The NYC Newcastle Knights staged a crushing 50-22 win against the Gold Coast Titans at Cbus Super Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A slow start didn’t deter the Under 20s, levelling the score 16-all at halftime only for the Knights to stamp their dominance in the second stanza piling on a staggering 34 points.
Sam McIntyre got the scoring account open for the Knights before it was levelled up 4-all by Titans’ Tyronne Roberts-Davis.
Gold Coast prop Moeaki Fotuiaka soon put the Titans in front 10-4 before the home side added another try 28 minutes in, a grubber from halfback Alexander Brimson being picked up by centre Daniel Brownbill.
In the 35th minute, Knights forward Zac Hosking made the break before off-loading to fullback Matt Cooper to cross the line. The red and blue evened the scores just before halftime, big forward Pasami Saulo crashing over for the try.
The scores locked 16-all going into the break.
It took only two minutes into the second half for Knights captain Tom Starling to make a 60-metre run down the middle before dishing off to Saulo for his second try of the afternoon. The Knights lead 22-16.
In their fourth try in eight minutes, Knights winger Mitch Andrews made a dash down the left side to finish off before Eddy Tuilotolava side stepped his way across the line in the 60th minute. Another precision kick from Gudgeon stretched the Knights lead to 34-16.
Three minutes later Gudgeon added to the tally, swinging out wide to plant the ball over for another Knights try before the Titans ended the scoring drought with winger Tyronne Roberts-Davis adding his second for the day. The Knights lead 38-22.
Knights’ McIntyre in the action again as he crossed over in the 73rd minute, team mate Hayden Loughrey able to have the last say of the day, with a quick one down the middle.
The final score 50-22.
Summary
Knights 50 (T: McIntyre 2, Cooper, Saulo 2, Andrews, Tuilotolava, Gudgeon, Loughrey, G: Gudgeon 7/9)
Titans 22
Newcastle
1. Matt Cooper, 2. Mitch Andrews, 19. Cory Denniss, 4. Heath Gibbs, 5. Kainoa Gudgeon, 6. Hayden Loughrey, 7. Josh Ralph, 8. Cameron King, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Matt Croker, 13. Jack Johns, 12. Sam McIntyre, 21. Zac Hosking. Interchange: 11. Henry Penn, 14. Dylan Clark, 15. Pasami Saulo, 17. Eddy Tuilotolava.
