The Reserve Grade Newcastle Knights dominated the North Sydney Bears at Kogarah on Sunday afternoon, with a 40-18 defeat to advance into the semi-finals.
It was the red and blue from the start as they continued scoring points throughout the first half before another brilliant display in the second stanza stunned the Bears.
The Knights’ Bradie Smith got the scoring account open just four minutes into the match. Nick Meaney booted the conversion to see the red and blue take the lead early, 6-0.
Newcastle kept the momentum as Brendan Elliot added a second for the Knights in the 16th minute, before Meaney opted to take a penalty goal five minutes later to stretch the lead, 14-0.
In the 25th minute, Meaney scored to make it three unanswered tries to Newcastle. He was three from three at the tee, as the Knights extended their lead, 20-0.
It took 29 minutes for the Bears to get on the board via Abbas Miski, before a leaping Tautalatasi Tasi gathered a high kick to ground it for another try just before halftime.
The Knights led 20-8 at the break.
In the 49th minute, Elliot recorded a double and minutes later, Meaney took the penalty kick to push the scoreline out to 28-8.
It was a scoring assault from the red and blue, as Will Pearsall added to the tally in the 57th minute. Meaney was on fire to make it five from five as the Knights stretched it out, 34-8.
In the 65th minute, the Bears’ Bradley Deitz crossed over and this time Eli Levido nailed the conversion but the Knights quickly replied as Joey Morris went over for the try minutes later to bring the score line to 40-14.
Levido added another to North Sydney’s tally in the 72nd minute but the Knights had it well and truly locked up. Newcastle defeated the Bears 40-18 to advance to the semi-finals.
SUMMARY
Newcastle Knights 40 (T: Smith, Elliot 2, Meaney, Pearsall, Morris, G: Meaney 6/6, PG: Meaney 2/2)
North Sydney Bears 18 (T: Miski, Tasi, Deitz, Levido, G: Levido 1/4)
TEAMS
Newcastle
1. Nick Meaney, 2. Tom Hughes, 3. Brendan Elliot, 4. Jacob Gagan, 5. Chanel Mata’utia, 6. Jaelen Feeney, 7. Will Pearsall, 21. Dane Tilse, 18. Joey Morris, 10. Pasami Saulo, 11. Brodie Jones, 12. Braden Robson, 13. Bradie Smith. Interchange: 8. Sam Bernstrom, 9. Tom Starling, 14. Faitotoa Faitotoa, 20. Cameron King.
North Sydney
1. Eli Levido, 2. Tautalatasi Tasi, 3. Sitiveni Moceidreke, 4. Edward Murphy, 5. Abbas Miski, 18. Latrell Robinson, 7. Adam Doueihi, 17. Clayton Williams, 9. Bradley Deitz, 10. Fred Mauala, 11. Anthony Cherrington, 12. Piki Rogers, 21. Patrice Siolo. Interchange. 14. Thomas Perrin, 16. Toby Rudolf, 19. Siosifa Talakai, 20. Jamal Hunt.
