Forward-thinking Knights pass Raiders test on way to the top
Through traffic: Newcastle captain Andrew Johns tries to find a way through Canberra Raiders defenders Adam Mogg, left, and Todd Carney. Photo: Jamie Wicks.
By Will Swanton
May 21, 2006 - 12:17AM
Knights 22 Raiders 12
ANDREW Johns threw a long cut-out pass to Kurt Gidley, who threw an even longer cut-out pass to Brian Carney. Gidley's missile went so far forward that Carney had to set a sprint record to catch up with it.
Canberra players started throwing their toys out of the cot, waving their arms and turning red in the face as they protested. Referee Jason Robinson awarded Carney a try.
It was a key moment in the Knights' victory. Gidley's forward pass would've done famed NFL quarterback Joe Montana proud.
The cheering from the vast EnergyAustralia Stadium grandstand turned into widespread laughter when the replay appeared. Forget about deceptive camera angles and all that garbage, Gidley's ball was forward, forward, forward. Off his foot, it could've been a 40-20.
"The only three people who missed that in the whole stadium were the three people who count," said Matthew Elliott, the severely displeased Raiders coach. "It wasn't even a marginal call. It was forward out of the hand and kept going forward."
Gidley - mischievously - was admitting nothing. "Let's just call it line ball, eh?" he said.
The Raiders suffered a major blow before the kick-off when playmaker Jason Smith was ruled out and replaced by Todd Carney. However the visitors started strongly and led 6-0 when halfback Lincoln Withers set up a try for replacement forward Michael Hodgson.
Missing their NSW captain and hooker Danny Buderus, the Knights appeared disjointed early, with another Johns pass going past four of his teammates and into touch.
The Knights had four consecutive sets of six tackles deep in Canberra territory but stand-in hooker Riley Brown ran from dummy-half and was caught. Not that it was too costly.
Carney's second try had the Knights ahead 12-6 at half-time.
But they lost fullback David Seage and centre George Carmont to injuries. Neither played the second half.
When Raiders centre Phil Graham scored shortly after the break, it was 12-12 with 28 minutes to go.
The consensus about Newcastle is that they cannot win without Johns.
Well, they're not entirely convincing without Buderus, either.
All those covering tackles he makes, the mountains of yards from dummy-half, the sheer iron-willed competitiveness of the NSW hooker is irreplaceable. Not that stand-in No.9 Riley Brown did much wrong.
Johns's goalkicking was freakish. He landed three sideline conversions, the last in torrential rain.
The Knights were up 18-12 after Carney's hat-trick and Newcastle's
other winger, Brad Tighe, scored the matchwinner in the far corner.
Johns attempted his conversion in what appeared to be the beginnings of a monsoon.
Mere mortals would have struggled to get the ball in the air, but the kick sailed high and true, only to hit the post and bounce away.
Not that it mattered by then.
The Knights were home and with Melbourne losing to Manly, they were also on top of the ladder.
From: http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/f...-way-to-the-top/2006/05/21/1147545573218.html
