added a
penalty goal a few minutes later.
Glenn Hall got the Cowboys running at the 20 minute mark. His first run was pulled down just short of the line, but after playing the ball he got
it back and this time raced through to score under the posts. And three minutes later, Johnathan Thurston sent Antonio Winterstein through
a gap to score; giving the Cowboys the lead.
The Cowboys went close to scoring again five minutes before half time, but the video replay disallowed James Segeyaro’s efforts as it was a
double movement. The Tigers were off the hook, and with a minute before the break, Lote Tuqiri gathered a loose ball and ran 70 metres to
score under the posts; with Benji Marshall’s conversion giving the Tigers a 14-12 lead at half time.
Neither side would trouble the scorers for 20 minutes in the second half. It wasn’t for a lack of effort, with both sides attacking hard but being
frustrated as their attacking moves would break down late in the set. Finally the deadlock would be broken on the hour, with Benji Marshall
throwing a dummy before bursting through the gap to score.
But five minutes later, a long pass from Matt Bowen found Ashley Graham, and the margin was cut to just two points. The Cowboys kept
coming, kept putting the Tiger defenders under pressure, but they were unable to snatch the lead. And in the final minutes, Tim Moltzen sped
through an opening to score the try that put the result beyond doubt; launching the Tigers into the top eight.
Wests Tigers 26 def North Queensland Cowboys 18
Tigers : Tries – T Moltzen 2, B Marshall, L Tuqiri. Goals – B Marshall 5/5.
Cowboys : Tries – A Graham, G Hall, A Winterstein. Goals – J Thurston 3/3.
Referees – B Cummins, B Suttor. Crowd – 13,059 at Campbelltown Stadium.
The Sydney Roosters and Canterbury resumed their bitter rivalry on Monday night at the Sydney Football Stadium; with the Bulldogs taking
their second win on the trot with a 30-12 win over the Roosters.
The Roosters started strongly, with Mitchell Pearce cutting through the defence to score under the posts; with Braith Anasta adding the
extras. But the tide turned two minutes later with a penalty to the Bulldogs.
Krisnan Inu, after departing Parramatta and then having an unhappy stint at the New Zealand Warriors, crossed over midweek to the Bulldogs.
And in the ensuing set after the penalty, Inu found some space to score in the corner. Taking the kick from the tee, the kick was
unsuccessful; but the Bulldogs were on the board.
The Roosters raced out wide and were soon on the board again, with Anthony Minichello flying through to score in the corner. Braith Anasta’s
sensational conversion from the sideline gave the Roosters a 12-4 lead.
Inu found a way through the Roosters’ defensive line, before offloading to Frank Pritchard for a run to the line. And with half-time approaching,
Jonathan Wright burst through to the line to score, and Inu’s conversion gave the Bulldogs a 14-12 half-time lead.
Early in the second half, Anthony Minichello had a chance to restore the lead for the Roosters and bring up his double, but the video referee’s
extensive deliberation over the replays found the ball wasn’t grounded correctly; and the try was disallowed. Instead, with 23 minutes to go, it
would be the Bulldogs who would open the second half scoring, with Inu burrowing over from dummy-half to score.
Three minutes later, David Stagg chased down a grubber to score and the Bulldogs were on their way to victory. In the dying minute of the
game, Wright brought up his double. Inu’s mid-season transfer had seen a dream start at his new club, and an important win for the Bulldogs.
Their second win on the trot strengthens their position in the top eight; but for the Roosters, the risk of falling behind the pack is very real
after their third straight defeat.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30 def Sydney Roosters 12
Bulldogs : Tries – K Inu 2, J Wright 2, F Pritchard, D Stagg. Goals – K Inu 3/6.
Roosters : Tries – A Minichiello, M Pearce. Goals – B Anasta 2/2.
Referees – J Robinson, A Devcich. Crowd – 11,343 at Allianz Stadium.
| ROUND 13 FIXTURES: (All times shown are Sydney time) Friday 1st June Manly v St George (7:30pm, Brookvale Oval) Gold Coast v North Queensland (7:30pm, Skilled Park) Saturday 2nd June Canberra v Wests Tigers (5:30pm, Canberra Stadium) Canterbury v South Sydney (7:30pm, ANZ Stadium) Sunday 3rd June NZ Warriors v Melbourne (2:00pm, Mt Smart Stadium) Brisbane v Newcastle (3:00pm, Suncorp Stadium) Monday 4th June Parramatta v Cronulla (7:00pm, Parramatta Stadium) BYE - Penrith, Sydney Roosters. |
The State of Origin series started in Melbourne on Wednesday night. And it was Queensland, aiming for their seventh
straight Origin series, who took first blood with a 18-10 win over New South Wales.
