Tempers flare as Sea Eagles edge Knights 26-18 in Newcastle
It was a case of no Turbo, no worries as the Sea Eagles cruised past the Knights with a 26-18 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
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It was a case of no Turbo, no worries as the Sea Eagles cruised past the Knights with a 26-18 win at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday night.
The visitors were given little hope of backing up last week’s impressive win over the Rabbitohs without their superstar No.1, but Des Hasler’s men shot out of the blocks with three unanswered tries to heap more misery on the misfiring Knights.
Newcastle’s season is quickly spiralling out of control after they dropped their fourth game on the bounce, with Nathan Brown’s side set to finish the round in equal-last position while veteran Aidan Guerra faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines with a lower-leg injury.
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Knightmare
This was meant to be the year Newcastle’s long-suffering fans were rewarded for sticking by their side through the dark times. Instead, 2019 shapes as another horror season with the Knights in contention for the wooden spoon following their fourth loss from five starts. With a star-studded roster and a stack of early-season home games, the Knights were expected to get off to a flyer. But hopes of a return to finals footy are quickly fading, and things don’t get any easier with four of their next five games on the road. “I’m not going to sit here and make any emotional statements now, but there are certainly a number of blokes who were out, so we certainly do have people who are available,” Brown replied when asked if he’d make changes.
Ponga or bust
If it weren’t for Kalyn Ponga, the Knights’ attack would be a complete rabble. Donning hi-vis jerseys, Newcastle’s disjointed shape stood out like a sore thumb on Saturday night with balls repeatedly hitting the deck and players getting in each other’s’ way. Only Ponga can hold his head high following another sterling performance in which he scythed through on a kick return and then set up his side’s opening four-pointer with a neat grubber. Their attack looked rudderless when he was off for an HIA. In a worrying sign, the halves pairing remains unsettled after Mason Lino was hooked, while Mitchell Pearce’s form remains a concern.
Video nasty
Graham Annesley can expect a few questions on Monday afternoon after the Bunker strangely overturned a live ruling of ‘no try’ to award Aidan Guerra a controversial four-pointer in the second half. The Knights forward appeared to ground the ball short of the line before the Steeden came loose, but senior review official Henry Perenara ruled otherwise, flashing the green light to the delight of the 21,779 fans. “I thought the referees got it right [on the field] so I thought it was a strange one. It would have been really strange had we lost,” Hasler said.
LISTEN! Matty Johns is back with his latest podcast and with Paul Kent and James Hooper runs the rule over struggling team, takes a look at what makes a great halfback and has his say on the modern coaching problem. Plenty of laughs to be had as well.
Pearce’s ‘Blake’ eye
Sea Eagles prop Addin Fonua-Blake is facing his second suspension of the season after he was placed on report and sent to the sin bin for a high shot that left Pearce with a black eye, although it quickly came out that he had the shiner leading into the game. The big man stuck out an arm that collected Pearce high as he charged forward to claim a second-half kick-off. The contact initially appeared minimal, but replays showed the halfback was caught flush by the swinging arm. Both coaches agreed that the use of the sib win was a fair enough punishment. “I think it was a little bit careless. I have to be careful because I haven’t seen it [a replay] but I don’t think it was foul play,” Hasler said. While the Knights enjoyed the numerical advantage, they were left without their chief playmaker for the final 13 minutes, cruelling any hopes of a late fightback.
Captain Cherry
Daly Cherry-Evans continues to firm for the Maroons’ captaincy gig after leading his side to a third-straight victory. With Tom Trbojevic missing, the star halfback pulled all the strings in attack and kicked the Knights into submission with his trusty right boot. With Greg Inglis’s immediate playing future in doubt, Cherry-Evans has earned the right to lead Queensland. However, his club coach isn’t convinced he’ll get the chance to don the ‘C’. “He’s the captain of his club, so he’s certainly got the experience. But I think Queensland are playing smoke and mirrors. I expect Greg Inglis to be there.”
MANLY 26 (A Fonua-Blake R Garrick J Taufua J Thompson tries D Cherry-Evans 5 goals) bt NEWCASTLE 18 (M Barnett A Guerra E Lee tries K Ponga 3 goals) at McDonald Jones Stadium. Referee: Jon Stone, Peter Gough. Crowd: 21,779.
Originally published as Tempers flare as Sea Eagles edge Knights 26-18 in Newcastle
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