NRL.com Wrap | Comeback falls short as Knights defeated in Sydney

Late Mail

Storm: Maroons hooker Harry Grant will come from the bench and Trent Toelau will start the game, while Grant's fellow Queenslander Trent Loiero starts at lock. Coach Craig Bellamy confirmed on Saturday that Cameron Munster would not back up from Origin Three so Tyran Wishart plays five-eighth. Siulagi Tuimalatu-Brown has come in on the wing and Joe Chan replaces Alec MacDonald in the starting side. Halfback Jahrome Hughes (hamstring) and centres Nick Meaney (calf) and Jack Howarth (quad) are all back on deck. Rookie halfback Hayden Watson is in line for an NRL debut off the six-man bench.

Titans: The Titans are 1-19 with no late changes. Maroons duo Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Jojo Fifita are confirmed to back up in a massive boost for Gold Coast. Cooper Bai is on track to return from a concussion while former Storm winger Dean Ieremia is set to play his first NRL match since 2024 in place of Jaylan De Groot. 

Sea Eagles v Cowboys at 4 Pines Park

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Full-time: Scott Drinkwater has won it for the Cowboys with a stunning Golden Point field goal. The North Queensland fullback stepped up from 30 metres out and send the ball sailing through the goal posts. It was the Cowboys' first chance at a field goal and Drinkwater made no mistake. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 19.

End of regulation: We are off to Golden Point, with the two teams locked at 18-all after 80 minutes. The Cowboys have finished the match with all the momentum and scored twice in the final 12 minutes to level the scores. Manly must quickly regroup if they are to regain the ascendancy and claim the win. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 18.

79th minute: North Queensland have produced a miracle try to level the scores and silence a stunned crowd at 4 Pines Park. It was the last tackle, the visitors desperately kept the ball alive, Scott Drinkwater put a deft kick in behind the defensive line, Jaxon Purdue scooped it up before offloading to Reuben Cotter for the try. It's been a tough day for the goal-kickers and Jake Clifford steps up and sprays the kick wide. We're all locked up with 66 seconds to play. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 18. 

73rd minute: Soni Luke has made an impact for the Cowboys since coming off the bench with a series of dangerous runs to put the Sea Eagles on the back foot. He's got this one wrong, however, his grubber into the in-goal rolling dead to give Manly a seven-tackle set. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 14. 

71st minute: Manly have lodged a Captain's Challenge after Tom Trbojevic was ruled to have dropped a Cowboys bomb. Jake Clifford went up for the contest and touched it first, with the Bunker ruling it travelled forward of the Cowboys. It's a successful Sea Eagles challenge and the home fans breathe a big sigh of relief. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 14.

69th minute: This match has a few twists and turns left in it. Jaxon Purdue produced a superb floating pass to Braidon Burns, who had plenty of work to do. The Cowboys winger stepped past Tom Trbojevic before muscling past multiple Manly defenders and slamming the ball down. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 14.

66th minute: Manly have responded to re-establish their lead, Jamal Fogarty producing an excellent grubber in behind the Cowboys defensive line. Winger Jason Saab had too much speed and won the race to the ball to score the try. Sea Eagles 18 - Cowboys 10.

60th minute: North Queensland have cut the gap, Braidon Burns capitalising on multiple repeat sets and a tiring Sea Eagles defence to crash over from dummy half. The hosts conceded multiple set restarts and the fatigue grew with each fresh set before the Cowboys winger broke through. North Queensland are back within four and we're set for a thrilling final 20 minutes. The Cowboys have been dealt a blow, however, with John Batemen ruled out with a hamstring injury. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 10.  

57th minute: Now it's the Cowboys who come up with a crucial defensive play, the visitors scrambling to defend multiple sets on their own line. Haumole Olakau'atu looked destined to score before multiple Cowboys converged to force the ball free. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6. 

54th minute: The two teams continue to trade blows but neither side has been able to land a decisive strike in the second half. Reed Mahoney just attempted a 40-20 kick from dummy half and found the sideline but the bounce was not in his favour. Instead of kicking on, the ball took a sharp left turn and bounced out short of the 20-metre line. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6. 

