Rugby League

Newcastle Knights
18
St George-Illawarra Dragons
30
Full Time

Match Tracker

Newcastle Knights
St George-Illawarra Dragons
H1
6
22

    Newcastle Knights Events

  • 30 mins - Try, N.Ross
  • 31 mins - Conversion, T.Hodkinson

    Newcastle Knights and St George-Illawarra Dragons Events

  • 2 mins - Try, K.Faifai Loa
  • 9 mins - Try, J.Host
  • 11 mins - Conversion, G.Widdop
  • 15 mins - Try, E.Aitken
  • 36 mins - Try, T.Lafai
  • 40 mins - Try, B.Marshall
H2
12
8

    Newcastle Knights Events

  • 65 mins - Try, S.Mata'utia
  • 66 mins - Conversion, T.Hodkinson
  • 73 mins - Try, M.Barnett
  • 74 mins - Conversion, T.Hodkinson

    Newcastle Knights and St George-Illawarra Dragons Events

  • 45 mins - Try, J.Thompson
  • 46 mins - Conversion, G.Widdop
  • 80 mins - Penalty goal, G.Widdop
ET
0
0

    Newcastle Knights Events

    Newcastle Knights and St George-Illawarra Dragons Events

Scorers

Newcastle Knights
St George-Illawarra Dragons
Goal Scorers Newcastle Knights St George-Illawarra Dragons
Tries Ross (1), Mata'utia (1), Barnett (1) Faifai Loa (1), Host (1), Aitken (1), Lafai (1), Marshall (1), Thompson (1)
Conversions Hodkinson (3/3) Widdop (2/6)
Penalty Goals Widdop (1/1)
Field Goals

Team Statistics

Newcastle Knights
St George-Illawarra Dragons

Statistics

Newcastle Knights St George-Illawarra Dragons
Tries 3 6
Conversions 3 2
Penalty Goals 0 1
Field Goals 0 0
Newcastle KnightsGoal Scorers
Players R RM OF LB TA K T MT PC ER
M.Barnett 14 140 0 2 0 2 30 2 0 1
J.Cogger 8 92 0 0 1 5 14 3 0 1
B.Elliot 8 55 1 0 1 0 5 1 1 0
D.Gagai 12 94 0 0 1 3 10 5 0 0
T.Hodkinson 10 92 0 0 0 6 18 2 0 1
D.Levi 6 63 1 0 0 0 29 2 0 0
P.Mata'utia 13 110 1 0 0 0 9 1 0 1
S.Mata'utia 16 170 0 0 0 1 20 5 2 2
S.Mataora 7 79 1 0 0 0 43 2 0 0
M.Paea 8 81 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0
T.Randell 2 17 0 0 0 1 16 0 0 1
R.Rochow 15 128 3 0 0 0 22 1 0 1
N.Ross 13 151 2 1 0 1 6 2 1 0
D.Saifiti 13 132 3 0 0 0 21 0 0 0
J.Saifiti 9 80 0 0 0 0 32 4 1 0
K.Sims 10 93 2 0 0 0 24 2 0 0
J.Smith 12 106 1 0 0 0 20 0 0 1
St George-Illawarra DragonsGoal Scorers
Players R RM OF LB TA K T MT PC ER
L.Ah Mau 11 113 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0
E.Aitken 13 170 0 2 1 0 31 0 0 2
J.de Belin 8 79 0 0 0 0 29 1 0 0
J.Dugan 15 166 1 1 0 0 6 0 0 0
K.Faifai Loa 9 110 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0
T.Frizell 9 93 0 0 0 0 25 1 2 0
J.Host 8 86 0 1 0 0 27 1 0 0
T.Lafai 14 101 1 1 0 0 16 2 0 3
D.Lui 8 85 1 0 0 0 9 1 0 0
J.Marketo 12 105 0 0 0 0 21 2 0 0
B.Marshall 5 55 0 1 2 6 15 2 0 0
W.Matthews 3 32 0 0 0 0 18 1 0 0
J.Nightingale 15 105 1 0 1 0 11 0 0 1
R.Packer 8 90 0 0 0 0 29 1 0 0
M.Rein 8 103 0 2 1 1 44 4 0 2
J.Thompson 12 90 0 1 0 0 31 2 1 0
G.Widdop 7 92 1 1 1 9 18 2 3 0

