The NYC Newcastle Knights were comprehensively beaten 52-16 by the Wests Tigers at Hunter Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
While the Knights launched out of the blocks strongly, the Tigers who scored first when halfback Veiru Mapesone scooped up a Brock Lamb grubber to run 95 metres and score. Matthew Woods nailed the conversion and the away side found themselves with an early 6-0 lead.
The Tigers struck again three minutes later, this time Woods the scorer as left winger Ryland Jacobs found space on the touchline to break through and pass. Woods again converted, doubling the scoreline with only ten minutes played.
The Knights looked as though they were going to start conceding big points under a Tigers barrage, but on the back of a Lamb kick Braden Robson scored a try to steady the ship momentarily. Donovan's conversion was accurate, halving the oppositions' lead.
The Tigers didn't miss a beat though and scored again in the 22nd minute, the Knights defence buying a dummy from Te Maire Martin for the five-eighth to stroll over. Woods converted and the young Knights again found themselves twelve points behind.
In what was proving to be and end-to-end battle the Knights scored next, the diminutive Fuaimamao Uta leaping high to catch a Lamb bomb and run twenty metres to score. Donovan kicked well from out wide to push the score to 18-12.
The Knights continued to make errors though, and with eight minutes to play in the first half Martin scooped up a weak pass to run 80 meters and score his second. Woods made it four conversions from four but the Tigers weren't done yet, with Watson Heleta touching down in the left corner two minutes later. Woods again converted to make the half-time score 30-12.
Things didn't get any better for the Knights in the second half when Marion Seve broke through several tackles and fed Martin for his third try. Woods again converted to further extend the Tigers' lead.
The away side scored again in the 50th minute, this time via Jayden Wheelhouse. Woods' kick sailed wide, for the score to remain 40-12.
Seven minutes later fullback Jeremy Marshall-King ran 80 metres to score from a kick receive, bypassing the entire Knights defence with some great footwork.
The score was thrown out even more when Esan Marsters scored in the 64th minute and Woods conversion made the score 52-12.
For the remainder of the match the Knights boarded up the holes in their defence and made several attacking plays that culminated in a try to left winger Ken Tofilau with 30 seconds on the clock. Donovan couldn't steer his kick between the posts, the final score 52-16.
SUMMARY
Newcastle Knights 16 (Robson, Uta, Tofilau; G: Donovan 2/3)
Wests Tigers 52 (T: Martin 3, Heleta, Wheelhouse, Mapesone, Marsters, Woods, G: Woods 7/8, Marshall-King 1/1)
TEAM
Donovan, Uta, Birch, Robson, Tofilau, Lamb, Cogger, King, McNamara, D. Saifiti, Smith, Yates, J. Saifiti. Bench: Faitotoa, Fepuleai, Stone, Steven.