47th minute: North Queensland have had the better of the second half so far and they've generated multiple attacking opportunities. Manly's defence, however, has been up to the task and they've forced an error to regain possession. Now they've received a penalty and a chance to extend their lead. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6. 

Kick-off: We're back for the second half, with the sun starting to set on a sold-out 4 Pines Park. Manly hold an eight-point lead after a blistering finish to the first half but North Queensland have shown all year how quickly they can score points. Both teams threw the ball around in the opening 40 minutes and there will be plenty more attack in the second half. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6. 

Half-time: Manly will take an eight-point lead into the sheds after an entertaining half of football. Both sides were willing to throw the ball around in search of points and we've seen some outstanding attack at different points in the match. North Queensland struck first, but the Sea Eagles have taken control to run in three tries and hit the front. Manly have been dealt a blow with Corey Waddell leaving the field late in the half and ruled out for the match with an ankle injury. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6. 

38th minute: It looked like we just had an incredible piece of skill from Joey Walsh to collect a low pass and kick in one motion but the ball touched the deck before he secured possession. Haumole Olakau'atu scored from the kick, however the knock on negates the try and the Cowboys remain within touching distance. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6.

33rd minute: We're back to the Bunker with Reed Mahoney claiming a try but it could be a double movement. The hooker was dragged down by Tom Trbojevic and was sliding forward but he reached out with the ball-carrying arm to ground the ball. It's no try and Manly survive. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6.

29th minute: The Sea Eagles have capitalised on the penalty, rolling down the field before Haumole Olakau'atu produced an impressive solo effort to score. The rampaging forward beat four Cowboys defenders on his way to the try-line and was never going to be denied. Sea Eagles 14 - Cowboys 6. 

26th minute: Manly have lodged a Captain's Challenge after an error immediately after points. The ball came loose and was ruled a knock on on the field but the Bunker has judged it a strip and the Sea Eagles receive the penalty. Sea Eagles 10 - Cowboys 6.

24th minute: It didn't take long for Manly to capitalise on the error, the hosts shifting left to Lehi Hopoate who had enough speed to get to the outside and score a simple try. Both Joey Walsh and Tolu Koula produced exceptional passes in the movement, while Hopoate did well to finish it off. Sea Eagles 10 - Cowboys 6.

23rd minute: Manly have taken their play up a gear and North Queensland are just holding on. Tolu Koula just surged through, only to be dragged down by desperate scrambling defence. The Cowboys have now turned the ball over inside their own half and the Sea Eagles are back on the attack. The hosts have been dealt a blow, however, with Ben Trbojevic failing his HIA and ruled out for the match. Sea Eagles 6 - Cowboys 6.

17th minute: Tom Trbojevic has created a Manly try from seemingly nowhere. The fullback received the ball on his own 30-metre line, tracked across field before throwing a dummy and stepping back inside past Jake Clifford. Trbojevic raced away before drawing the fullback and sending Jason Saab over for the try. Sea Eagles 6 - Cowboys 6. 

14th minute: We're off to the Bunker with Braidon Burns claiming a try in the corner. The touch judge has indicated the Cowboys winger stepped into touch before grounding the ball and replays quickly confirm his foot was outside the field before he got the ball down. Manly hold firm. Sea Eagles 0 - Cowboys 6. 

11th minute: Concern now being shown for Ben Trbojevic after a heavy collision from the kick off. The back-rower has left the field for an HIA and has also been penalised for a shoulder charge, putting the Cowboys straight back on the attack. Sea Eagles 0 - Cowboys 6.

9th minute: Now it's the Cowboys turn to go on the attack, with halfback Jake Clifford drawing a line dropout. Manly went short, but North Queensland recovered the ball and they quickly capitalised. Centre Tom Chester ran back infield on the angle, saw some space and accelerated past a couple of middle forwards to score the first try of the game. Sea Eagles 0 - Cowboys 6. 

