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Newcastles disappointing 2006 Premier League season continued on Saturday night at Parramatta Stadium. The Eels defeated the Knights 30-12 in a toughly contested game of rugby league. After defeating the third-placed Manly side at Brookvale last Friday night, the Knights appeared to have again turned up, not ready to shirk their defensive duties as they held the Eels scoreless for the opening 27 minutes of play.
The Eels finally found a way through the Knights defence 13 minutes out from halftime after Krisnan Inu ran onto a perfectly timed Blake Green pass to score 20 metres in from the western sideline. Luke Burt, a late inclusion into the team, slotted the conversion as the Eels led 6-0. The Knights appeared to have some spark in their backline in the shape of Milton Thaiday, who returned from a 10-week absence with ankle ligament damage and David Seage returned to his accustomed spot of fullback. Brad Tighe was in the centres and made some incisive runs down the right hand side of the field, but the Knights lacked the killer punch, which was required to dent the Eels defence. As the Knights muscled up in defence and the Eels struggled to find a way through it, this appeared to be the scoreline heading into halftime. The Eels received a back-to-back set of six attacking the Knights tryline and after defending like men possessed for 39 minutes of the first half, the Knights defence cracked. Halfback Blake Green dummied and went himself, going through some tired Knights defence as that appeared to be all they were doing for the vast majority of the first half. As the siren sounded, Burt again calmly added the extras and the Eels were in complete control leading 12-0 at halftime.
In the second half, any hopes of a Knights revival were quashed as the Eels scored two tries in three minutes. Joel Reddy and Matt Petersen were the tryscorers, Peterson having too much pace for Milton Thaiday as he dived over in the corner. Burt converted both tries, including Petersens from the junction of the 20-metre line and the western touchline to put the Eels into cruise control at 24-0 with half an hour still remaining. Full credit must go to the Knights as they made the game interesting with ten minutes remaining. Tries to Luke Grant in the 64th minute and Corey Patterson in the 70th minute, both converted by Luke Walsh closed the margin to 12. The result was never in much doubt and the Eels scored one more try on the fulltime siren courtesy of five-eight Feleti Mateo from a Blake Green grubber kick. Burt again converted, giving him a 100% strike rate with his kicking for the day.
For the Knights, it was good to see the return of Milton Thaiday who, with more game time will get his match fitness back to where it was before he suffered his ankle injury. Hopefully for all Knights fans this happens soon enough so he can rejoin forces with Andrew Johns as the Knights First Grade side push for a semi-final birth.
Next week the Knights face the Western Suburbs Magpies in what can be described as a must win game for them as their semi-final chances appear to be slipping away very quickly.
The Eels finally found a way through the Knights defence 13 minutes out from halftime after Krisnan Inu ran onto a perfectly timed Blake Green pass to score 20 metres in from the western sideline. Luke Burt, a late inclusion into the team, slotted the conversion as the Eels led 6-0. The Knights appeared to have some spark in their backline in the shape of Milton Thaiday, who returned from a 10-week absence with ankle ligament damage and David Seage returned to his accustomed spot of fullback. Brad Tighe was in the centres and made some incisive runs down the right hand side of the field, but the Knights lacked the killer punch, which was required to dent the Eels defence. As the Knights muscled up in defence and the Eels struggled to find a way through it, this appeared to be the scoreline heading into halftime. The Eels received a back-to-back set of six attacking the Knights tryline and after defending like men possessed for 39 minutes of the first half, the Knights defence cracked. Halfback Blake Green dummied and went himself, going through some tired Knights defence as that appeared to be all they were doing for the vast majority of the first half. As the siren sounded, Burt again calmly added the extras and the Eels were in complete control leading 12-0 at halftime.
In the second half, any hopes of a Knights revival were quashed as the Eels scored two tries in three minutes. Joel Reddy and Matt Petersen were the tryscorers, Peterson having too much pace for Milton Thaiday as he dived over in the corner. Burt converted both tries, including Petersens from the junction of the 20-metre line and the western touchline to put the Eels into cruise control at 24-0 with half an hour still remaining. Full credit must go to the Knights as they made the game interesting with ten minutes remaining. Tries to Luke Grant in the 64th minute and Corey Patterson in the 70th minute, both converted by Luke Walsh closed the margin to 12. The result was never in much doubt and the Eels scored one more try on the fulltime siren courtesy of five-eight Feleti Mateo from a Blake Green grubber kick. Burt again converted, giving him a 100% strike rate with his kicking for the day.
For the Knights, it was good to see the return of Milton Thaiday who, with more game time will get his match fitness back to where it was before he suffered his ankle injury. Hopefully for all Knights fans this happens soon enough so he can rejoin forces with Andrew Johns as the Knights First Grade side push for a semi-final birth.
Next week the Knights face the Western Suburbs Magpies in what can be described as a must win game for them as their semi-final chances appear to be slipping away very quickly.
