The Reserve Grade Newcastle Knights were beaten 26-16 by the Wyong Roos at Hunter Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
11 minutes in the Roos scored first points, winger Kieran Gallagher getting the ball down in the corner. Tyler Cornish converted from out on the sideline, and then six minutes later fullback Dominic Reardon grabbed a try beneath the posts.
With 25 minutes on the clock Wyong continued their domination, left winger Matthew Ikuvalu grounding the ball in the corner to make the score 16-0.
Three minutes into the second half the away side scored again. This time it was back rower Mitchell Frei who scored, and it looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for the Knights.
Three minutes later the Knights scored their first try though, centre Tom Hughes busting out of a tackle to get over the line. Bryce Donovan converted, and then two minutes later Hughes was over again when he picked the ball up deep and ran it through a hole.
17 minutes from time it looked as though the Knights could score again when Ryan Walker offloaded to Jaelen Feeney, but as the five-eighth was trying to wriggle his way over the line he was hit from behind and lost possession.
It all came undone with 11 minutes to play though, as fullback Reardon grabbed his second for the Roos and effectively ended the Knights’ hopes of a comeback. Lussick converted to make the score 26-12, but six minutes later the red and blues hit back when winger Ken Tofilau managed to get the ball down in the corner.
Donovan missed the conversion, the final score 26-16.
SUMMARY
Newcastle Knights 16 (T: Hughes 2, Tofilau; G: Donovan 2/3)
Wyong Roos 26 (T: Gallagher, Reardon 2, Frei, Ikuvalu; G: Cornish 3/4, Lussick 1/1)
TEAM LIST
3. Ryan Walker, 2. Ken Tofilau, 19. Akuila Uate, 4. Tom Hughes, 5. Bryce Donovan, 6. Jaelen Feeney, 1. Dylan Phythian, 13. Dave Bhana, 9. Krys Freeman, 10. Jack Stockwell, 30. Pauli Pauli, 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 18. Pat Mata'utia. Interchange: 8. Uiti Baker, 14. Kurt Aldridge, 15. Luke Yates, 16. Bradie Smith.