5th minute: It's nearly a dream start for the Sea Eagles, who are straight on the attack. The hosts came close to crashing through on multiple times, but the Cowboys defence held firm. The attacking opportunity came to an end when the ball was thrown behind Reuben Garrick, who spilled a challenging catch. Sea Eagles 0 - Cowboys 0.

Kick-off: We are underway at a sunny and sold out 4 Pines Park, with a top-eight spot on the line for both sides. Manly suffered a shock loss last week but they're feeling confident of bouncing back on their home turf. North Queensland are well rested after last week's bye and are eager to back up their last-start win over the Panthers. Sea Eagles 0 - Cowboys 0.

Late Mail

Sea Eagles: A couple of late changes for Manly with Simione Laiafi coming into the starting side and Kobe Hetherington shifting to the bench. Young hooker Nicholas Lenaz has also come on to the six-man bench in place of Aaron Schoupp. Tolu Koula played 41 minutes off the bench in Wednesday's Origin clash and will back up at centre for Manly on Sunday afternoon. The NSW talent replaces Clayton Faulalo, who injured his hamstring last week. Haumole Olakau'atu was not used by NSW coach Laurie Daley in the decider and will take his place in the Sea Eagles starting side.

Cowboys: No late changes for the Cowboys, who will line up 1-19. Tom Dearden has been ruled out of playing his first game since injuring his ankle in Round 10, with coach Todd Payten saying he was another week away. "Tom is not fit to play this weekend," said Payten on Friday. "He's probably two full training sessions short of being right to play. He'll get a full week of training next week, with the plan to play against the Dolphins." Skipper Reuben Cotter, back-rower Jeremiah Nanai and winger Murray Taulagi have all been named to back up from Origin III, with coach Todd Payten preparing for the trio to play on Sunday. "The intention is for them all to play," Payten said. 

Rabbitohs v Knights at Accor Stadium

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Full-time: South Sydney have held off a fast-finishing Knights side to claim a thrilling two-point victory at Accor Stadium. The win caps a special celebration for Jai Arrow's 31st birthday, the Rabbitohs honouring the former forward after his devastating MND diagnosis. South Sydney led 26-6 with 15 minutes to play, before Newcastle scored three tries in seven minutes to set up a grandstand finish, but ultimately the Rabbitohs held on to secure two competition points. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 24.

80th minute: Newcastle created the space, Dom Young had a path to the try line but the last pass from Kalyn Ponga did not go to hand. Just 15 metres separated Young from the try line, but Ponga's pass was not on the mark and sailed into touch. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 24. 

79th minute: More late drama with Kalyn Ponga tackled without the ball and the Rabbitohs penalised. South Sydney have lodged a Captain's Challenge, however, arguing an obstruction in the lead up. The Bunker dismisses the challenge, with Newcastle handed a penalty and a chance to go on the attack. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 24. 

77th minute: South Sydney have lodged a Captain's Challenge after Matt Dufty was ruled to have dropped a Kalyn Ponga bomb. Multiple players went up for the ball, with the Bunker ruling Tyson Frizell touched it before Dufty dropped it. It's a successful challenge and the Rabbitohs catch a break. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 24.

76th minute: Here we go. Sandon Smith has sliced straight through the Rabbitohs defensive line, throwing a dummy and breaking free before linking up with Harrison Graham for the try. Suddenly the margin is two with a tick under five minutes remaining. It will be Newcastle's biggest comeback if they can pull it off. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 24.

71st minute: Don't go anywhere, the Knights are storming home. Kalyn Ponga put a grubber through, Matt Dufty got a terrible bounce, Dylan Lucas scooped it up. Ponga was there in support to score under the posts. Newcastle have two tries in two minutes and the margin is down to eight. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 18.

69th minute: The Knights have hit back, Kalyn Ponga getting to Tallis Duncan's outside and slicing through. The fullback has caused problems for Duncan multiple times this afternoon and this time it's led to points. Ponga kicks the conversion and the margin is 14 with 11 minutes remaining. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 12.

