Andrew Pelechaty reviews the Sunday afternoon clash between Newcastle and Canberra.
Result
Newcastle Knights 24
Tries: (5) Greg Marzhew 11th, 43rd; Bradman Best 17th; Dane Gagai 45th; Tyson Frizell 49th
Goals: (2) Lachlan Miller 44th, 47th
Canberra Raiders 14
Tries: (2) Hudson Young 3rd; Jack Wighton 23rd
Goals: (2) Corey Harawira-Naera 5th, 25th
Two-Point Field Goal: Matt Frawley 39th
Report
Despite missing Jamal Fogarty with illness, Canberra scored early – Hudson Young receiving a pass from Fogarty’s replacement Matt “The Shoeman” Frawley. Stopgap goalkicker Corey Harawira-Naera (whose one-on-one strip gave Canberra possession) converted for a 6-0 lead.
Newcastle hit back with Greg Marzhew taking advantage of a left-to-right shift to score in the corner. Jackson Hastings missed the tough conversion as Canberra led 6-4.
Bradman Best (who has terrorised Canberra before) scored in the left corner after the Knights put on pressure with a few Six Agains. Hastings missed again as Newcastle led 8-6.
Jack Wighton put Canberra back infront with a 10-metre run to score, redeeming himself after being put on report for a high tackle. Harawira-Naera converted to give Canberra a 12-8 lead.
Newcastle had a big chance to score before half-time, but Canberra held on.
Frawley kicked a two-point field goal on half-time to give Canberra a 14-8 lead.
Marzhew scored his second try – in the right corner – off a beautiful pass from Tyson Gamble. Lachlan Miller converted to tie the scores.
Dane Gagai put Newcastle back in front with another try down the right. Canberra’s lead had vanished in just five minutes.
A further blow for Canberra when Wighton was sin-binned, with Newcastle making them pay immediately through Tyson Frizell.
There was another injury blow for Newcastle, with Kurt Mann coming off for a HIA and facing an 11-day stand down.
Canberra had an attacking shot with six minutes left, but Newcastle held on after a Joseph Tapine knock-on, ending the Raiders’ last realistic hope.
Josh Papalii got close to scoring with a minute left, but he was held up. It summed up a poor second half for Canberra, who went tryless for 57 minutes and face a tough clash against Penrith at Bruce on the short turnaround next Friday night.
A much happier Newcastle are 2-2 and have a big game against Manly Warringah at Mudgee next Saturday afternoon.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR POINTS
Embed from Getty Images3 – Greg Marzhew (Knights)
2 – Lachlan Miller (Knights)
1 – Sebastian Kris (Raiders)
