Match report from NSWRL
Newcastle display dominance against reigning Premier
Mason Cernoy
Game Summary
After a first half with disciplinary issues, the Newcastle Knights put their heads down in the second half and piled on the points to beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs 34-12 in Round Eight.
The match started fast with both teams getting some opportunities to score in the first five minutes.
Following a knock-on from Kyle McCarthy on halfway, and a set restart, the Rabbitohs next attacking set proved fortunate when Dion Teaupa hit William Swann on the inside and he crashed over underneath the sticks.
Their next attacking raid resulted in Teaupa’s grubber hitting a teammate in an offside position as Newcastle got to start their set 40 metres from their own line. Off the back of a dominant set, Jack Cogger spun a brilliant ball to Laitia Moceidreke to level the scores.
Zac Makelim made an immediate impact after taking the field, causing all sorts of problems for the tiring Knights forwards. Off the back of this momentum Bayleigh Bentley-Hape slashed through the defence for a second South Sydney try underneath the sticks in the 32nd minute, resulting in a 12-6 halftime score-line.
As the second half was underway, Moceidreke came up with a strong carry that got his side out of trouble and eventually resulted in a penalty. Starting their set just past halfway, Cogger initiated a move out to the right side which saw James Bradley cross for the equaliser.
South Sydney started to lose their way, giving away penalties off of consecutive kick-offs which eventually resulted in tries to Moceidreke and Kyle McCarthy. Moceidreke’s came off Will Pryce sweeping out the back, and McCarthy’s off a well-placed Pryce grubber which he pounced on to extend the lead to 22-12.
After being awarded a scrum from a Rabbitohs error, the Knights struck again with a stellar effort down the right-hand side when James Bradley found room to motor down the touchline before getting a ball inside to Kyle McCarthy, who slipped the ball to Liam Sutton to stroll over untouched.
With a 16-point lead and 15 minutes left, Newcastle were looking to close out a victory and the Rabbitohs needed to produce something quickly. South Sydney managed to get on the attack a few times through winning a short kick-off and being awarded a penalty, but ultimately couldn’t produce another four-pointer.
After being tackled after kicking, Liam Sutton was awarded a penalty from 10 metres out near the sideline after his kick had landed there. Will Pryce added another two points to the score-line, making it an 18-point margin.
The result had been decided by this point, but the Knights weren’t done. Finding themselves in good field position once again, Pryce hit Moceidreke with another cut-out ball and he found Thomas Jenkins on the inside to bring the final score out to 34-12.
Talking Points:
- Laitia Moceidreke had an afternoon to remember, scoring two tries, laying on another, and making plenty of crucial carries for his side.
- Zac Makelim was impressive on a losing side, and was one of the most threatening players on the park with ball in hand.
- Having Will Pryce playing at fullback added another dimension to Newcastle’s attack. Having three quality ball-players in the spine created lots of confusion for South Sydney, and plenty of opportunities for Newcastle.
Key Moment
The turning point in this match was the back-to-back penalties South Sydney conceded from kick-offs in the leadup to the Newcastle’s second try. Starting over halfway after scoring twice put the Knights on the front foot, and the match wasn’t salvageable for the Rabbitohs from that point.
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