The NYC Newcastle Knights notched up their third win for the season, defeating the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 22-12 at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday afternoon.
The Under 20s put on a brilliant display early on as they surged to an 18 point first half, able to keep a clean sheet before the Knights had to fend off a scoring run from the Bulldogs in the second stanza.
The Knights got the scoring account open early via captain Tom Starling, crashing over the line in the first five minutes to lead 6-0.
The red and blue went through the middle seven minutes in, with centre Heath Gibbs side stepping the Bulldogs defence to score another try for the home side to lead 12-0.
Just before the halftime siren Gibbs again weaved his magic to roll over for his second. Knights halfback Jack Johns booted his third conversion to stretch the lead to 18-0.
After the break, the Bulldogs were the ones to pounce first. In the 52nd minute a 50-metre dash ended with a try to forward Jayden Okunbor.
Not long after, Adam Keighran ran through the pack to cross the line but with another missed conversion, the Knights led the Bulldogs 18-8.
68 minutes in, the Bulldogs went wide to winger Kiko Manu who leaped over in the right corner for another four-pointer to claw the score back 18-12.
With five minutes to go, the Knights replied with their fourth try coming from winger Mitch Andrews for Knights to defeat the Bulldogs 22-12.
Summary
Newcastle Knights: 22 (T: Starling, Gibbs 2, Andrews, G: Johns 3/4)
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: 12 (T: Okunbor, Keighran, Manu, G: Keighran 0/3)
Teams
NEWCASTLE
1. Matt Cooper, 2. Mitch Andrews, 3. Brayden Musgrove, 4. Heath Gibbs, 5. Lachlan Farr, 6. Jack Johns, 7. Hayden Loughrey, 8. Cameron King, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Viko Puliuvea, 11. Dylan Clark, 12. Sam McIntyre, 13. Zac Hosking. Interchange: 14. Nash Birch, 16. Jayden Butterfield, 17. Pasami Saulo, 20. Eddy Tuilotolava.
CANTERBURY
1. Ben Cassell, 2. Alvin Maungaati, 3. Dalton Smith, 4. Morgan Harper, 5. Kiko Manu, 6. Adam Keighran, 7. Michael Doolan, 8. Lopeti Mafi, 9. Joseph Tramontana, 10. Peni Misinale, 11. Jayden Okunbor, 12. Jack Gibbons, 13. Hayden Ashcroft. Interchange. 14. James Clark, 15. Kayne Kalache, 16. Giordan Patea 17. Elie El-Zakhem.