66th minute: After absorbing plenty of defensive pressure, the Rabbitohs have come up with a crucial attacking play. Tallis Duncan got the ball at midfield, stepped past Dane Gagai and Dylan Brown and surged into the backfield. The centre linked up with Jye Gray, who scored the try. Rabbitohs 26 - Knights 6.

59th minute: If Newcastle end up coming back in this game, the last few minutes could be viewed as the turning point. The Rabbitohs had every chance to kick clear but they couldn't find a way through the Knights defence and Justin Holbrook's men are still alive. Meanwhile, lots of concern being shown for Jayden Sullivan, who has come off second best attempting to tackle Dylan Brown. The Rabbitohs five-eighth has already had one HIA today and will not return to this game as he leaves the field for a second HIA. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights.

56th minute: South Sydney have turned defence into attack. A Sandon Smith bomb was caught in the in-goal, handing the Rabbitohs a seven-tackle set. Jye Gray took it quickly and set off downfield before the hosts peppered the goal-line. Newcastle have defended multiple sets but the pressure continues with Jayden Sullivan forcing a line dropout. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights 6.

48th minute: Newcastle continue to attack and Dom Young has crossed the line but the flick pass from Kalyn Ponga travelled forward. Ponga got to the outside of his opposite man, drew the winger and offloaded in the tackle, only for the ball to travel forward. Meanwhile, Greg Marzhew is unlikely to return with a corked glute. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights 6.

45th minute: We're off to the Bunker with Lachlan Crouch charging on to the ball and racing to the goal-line. The forward is held up by the Rabbitohs, but was collected high by Matt Dufty. It's a Newcastle penalty and a fresh set on the attack. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights 6.

45th minute: We've got a Captain's Challenge from the Knights after a knock on was called on the field. The ball arrives to Lachlan Crouch as the defender does, with the Bunker ruling he secured possession of the ball. Newcastle's attacking opportunity continues.

In injury news, Jayden Sullivan has passed his HIA, while Dayne Jennings has had a cut to his knee patched up but the Rabbitohs are unlikely to risk putting him back out there. Euan Aitken will also sit out the second half after reporting shortness of breath at half-time. Preliminary tests suggest there is nothing serious going on. Newcastle have also lost Greg Marzhew, who has been replaced by Fletcher Hunt. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights 6.

Kick-off: We are back for the second half with Newcastle desperate to strike first and close the gap. We've seen all year the Knights have plenty of points in them and look to Kalyn Ponga to kick-start their attack in the second half. South Sydney were lethal down their right edge in the opening 40 minutes and Ashton Ward will look to continue pulling to the strings as the Rabbitohs look to celebrate Jai Arrow's birthday with a win. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights 6.

Half-time: South Sydney have put a punctuation mark on an impressive 40 minutes of football, Tallis Duncan bursting on to a perfect Matt Dufty pass to charge through a large gap and score the try in the final play of the half. Newcastle had done all the work to get back into the contest but a couple of late errors undid all the good work and the Rabbitohs happily capitalised. Rabbitohs 20 - Knights 6. 

34th minute: Newcastle have finally broken through, with Dom Young making the most of the mismatch opposite Jye Gray. The Rabbitoh chopped Young down, but it wasn't enough to stop him reaching out and grounding the ball. Remarkably, it's Young's first try since Magic Round. Meanwhile, South Sydney have been dealt another blow, Jayden Sullivan leaving the field for an HIA. Rabbitohs 14 - Knights 6.

29th minute: South Sydney have their third try down their right edge, David Fifita cannoning through. The punishing back-rower stepped past Knights centre Fletcher Sharpe in what was always going to be a mismatch. Rabbitohs 14 - Knights 0. 

26th minute: Good news on the injury front for both teams with Trey Mooney passing his HIA and returning to the field. The Rabbitohs also expect Dayne Jennings to return with the winger suffering a cut to his knee. Once it's patched back up, he will likely return to the action. Meanwhile, South Sydney have another chance to extend their lead after a bomb bounced off Dom Young's head and into touch. Rabbitohs 10 - Knights 0.