As always, there were some hard hits early, both sides feeling each other out as the tension rose. But after eight
minutes, it was the Blues who would be first on the scoreboard. A cross-field bomb by Robbie Farah was fumbled by
Darius Boyd, with Akuila Uate on hand to clean up the fumbled ball and score in the corner. Todd Carney’s conversion
attempt was unsuccessful.
On 20 minutes, a mellee broke out, both sides going at each other. Michael Jennings earned the ire of the referees,
costing him 10 minutes in the sin bin. And while the Blues were a man short, the Maroons took full advantage.
Brent Tate ran out wide, close to grounding the ball but the video referee ruled that Tate was bundled into touch
and the try was disallowed. And then, throwing the ball out wide again, Darius Boyd went over in the corner for
Queensland’s first try; with a conversion from the sideline by Johnathan Thurston giving the Maroons the lead.
Jennings returned to action, but the momentum had swung Queensland’s way, and two minutes before half time the
Maroons received a penalty. Turning down the two points on offer, the Maroons ran the ball forward, and on the last
tackle Darius Boyd was in for his second, again finding a weakness in the Blues’ line out wide. Thurston converted the
try, putting Queensland in a 12-4 lead at half time.
But four minutes after half time, the Blues were back in the contest. Mitchell Pearce put up a bomb, which Billy Slater
failed to judge; and after fumbling the ball, Slater could only watch on in horror as Jennings redeemed himself from his
first half indiscretion by pouncing on the ball and scoring under the posts.
The margin was back to two points, and ten minutes later it could have been back on level terms, as the Blues were
awarded a penalty and opted to take the kick. But Todd Carney was unable to get the ball between the posts.
The Blues had lifted, and Brett Stewart had a shot at giving them the lead, but the video replay showed the ball
wasn’t grounded correctly. And although the Blues continued to have the bulk of possession, they were unable to
find the line again.
And, against the run of play, it would be the Maroons who would get the next try; which would be the last of the
game. A cross-field kick by Cooper Cronk was fielded by former team-mate Greg Inglis, who ran through to score.
Thurston’s conversion gave the Maroons an eight-point buffer. Time ticked down, and the Maroons had taken the
first game of the series; putting themselves in the box seat to continue the winning streak that goes back to 2006.
Queensland 18 def New South Wales 10
Queensland : Tries – D Boyd 2, G Inglis. Goals – J Thurston 3/3.
New South Wales : Tries – M Jennings, A Uate. Goals - T Carney 1/3.
Referees – B Cummins, M Cecchin. Crowd – 56,021 at Etihad Stadium.
Rugby league’s big week in Melbourne continued on Friday night with a top of the table clash, with the Storm playing
host to Brisbane. Only one Brisbane player backed up from Origin, while the Storm players were at full strength. And
it was the Storm who would prevail, increasing their lead on the NRL ladder with a comfortable 34-10 win over the
Broncos.
Throwing the ball out wide, the Storm were first on the board, with Todd Lowrie finding the line for the opening try.
But the Broncos were putting up plenty of fight early, with a string of penalties culminating in Jack Reed scoring out
wide to see the game levelled up at 6-all.
Cooper Cronk went close to restoring Melbourne’s lead just two minutes later, but the video referee ruled that he
was held up. The ball was travelling from end to end, both sides threatening but neither able to penetrate the line
again until the end of the half.
straight Origin series, who took first blood with a 18-10 win over New South Wales.
As always, there were some hard hits early, both sides feeling each other out as the tension rose. But after eight
minutes, it was the Blues who would be first on the scoreboard. A cross-field bomb by Robbie Farah was fumbled by
Darius Boyd, with Akuila Uate on hand to clean up the fumbled ball and score in the corner. Todd Carney’s conversion
attempt was unsuccessful.
On 20 minutes, a mellee broke out, both sides going at each other. Michael Jennings earned the ire of the referees,
costing him 10 minutes in the sin bin. And while the Blues were a man short, the Maroons took full advantage.
Brent Tate ran out wide, close to grounding the ball but the video referee ruled that Tate was bundled into touch
and the try was disallowed. And then, throwing the ball out wide again, Darius Boyd went over in the corner for
Queensland’s first try; with a conversion from the sideline by Johnathan Thurston giving the Maroons the lead.
Jennings returned to action, but the momentum had swung Queensland’s way, and two minutes before half time the
Maroons received a penalty. Turning down the two points on offer, the Maroons ran the ball forward, and on the last
tackle Darius Boyd was in for his second, again finding a weakness in the Blues’ line out wide. Thurston converted the
try, putting Queensland in a 12-4 lead at half time.