Match Details

Newcastle Knights
St George-Illawarra Dragons
START TIME
3:00PM
WEATHER
Clear
VENUE
Hunter Stadium
Referees
Ben Galea, Bernard Sutton, David Munro, Gavin Reynolds, Jeff Younis, Kasey Badger, Steve Chiddy
Knights 18 Dragons 30

Benji Marshall turns back clock as St George Illawarra Dragons beat Newcastle Knights

St George Illawarra climbed into the top eight and and Benji Marshall pushed his case for a new contract in a 30-18 win against hapless Newcastle at Hunter Stadium on Saturday.

Marshall, the 31-year-old playmaker who faces an uncertain future with the Dragons beyond this season, scored a try and had a hand in three others to remind everyone that he is far from a spent force.

Magic touch returns: Benji Marshall scores during his star turn for the Dragons against Newcastle at Hunter Stadium.
Magic touch returns: Benji Marshall scores during his star turn for the Dragons against Newcastle at Hunter Stadium. Photo: Getty Images

Against the NRL's worst defensive team, the Dragons made the most of the chance to enhance their attacking statistics and advance, temporarily at least, from 10th to sixth on the ladder.

The most points the Dragons had previously scored in any game this season was in their 34-24 loss to South Sydney in round 11.

For Newcastle, it was their ninth successive defeat.

The Knights faced a half-time deficit of 22-6 and were lucky the scoreline was not worse, after Gareth Widdop converted only one of the Dragons' five first-half tries.

Advertisement

The carnage started in only the second minute when the Dragons spun the ball to their right edge to find Newcastle alarmingly short of numbers, and winger Kalifa Faifai Loa scored in the corner.

Seven minutes later, the Dragons worked a set move and young back-rower Jacob Host crashed over for his maiden top-grade try.

Leverage: Marshall's performance will give him something to talk about during contract negotiations.
Leverage: Marshall's performance will give him something to talk about during contract negotiations.  Photo: Getty Images

Newcastle's left edge was again exposed six minutes later when Marshall put centre Euan Aitken over to make it 14-0.

The Knights finally responded in the 30th minute with a freakish try by winger Nathan Ross, his sixth of the season.

After centre Brendan Elliot batted a pass to Ross, the livewire sprinted 10 metres down the sideline before launching himself like a high-jumper and planting the ball one-handed in the corner.

Knights skipper Trent Hodkinson converted from touch to bring the Knights back to within eight points.

But the Dragons did not take long to regain the ascendancy, when centre Tim Lafai finished off a try created by a classic Marshall cut-out pass.

Then in the last minute of the first half, Marshall showed some of his old magic when he speared through a gap and raced 20 metres to score.

Hoping to stem the flow of points, Knights coach Nathan Brown reshuffled his backline during the break, switching Queensland Origin star Dane Gagai to fullback and moving Peter Mata'utia from custodian to left-side centre.

But it took only five minutes of the second stanza for Marshall to again show his class, popping a perfect short ball for back-rower Joel Thompson to crash over.

Newcastle showed more resolve thereafter and were rewarded in the 65th minute when Gagai grubber-kicked ahead and Sione Mata'utia converted.

Then seven minutes from full-time, Knights back-rower Mitchell Barnett – a new recruit from Canberra – steamed onto a short ball and wrestled his way over to score his first NRL try.

The Knights played the last minute with 12 men after Ross was sin-binned, allowing Widdop to kick a penalty.

0 comments