News 30/2: Another high point for Joey

[jamesgould]

Plenty of match reports from yesterday ... plus the news that Kurt Gidley got a corked hamstring yesterday, but will be right for Friday. Bring on the Bulldogs!!!!

Another high point for Joey
By Greg Prichard
March 20, 2006

Canberra 32 Newcastle 70

THE one thing nobody was surprised about when Newcastle and Canberra combined to produce the highest-scoring game in premiership history was that Andrew Johns grabbed the lion's share of the points. When big things happen for the Knights, Joey is never sitting off the ball, watching it happen. He's making it happen, as he did yesterday.

Johns scored two tries and kicked 11 goals for 30 points, four short of the Newcastle match record - which he, of course, holds. Yesterday's haul means he now has the best seven individual match totals for the Knights.

But while it was a red-letter day for Johns, Canberra coach Matthew Elliott was left to start cleaning up after the Raiders had been pounded 70-32 on their home turf.

Asked if "horrible" was a strong enough word to describe what he had seen, Elliott replied: "That will do. I'm not going to under-react to it but I'm not going to over-react, either. There were a lot of contributing factors to what happened, but horrible is a good word. You can put in it capitals and hang it in a frame."

Elliott said that, while Johns had been the dominant player, he could not write the result off as easily as saying the world's best player ran wild and the Raiders paid the price. Rather, he said, Johns not only created things himself but took advantage of poor play from the Raiders on many occasions.

"We played dumb," Elliott said. "Our last-play options were quite costly. We have to look at our mentality when we concede that many points, because we have a reputation for showing up for games. But today we played on one side of the ball and not on the other."

The game also featured the highest score by the Knights, the highest score conceded by Canberra and the most goals in a match by a Newcastle player. The previous highest-scoring game was a 91-6 win to St George over Canterbury at Earl Park in 1935.

Joey's first half went like this:

Seventh minute: Throws a short ball to second-rower Kirk Reynoldson, who almost scores. Johns then races in to dummy-half and fires out a quick ball that puts George Carmont on the outside of a defender for a try. Johns converts to put the Knights in front for good, at 6-4.

10th: 40-20 kick for a Knights scrum feed, 10m out.

18th: His grubber kick shaves an upright and Raiders halfback Lincoln Withers can't hang on to the ball under the pressure of a tackle. The ball goes loose and Johns, trailing through, dives on it for a try. Johns converts. Newcastle 12-4.

21st: Plucks a dangerous chip kick from Canberra five-eighth Jason Smith out of the air two metres in front of his own posts.

30th: His pass goes past Knights fullback Milton Thaiday and after a Raiders fumble, the loose ball is picked up by winger Anthony Quinn for a try. Johns misses the conversion. Knights lead 16-8.

32nd: Throws an inside ball to start a 55m movement that ends in a try to five-eighth Kurt Gidley. Johns converts for 22-8.

37th: Johns scores his second, picking up a loose ball and jogging over after Smith's attempt to intercept a pass leads to a knock-on. Johns converts for 34-8.

40th: Throws a long ball that is intercepted by Canberra winger Adrian Purtell but Purtell is quickly tackled deep inside his own territory.

The Raiders, their ears no doubt burning from Elliott's half-time address, fought back in the second half and cut the lead to 34-20 but the result was never in doubt, and after Newcastle had re-established total control with a couple of tries, the final 20 minutes belonged to Johns.

He was instrumental in Newcastle's last four tries.

Approached in the dressing room, Johns was as hard to catch as he was on the field, saying: "I'm always in the papers." Trapped for a few seconds, he said: "It was an OK win. They [Canberra] were down on personnel, they've got a lot of players out. Their young forwards tried hard and they'll be good in a couple of years. It's a win, it's a win. It's already out of the mind."

Unfortunately for the Raiders, it will take longer for it to be erased from their memories. The players huddled on the field immediately after full-time and veteran lock Jason Croker said the conversation went like this: "It was all about sticking together and not dwelling on it for too long. It's only two [competition] points and it's back on again next week."

Thank God.

MATCH FOCUS

WHAT THE

The 102 points in 80 minutes. The first century of points in a match eclipsed the 97 scored when St George thrashed Canterbury 91-6 in 1935, when tries were worth three points.

STAR MAN

Newcastle halfback Andrew Johns. He was the architect of Newcastle's huge win and collected 30 points from two tries and an amazing 11 goals.