But four minutes after half time, the Blues were back in the contest. Mitchell Pearce put up a bomb, which Billy Slater
failed to judge; and after fumbling the ball, Slater could only watch on in horror as Jennings redeemed himself from his
first half indiscretion by pouncing on the ball and scoring under the posts.
The margin was back to two points, and ten minutes later it could have been back on level terms, as the Blues were
awarded a penalty and opted to take the kick. But Todd Carney was unable to get the ball between the posts.
The Blues had lifted, and Brett Stewart had a shot at giving them the lead, but the video replay showed the ball
wasn’t grounded correctly. And although the Blues continued to have the bulk of possession, they were unable to
find the line again.
And, against the run of play, it would be the Maroons who would get the next try; which would be the last of the
game. A cross-field kick by Cooper Cronk was fielded by former team-mate Greg Inglis, who ran through to score.
Thurston’s conversion gave the Maroons an eight-point buffer. Time ticked down, and the Maroons had taken the
first game of the series; putting themselves in the box seat to continue the winning streak that goes back to 2006.
Queensland 18 def New South Wales 10
Queensland : Tries – D Boyd 2, G Inglis. Goals – J Thurston 3/3.
New South Wales : Tries – M Jennings, A Uate. Goals - T Carney 1/3.
Referees – B Cummins, M Cecchin. Crowd – 56,021 at Etihad Stadium.
Rugby league’s big week in Melbourne continued on Friday night with a top of the table clash, with the Storm playing
host to Brisbane. Only one Brisbane player backed up from Origin, while the Storm players were at full strength. And
it was the Storm who would prevail, increasing their lead on the NRL ladder with a comfortable 34-10 win over the
Broncos.
Throwing the ball out wide, the Storm were first on the board, with Todd Lowrie finding the line for the opening try.
But the Broncos were putting up plenty of fight early, with a string of penalties culminating in Jack Reed scoring out
wide to see the game levelled up at 6-all.
Cooper Cronk went close to restoring Melbourne’s lead just two minutes later, but the video referee ruled that he
was held up. The ball was travelling from end to end, both sides threatening but neither able to penetrate the line
again until the end of the half.
But the deadlock was broken in the 36th minute, with a chip kick by Cronk setting up Lowrie’s second try. And
Cronk threw a creative pass in the final moments of the half to set up Will Chambers and see the Storm take a 16-6
lead to the sheds at half time.
The second half was just a few minutes old when Billy Slater raced 50 metres around the Bronco defenders to score
another, and it was looking good for the Storm. Ben Te’o got a try back in the corner against the run of play to give
the Broncos a sniff, but on the hour Billy Slater gathered a kick on his own 20 metre line, burst through the Bronco
defenders and went on an 80 metre run to score under the posts.
A few minutes later, Justin O’Neill pulled off an intercept and ran through to score another for the Storm, and the
rout was complete. The final 15 minutes of the game didn’t reach any great heights, but by then the result was
clear-cut; and the Storm’s status as premiership favourites confirmed. After being stripped of titles in 2007 and 2009,
and not playing for points in 2010, the Storm’s road to rehabilitation continues and their quest for a second legal
premiership draws closer.
Melbourne Storm 34 def Brisbane Broncos 10
Storm : Tries – T Lowrie 2, B Slater 2, W Chambers, J O’Neill. Goals – G Widdop 4/5, C Smith 1/1.
Broncos : Tries – B Te’o, J Reed. Goals – C Parker 1/2.
Referees – T Archer, G Sutton. Crowd – 13,200 at AAMI Park.
Cronk threw a creative pass in the final moments of the half to set up Will Chambers and see the Storm take a 16-6
lead to the sheds at half time.
The second half was just a few minutes old when Billy Slater raced 50 metres around the Bronco defenders to score
another, and it was looking good for the Storm. Ben Te’o got a try back in the corner against the run of play to give
the Broncos a sniff, but on the hour Billy Slater gathered a kick on his own 20 metre line, burst through the Bronco
defenders and went on an 80 metre run to score under the posts.
A few minutes later, Justin O’Neill pulled off an intercept and ran through to score another for the Storm, and the
rout was complete. The final 15 minutes of the game didn’t reach any great heights, but by then the result was
clear-cut; and the Storm’s status as premiership favourites confirmed. After being stripped of titles in 2007 and 2009,
and not playing for points in 2010, the Storm’s road to rehabilitation continues and their quest for a second legal
premiership draws closer.
Melbourne Storm 34 def Brisbane Broncos 10
Storm : Tries – T Lowrie 2, B Slater 2, W Chambers, J O’Neill. Goals – G Widdop 4/5, C Smith 1/1.
Broncos : Tries – B Te’o, J Reed. Goals – C Parker 1/2.
Referees – T Archer, G Sutton. Crowd – 13,200 at AAMI Park.
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