Round 11
Knights 22 d. Raiders 12

2006 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Carney hat-trick helps Knights to controversial win
Sun May 21, 2006
Newcastle have moved to the top of the Telstra Premiership table by one point on for and against difference after defeating Canberra 22-12 with referee Jason Robinson again dominating the spotlight.

Irish winger Brian Carney scored three tries to continue his outstanding one-off season for the Knights but the first of his three tries came from a pass that some of the finest Gridion quarter-backs would be extremely proud of. Robinson has been involved in controversial moments all season and his future in the top grade certainly has to be in jeopardy with young referees Jarred Maxwell and Gavin Badger handling the step up.

Michael Hodgson got the Raiders off to a great start when he scored in the 6th minute and Canberra held that lead until the 28th minute until Carney's first try, which came from the most blatant forward pass. Kurt Gidley cut out his brother but it clearly went 3m forward and Robinson allowed it to pass with Carney scoring in the corner. The rub salt into Canberra's wounds Carney scored three minutes later with the Knights all the sudden leading 12-6 with Andrew Johns converting from outwide.

Canberra leveled up the scores ten minutes into the second half when Phil Graham scored with captain Clinton Schifcofske converting.

Carney scored his hat-trick on 59 minutes to break the locked up scores and Brad Tighe crossed in the 64th minute to push the Knights 22-12 clear. Newcastle held on and by not letting in a soft try at the end has allowed them to pass North Queensland on the competition ladder. Clubs with the Bulldogs the worst offenders do allow soft tries at the end and with the competition ladder so tight every point is worth all its gold as the for and against margins on the table currently shows.

Raiders coach Matthew Elliott said about the incident, "The only three people who missed that in the whole stadium were the three people who count. It wasn't even a marginal call. It was forward out of the hand and kept going forward."

Kurt Gidley said, "Let's just call it line ball, eh?"

The game is about the players and should be decided by the players. Unfortunately games controlled by Robinson haven't been dominated by the players.

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