NRL PREMIERSHIP -ROUND NINETEEN
By CALLUM WALKER and TOM SMITH
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS .......................14
MELBOURNE STORM ..........................32
McDonald Jones Stadium, Saturday
IT was a classic game of two halves as Melbourne simply blew Newcastle away in the second 40 minutes to retain top spot -if only overnight.
Credit to the Knights, they took the game to Craig Bellamy’s men in the opening exchanges, with Dom Young’s first-half double sending the hosts into an 8-6 half-time lead, with the ever-impressive Eliesa Katoa responding for the Storm just before the break.
But, it was all one-way traffic when referee Todd Smith resumed proceedings, with Trent Loiero and Kane Bradley both dotting down within eight minutes of the resumption.
To compound matters for Newcastle, Loiero grabbed a second as the hour approached before Bradley -not to be outdone -registered his own double three minutes later.
The Knights, shellshocked by the Storm onslaught that had met them in the second half, did manage to cross once more before the final whistle as Fletcher Hunt notched a deserved four-pointer with the Storm looking slightly shaky.
But, the night belonged to Melbourne and it was perhaps fitting that man-of-the-match Katoa was the last name on the scoresheet four minutes from time.
KNIGHTS: 1 Fletcher Hunt, 2 Dom Young, 3 Dane Gagai, 4 Bradman Best, 5 Greg Marzhew, 6 Jackson Hastings, 7 Jack Cogger, 8 Jacob Saifiti, 9 Phoenix Crossland, 10 Leo Thompson, 11 Dylan Lucas, 12 Kai Pearce-Paul, 13 Tyson Frizell. Subs (all used): 14 Jayden Brailey, 15 Mat Croker, 16 Jermaine McEwen, 17 Brodie Jones Tries: Young (12, 28), Hunt (71); Goals: Hastings 1/3 STORM: 4 Nick Meaney, 2 Grant Anderson, 3 Joe Chan, 18 Jack Howarth, 22 Kane Bradley, 6 Tyran Wishart, 7 Jahrome Hughes, 8 Tui Kamikamica, 21 Harry Grant, 10 Josh King, 11 Shawn Blore, 12 Eliesa Katoa, 15 Stefano Utoikamanu. Subs (all used): 13 Nelson Asofa-Solmona, 14 Jonah Pezet, 17 Ativalu Lisati, 19 Trent Loiero Tries: Katoa (39, 76), Loiero (44, 59), Bradley (48, 62); Goals: Meaney 3/6, Pezet 1/1