From: http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/another-high-point-for-joey/2006/03/19/1142703218821.html

Apprentice Gidley happy learning from the old master
By Greg Prichard
March 20, 2006

NEWCASTLE five-eighth Kurt Gidley, at 23, is no longer a kid, but while the master Andrew Johns is around he will always be the student, and Gidley is hoping that Joey's old legs can hang on for a while yet.

"The longer he stays, the better it's going to be for me," Gidley said after yesterday's game.

"He has already influenced me a lot and he's going to keep influencing me. I can't get a better learning process."

Johns, despite having signed until the end of 2008 with Newcastle, says he is a year-to-year proposition with his chronic knee injury.

If the champion halfback lasts the distance, Gidley will be 26 and entering what should be the best years of his football life when Johns retires. But will that be at halfback, taking over from Johns with exciting youngster Jarrod Mullen at five-eighth, or will Gidley continue in the No.6 jumper? "It's a fair way down the track, so it's probably too early to decide," Gidley said. "I'm more interested in playing as much footy as I can with Joey between now and when he does retire."

Gidley said the biggest thing he has learned from Johns is that, if you're creative, the ball is never dead until it is buried under you and the defence.

"The first thing you have to get used to, playing alongside Joey, is that you can never stop running," Gidley said. "You have to be able to keep pushing up in support, because you know there is a big chance that something is going to happen - a half-break, an inside ball, a pass in a tackle, or whatever. He is never dead when he has the ball.

"The thing I'm trying to do when I've got the ball is make sure I look for every opportunity to set something up as well, so that the possession counts. That's one of the main things he has taught me, but it's not like he sits you down and tells you a whole heap of stuff at once. It's an ongoing thing. He regularly gives me little bits of advice."

Gidley left the field with 15 minutes to go yesterday because of injury, but despite the quick turnaround he said he will be fit for Friday's game against the Bulldogs at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

"I got a cork in the hamstring," he said. "But I'll be up icing it all night. I don't want to miss out on playing - we're looking pretty good at the moment."

From: http://www.smh.com.au/news/league/a...-the-old-master/2006/03/19/1142703218824.html

Teams rack up 18 tries
By Dean Ritchie
March 20, 2006

Master...Andrew Johns in action yesterday.

Raiders 32 Knights 70
IT was entertaining, bewildering and at times embarrassing. But yesterday's game was certainly memorable.

Newcastle and Canberra played out one of the most extraordinary games in rugby league, scoring 18 tries among them.

The Knights won 70-32 to set the record for the most points ever scored for a match in Australia.

The previous record was set in 1935 when 97 points were scored during St George's 91-6 thrashing of Canterbury.

Tries just kept coming at Canberra Stadium yesterday with Andrew Johns either scoring or setting up nine of his side's 12 tries.

Johns had a personal tally of 30 points which slipped him past Mick Cronin in the all-time point scoring record. He is now third on the list only behind Jason Taylor and Daryl Halligan.

The NSW and Australia halfback now has 1998 points and will crash through the 2000 barrier in this Friday night's match against the Bulldogs in Newcastle.

Newcastle led 34-8 at half-time yesterday, at one stage scoring four tries in seven minutes.

Both coaches rightly spoke highly about their team's attack but defence, or lack of it, was mentioned numerous times during the post match press conference.

Asked how he would describe the game, Canberra coach Matt Elliott: "Horrible would be fine.

"I don't want to under react to that performance, but I don't want to over-react either."

"Our first half was very disappointing because we played some dumb football.

"It was a unique match.

"I've never been in a match either here or in England as a player or a coach when I've had 70 points scored against us.

"That's what life's about, new experiences being tossed up."

The Knights were absolutely explosive yesterday with the ball in their hands against a Canberra side which in their defence was missing 12 players through injury, three having pulled out just before the match. Johns first half was simply stunning while Kurt Gidley and fullback Milton Thaiday were also electric.

"We came here to get the two points and to play well and we did that," said Newcastle coach Michael Hagan. "In fairness to Canberra, they had a wounded team and plenty in the hurt bin."

Knights' prop Josh Perry was also stunned at the amount of points scored yesterday: "We never thought we'd put 70 on them, that's for sure," he said.

Canberra players formed a huddle on the field after full time to discuss yesterday's horrific results.

"We just said to each other that we have to stick together and not dwell on this," said Raiders veteran forward Jason Croker.

From: http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18523945-23214,00.html