Round 5
Newcastle Knights 24 d. New Zealand Warriors 22

2009 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

Knights hold out fast finishing Warriors
Sun April 12, 2009
Source: www.newcastleknights.com.au

With a seventh straight home ground victory up for grabs the Newcastle Knights continued rebuilding the EnergyAustralia Stadium fortress this afternoon, holding out a strong finishing New Zealand Warriors to remain in the NRL top eight.

On a day the home side couldn't buy a penalty, the Knights dug deep to defend eight straight sets on their line late in the second half, walking away with a two point win and vital competition points.

"I thought we did enough to win the game by a bit more but the Warriors did what they generally do and kept at it so it became quite a close contest at the back end and a nail biter in the last few minutes," said Coach, Brian Smith.

It was as much a physiological victory as a physical one with the Warriors becoming a bogey team of sorts for the Knights in recent seasons, scoring late and narrow victories over the Novocastrians.

Smith said today's win was hard fought after defending for relentless sets.

"Today it's on the back of a five nil penalty count against us in the second half so the Warriors are certainly in favour with the refs."

The majority of the first 40 was played in the Knights half and as Jarrod Mullen began his warm up five minutes out from half time James McManus was heading for the corner when Kurt Gidley stayed alive, bouncing the ball back to Isaac De Gois.

It was looking like the locals would go into the sheds with a 10-6 lead until Mullen injected himself into the Knights attack, going to the air with just his third touch to put McManus over for his second try.

Both sides emerged looking to spread wide and the tactics payed off for the New Zealanders, back in the hunt and beginning a see sawing second half.

When Keith Lulia dived on a Mullen missile near the north-west corner the Knights were back with a comfortable buffer but it wasn't the best day for Kurt Gidley with the boot, keeping the Warriors just six points in arrears with 20 minutes on the clock.

But Gidley had another chance soon after on the back of a brilliant try off broken play - Mullen was caught short but refused to give in, jumping to his feet to offload and send Chris Houston over for a 24-12 lead.

The vocal 13,626 strong crowd let the men in the middle know their thoughts about a run of controversial decisions, particularly when referee Gavin Badger went upstairs unsure if the Warriors had scored, only to award a four pointer on a refs call.

Fortunately the home side was able to hold out their run against the whistle to sneak home in a thrilling finish ahead of next week's tough assignment against St George Illawarra at Jubilee Oval.

In other results a great win to the NYC Knights, defeating the Warriors 22-16 in today's curtain raiser.

And in the Junior Representative matches the Knights Harold Matthews team posted a 30-12 victory over Balmain.

The SG Ball Knights were unable to continue their winning streak, falling just short of the mark for a 28-22 loss against the Tigers.


Matulino back from injury for Warriors v Knights
Sun April 12, 2009
Source: www.warriors.co.nz

Big second rower Ben Matulino's inclusion on the bench is the only change to the Vodafone Warriors' line-up for today's fifth-round NRL clash against Newcastle at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

Matulino (21), who has been sidelined with an ankle injury since the season opener against Parramatta, wasn't originally expected to be available for selection for this match.

However, after training well at home during the week he was added to the travelling party in the hope he might be ready to make an early return. He has replaced Daniel O'Regan.

Winger Manu Vatuvei (23), who wasn't originally named, also joined the team for the trip to Newcastle but today it was decided he wasn't yet ready to return from the knee cartilage injury he received in the second-round win over Manly. It's hoped he'll be available for selection for next Sunday's home game against the Sydney Roosters.

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
2.00pm, Sunday, April 12
Referees: Gavin Badger and Steve Lyons

Vodafone Warriors
1 Wade McKinnon
2 Denan Kemp
3 Patrick Ah Van
4 Jerome Ropati
5 Aidan Kirk
6 Joel Moon
7 Stacey Jones
8 Sam Rapira
9 Ian Henderson
10 Russell Packer
11 Simon Mannering
12 Jacob Lillyman
13 Micheal Luck [c]

Interchange:
14 Nathan Fien
15 Jesse Royal
17 Ukuma Ta'ai
20 Ben Matulino

Coach: Ivan Cleary

Tue April 7, 2009
• Naiqama to play for the Bay
  
Tue April 7, 2009
• Vatuvei not named but could make return against Knights
  

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