18th minute: South Sydney have brought their attacking A-game today, with halfback Ashton Ward continuing to dissect the Knights' left edge. After going wide earlier, this time Ward has passed back inside to Junior Tatola. There was no stopping the rampaging prop, who slammed the ball down to extend his side's lead. Rabbitohs 10 - Knights 0. 

17th minute: More drama with players from both sides down injured. Rabbitohs youngster Dayne Jennings has limped from the field with an apparent knee injury and has been replaced by Jye Gray, who lines up on the winger opposite Dom Young. Greg Marzhew is also receiving treatment after copping an accidental knee to the back. The Knight had just spilled the ball, handing South Sydney an attacking opportunity. Rabbitohs 4 - Knights 0.

14th minute: Newcastle have had another try-scoring opportunity come unstuck, with Dom Young placing a foot on the sideline as he raced down the right flank. The winger got to the outside of Dayne Jennings and looked to have done enough to set up the men inside him, but the touch judge correctly raised his flag when Young's boot hit the chalk. Rabbitohs 4 - Knights 0.

11th minute: The brief pause was not enough to halt South Sydney's momentum, the hosts executing a well-worked right-side shift to allow Campbell Graham to score in the corner. Ashton Ward did the work inside and Matt Dufty threw the cut out pass to Graham, who is making his return from a calf injury. Rabbitohs 4 - Knights 0. 

10th minute: South Sydney are rolling down the field and have all the momentum but the game has been temporarily paused after Trey Mooney came off second best when tackling Junior Tatola. The Knights prop will leave the field for an HIA, with Tyson Frizell entering the fray. Rabbitohs 0 - Knights 0.

9th minute: They were denied a few minutes ago and Newcastle have been denied a second time. Kalyn Ponga looked to have scored the try but Dane Gagai made contact with Jayden Sullivan and it's another penalty for obstruction. Rabbitohs 0 - Knights 0. 

5th minute: Newcastle look to have the opening points of the match, veteran Dane Gagai turning back the clock to slice through from inside his own half. The centre linked up with Fletcher Sharpe before Sandon Smith finished it off. Replays, however, show why Gagai was able to break through so easily, with Trey Mooney obstructing a defender. It's a Rabbitohs penalty back on the halfway line and they will have a chance to strike. Rabbitohs 0 - Knights 0.

Kick-off: The World's Biggest Birthday Party is underway, with the Rabbitohs kicking off to get the party started. South Sydney are desperate to honour Jai Arrow with a victory, while Newcastle have their sights on solidifying their place in the top four. Cam Murray and Kalyn Ponga are backing up following Wednesday's Origin decider but Bradman Best will miss the clash. Rabbitohs 0 - Knights 0.

Stat Attack

• The Rabbitohs have scored at least 30 points in five consecutive wins at Accor Stadium.
• The Knights have won their last four games against the Rabbitohs.
• Knights winger Greg Marzhew has scored seven tries in his last five games against the Rabbitohs.
• The Rabbitohs have lost five of their last six games against top eight opposition.

Late Mail

Rabbitohs: South Sydney will line up 1-19, with NSW forward Cam Murray to back up as the Rabbitohs celebrate Jai Arrow's 31st birthday with the World's Biggest Birthday Party. Campbell Graham will make his return from a calf injury, while Jayden Sullivan replaces the suspended Cody Walker in the halves.

Knights: A couple of late changes for Newcastle, with NSW centre Bradman Best and back-rower Jermaine McEwen dropping out of the side. Fletcher Sharpe moves from five-eighth to centre, with Sandon Smith coming into the halves. McEwen has been ruled out due to hamstring tightness and will be replaced by Thomas Cant in the back-row. Newcastle will field just five players on the interchange.  Fullback Kalyn Ponga got through Wednesday's decider unscathed and will take his place in the Knights team on Sunday afternoon. Trey Mooney will return from a calf injury and replaces injured prop Jacob Saifiti.