Round 22
Roosters 18 l. Knights 32

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

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

Knights keep top four hopes alive
Mon August 7, 2006
Newcastle have moved back into the top four followiing a 32-18 victory against the Roosters yesterday but could have jumped into 3rd position if they didn't allow in two late tries when up 32-6 midway through the second half.

The Knights victory was setup by a dominant display from captain Andrew Johns who in the last three weeks has been running back into form after he and Newcastle went through a mid-season.

Of all the sides below Melbourne and Canterbury on the ladder, Newcastle looks the most threatening due to the Johns factor.

Newcastle led 24-0 after 27 minutes and in the cut throat race for positions in the Finals to be determined by for and against differences, the Knights really had to go on with the job and rack up a huge score to put themselves in a comfort zone. The 14-point victory by Newcastle moved them to +29 on their attack and defence differences, which compares to fellow top eight clubs Brisbane +34 (26), Manly +26 (26), Dragons -10 (26), Parramatta +26 (24) and Canberra -47 (24).

Danny Buderus got the ball rolling for Newcastle in the opening minute when he scored with tries followed up by Johns (11th), Chris Bailey (15th) and Luke Davico (27th).

Young fullback Shaun Foley scored for the Roosters to get them back into the game but a penalty goal by Johns on the stroke of half-time extended the gap to 20 points meaning the Roosters had to score four unanswered tries to get level or in the lead.

Brett Finch was sin-binned in the 56th minute for holding down a Knights player as they were deep on the attack after a line break. Newcastle scored from the penalty when Riley Brown crossed over.

Iosia Soliola and Ryan Cross scored tries in the final 15 minutes to bridge back the margin and give the Roosters something positive to take into next weeks clash against Penrith where if they play to their potential will end any faint hope the Panthers have of making the Finals.

The loss by the Roosters sees them move into second last position below the Warriors and that ranking belies the talent they have on their roster and the resources available to them.

Newcastle have put together three wins in a row and is currently the 4th best winning streak in the NRL after Melbourne 10 wins, Parramatta 7 and Canterbury 5. Souths are the only other side to string two or more successive victories together.

After the match, Newcastle captain Andrew Johns said, "The first half was the prototype of how we want to be playing.

"I think that we are still 10 per cent behind the Bulldogs and the Storm. Melbourne's backline is incredibly slick while the Bulldogs forwards are pure power.

"I think we are still a fair way away from them. But I think that we are building toward something.

"I guarantee that if we get there, then we won't choke."

Roosters coach Ricky Stuart was glowing in his praise of Johns and said, "It is very hard to coach against him. We did a lot of work on him this week in regards to how he attacks.

"We did a lot of drills on how he plays. He plays the same plays each week but he still got us. A couple of times we had poor reads in regards to what he did.

"He is one of the greatest players in the game and he didn't let us (comeback into the match)."

One of the major positives for the Roosters has been the form of rookies Josh Lewis and Shaun Foley in what should be a direct statement that the Roosters are better off developing and investing in unkown talent like those two instead of importing big names on big money from other clubs and this year in the case of Braith Anasta and Ashley Harrison have been the two worst buys of the season.

It was the first time Lewis faced Johns and Johns let him know who was the master and the apprentice. Lewis said of the clash, "He was giving me a bit out there.

Every time I threw a bad ball he was getting into me. He was trying to get in my ear and put me off my game.

"I think he got me high once and I had a few words to him. I don't really remember it. I think he was trying to apologise and then I gave him a few words."

Johns bursted onto the scene in 1994 with his brother Matthew becoming a regular at the Knights in 1993. Both were viewed and targeted as the next big things in 1994 and both were given valuable footballing lessons by Terry Lamb and Ricky Stuart during that season, which made them better footballers as a result.

Canberra toweled Newcastle 52-16 in a Friday night game where Stuart and Laurie Daley showed the Johns brothers a thing or two and on two occasions Lamb put it over the Johns brothers with one match later that season Lamb scored three tries and was the stumbling block in Newcastle being unable to win that day. The Johns brothers came out of the experiences against Daley, Stuart and Lamb much the better and the fact Lewis was positive about his encounter with Johns means that the Roosters have a good young player for the future and one worth investing in. Johns tested out Lewis and Lewis responded the best way possible.

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