HALF TIME SCORE

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 14 - 16 SYDNEY ROOSTERS

NEW 14:22 SYD with 6 minutes to go.

20:22 now!

4 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

20:22 now!

And that's how it ended, although the Knights came damn close to winning it right at the death.

Roosters just hold on as Knights hit back near the end.

Ponga okay in second half.

Story of the first half was the Ponga injury that saw him as a passenger for the last twenty minutes or more.

The magic sponge or similar at half time saw him better in the second half.

Full time

Knights 20 - 22 Roosters

Over all Roosters probably deserved their victory. Newcastle fans will think it could have been a different result had K Ponga been fully involved during that first half.

Manu had a cracking game.

Score Summary

Just finished watching on delay. I know wisdom in hindsight is cheap but maybe they should have taken Pong off immediately and needled him or whatever they did. If the 10 minutes of HT was enough for him to improve they could have had him back on and firing for the final 10 minutes of the first half. Maybe.

The NRL remains the league of the unpredictable.

Whatever way you cut it that' s a poor outcome for the Knights and gives Trent Robinson a bit of relief from his critics..for this week....

Friday’s Matches

I suspect those  K.O. times are an hour out for UK viewers as I’m in Spain which an hour ahead.

Aussie times:

FRIDAY APRIL 12

Melbourne Storm vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at AAMI Park, 6pm

Storm team: 1. Ryan Papenhuyzen 2. William Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Nick Meaney 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tui Kamikamica 9. Harry Grant 10. Josh King 11. Shawn Blore 12. Eliesa Katoa 13. Trent Loiero

14. Tyran Wishart 15. Christian Welch 16. Tepai Moeroa 17. Alec MacDonald

18. Joe Chan 19. Jack Howarth

Players cut: 20. Marion Seve 21. Jonah Pezet 22. Nelson Asofa-Solomona

Late mail: To come.

Bulldogs team: 1. Stephen Crichton 2. Connor Tracey 3. Jacob Kiraz 4. Bronson Xerri 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Matt Burton 7. Drew Hutchison 10. Chris Patolo 9. Reed Mahoney 15. Poasa Faamausili11. Viliame Kikau 12. Josh Curran 13. Jaeman Salmon

14. Bailey Hayward 16. Samuel Hughes 17. Kitione Kautoga 20. Liam Knight

19. Toby Sexton 21. Jake Turpin

Players cut: 8. Max King 22. Jeral Skelton 23. Harry Hayes

Late mail: Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has revealed Max King has been ruled out after suffering a broken hand in Round 5. Gould Tweeted: “King is out. He didn’t travel to Melbourne”. He also revealed that both Viliame Kikau and Connor Tracey will have to pass fitness tests on Thursday to take the field. Liam Knight looms as the obvious replacement for King, while Jeral Skelton is in line to replace Tracey on the wing if he’s sidelined.

Brisbane Broncos vs Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, 8pm

Broncos team:1. Reece Walsh 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Selwyn Cobbo 5. Jesse Arthars 6. Ezra Mam 7. Jock Madden 8. Corey Jensen 9. Billy Walters 10. Fletcher Baker 11. Jaiyden Hunt 12. Jordan Riki 13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Xavier Willison 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Tristan Sailor

19. Benjamin Te Kura 20. Jordan Pereira

Players cut: 18. Martin Taupau 21. Blake Mozer 22. Josiah Karapani

Late mail: The Courier Mail’s Pete Badel has reported fullback Reece Walsh looks to be a “certain starter” after training on Thursday with white headgear. Remarkably, back rower Jordan Rikiis going to line up despite coach Kevin Walters all but ruling him out on Wednesday. Riki rolled his ankle during training on Tuesday, with Walters saying: “We’ll run him on Thursday at the captain’s run and see where he is at. “Jordy is very doubtful. I don’t think he will play but it’s not my ankle and Jordan seemed a bit more confident in the afternoon, but we have to wait and see how he goes at the captain’s run.”

Dolphins team: 1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Jake Averillo 4. Tesi Niu 5. Jack Bostock 6. Kodi Nikorima 7. Isaiya Katoa 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 16. Mark Nicholls 11. Kenny Bromwich 12. Euan Aitken 13. Ray Stone

14. Josh Kerr 15. Anthony Milford 17. Jarrod Wallace 22. Lachlan Hubner

18. Oryn Keeley 19. Sean O’Sullivan

Players cut: 10. Thomas Flegler 20. Mason Teague 21. Valynce Te Whare

Late mail: In a huge blow to the expansion club, Tom Flegler has been deemed a late scratching. According to The Courier Mail, Flegler won’t be fit enough to face his former side, failing to recover in time from a shoulder injury he suffered against the Tigers in Round 5. Uncapped forward Lachlan Hubner has been called into the Dolphins’ side and will make his NRL debut, as per a social media post from the club.

3 hours ago, Farmduck said:

Late mail: Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould has revealed Max King has been ruled out after suffering a broken hand in Round 5. Gould Tweeted: “King is out. He didn’t travel to Melbourne”. He also revealed that both Viliame Kikau and Connor Tracey will have to pass fitness tests on Thursday to take the field. Liam Knight looms as the obvious replacement for King, while Jeral Skelton is in line to replace Tracey on the wing if he’s sidelined.

Update: Tracey and Kikau are playing.

33 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Update: Tracey and Kikau are playing.

Update 2: Tracey and Kikau are playing, but Coates is PLAYING. His assist for the second Melbourne try is not something you see every day.

The Fox scores a long-range try, as the comms inform us this is the first time he's played in the second half of a match so far this season.

MEL 10:06 CBY

It just got spicy! It's 12-a-side for the next few minutes as Hughes and Papenhuyzen get binned for handbags and a professional foul respectively in separate incidents.

Now Xerri's quick hands send the Fox in for 10:10 with a touchline conversion to come.

No conversion, so it's dead level with 22 minutes to go.

A 14-minute hat-trick for the Foxxx!

The Melbourne spine all get involved, feeding Shawn Blore for a try that's converted to put them ahead by 2.

MEL 16:14 CBY

3 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

The Melbourne spine all get involved, feeding Shawn Blore for a try that's converted to put them ahead by 2.

MEL 16:14 CBY

And that's how it finished, with the Storm pulling off another late escape.

The Bulldogs are certainly not the easy mark they used to be, but they aren't quite an 80-minute side yet.

Deadlock for 25 minutes, then the first try is scored by *rubs eyes in disbelief* Jarrod Wallace!

The Hammer is out for the night with a hamstringular ouchie.

The Broncos' latest young giant Xavier Willison scores his first try and it's converted, so it is BRI 6:4 DOL at half time, despite Isaako attempting a monster drop goal just before the hooter.