Senior Pathways Wrap Round 18: Flegg Draw in High-Scoring Encounter

Canterbury-Bankstown half Mitch Woods made his mark on the contest in the 30th minute, taking the ball 10 metres out from the try-line then dummying and weaving through the Newcastle defence to score and put the visitors back in front. Tia’s conversion put the Bulldogs ahead 12-6.

Prior to the break Knights second-rower Jermaine McEwen found his way over the line for the home side, as Votano nailed the conversion taking the score-line to 12-all at half-time.

The Bulldogs responded within a minute of the second half kicking off, with forward Lipoi Hopoi latching onto the ball off the back of a chaotic passage of play after a kick was batted back on last tackle. While Tia converted to lead 18-12, the deficit only spurred the Knights on to try and turn the tables again.

Newcastle later surged back into the lead with tries either side of the 60-minute mark. The first of those came through left winger Sosaia Latu running onto floating pass from new recruit Jake Arthur, then McEwen supporting the halfback on the inside to complete his double. Votano converted both four-pointers and kicked a 73rd-minute penalty goal to maintain a perfect tally off the boot as the Knights came away with a much-needed 26-18 win.

Talking Points

• Saturday’s result for the Knights not only marked their first victory since Round 12, but also their first win at home this season.
• After their second-successive defeat, the Bulldogs will need to hit form in the remaining eight rounds if they are to snare a spot in the top five.
• Halfback Jake Arthur had a strong first-up performance for the Knights since his mid-season switch from the Sea Eagles, setting up both second-half tries to help his side to victory.

Key Moment

Newcastle’s match-winning effort in the 64th minute would end up being the key moment in the contest. It was the new man Jake Arthur who made the initial break with a double-pump and spin at the 40-metre line, then he found McEwen backing up to score untouched.

What’s Next?

In Round 19 the Knights take on South Sydney Rabbitohs at McDonald Jones Stadium, while the Bulldogs head to North Sydney Oval to face the Bears.

HNWP: Bulldogs 14 def by Knights 20

In a brave effort, the Bulldogs' Harvey Norman Women's Premiership side were downed 20-14 against the Newcastle Knights at Belmore Sports Ground on Saturday night.

After trailing 8-nil early on, a try to Hannah Makira put the Bulldogs on the board, closing the gap to four points at the break. 

The centre struck through right after the break to level, with a further two tries to the visitors extending the difference to eight once again.

While a converted try from five-eighth and Captain Amir El-Abdallah saw the Bulldogs down by just two points, a late four-pointer to the Knights sealed the result with just minutes remaining. 

In Round 2, the Bulldogs face the Wests Tigers at Lidcombe Oval on Saturday afternoon. 

Jersey Flegg Cup: Bulldogs 30 draw with Knights 30, Silktails 18 def by Warriors 40 

It was a high-scoring affair in the Jersey Flegg Cup as the Bulldogs drew with the Knights 30-apiece despite the hosts scoring six tries to five.

The brave Bulldogs scored first through Latrell Fing after just one minute, but faced an eight-point deficit at the break after the Knights hit back.

Undeterred by the difference in score, it was Oliva Smith and Bronson Reuben touching down, and while a late try saw the Knights edge ahead, a penalty goal to Reuben in the 78th minute levelled the scores, with the sides sharing the two competition points. 

Meanwhile, the Kaiviti Silktails fought hard against the New Zealand Warriors, but were ultimately undone 40-18 at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland.

The Silktails fired early, taking an 18-nil lead with tries to George Satakala (9th minute), Seru Kalounivalu (17th minute) and Adrea Ramabuke (21st minute).

However, the turning point seemed to be a sin-binning in the 31st minute, with the Warriors running in three tries to extend from a 22-18 half-time lead to score a further five tries in the second stanza. 

In Round 19, the Bulldogs head down to Victoria to face the Melbourne Storm, while the Silktails host the second-placed Canberra Raiders at Prince Charles Park in Nadi.