The Newcastle Knights lead the Manly Sea Eagles 28-22 at Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee.
The Sea Eagles scored five tries to Haumole Olakau’atu, Christian Tuipulotu, Brad Parker, Kelma Tuilagi, and Kaeo Weekes, while the Knights answered with five tries to Greg Marzhew, Jack Johns and a hat-trick to Dominic Young.
MATCH CENTRE: Sea Eagles vs Knights teams, live scores, stats, video
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67TH MINUTE
Young gun Kaeo Weekes barged over from close range to lock up the scores at 28-28 with 12 minutes to play.
59TH MINUTE
Trbojevic assisted Kelma Tuilagi for Manly’s fourth try to set up a huge finish.
56TH MINUTE
Young brought up his hat-trick after a brilliant long-range effort that started and finished with the Emglish winger.
33RD MINUTE
Young crossed for his double and the seventh try of the first half to give the Knights a slender lead.
28TH MINUTE
Brad Parker barged through and over to lock up the scores at 16 a piece.
24TH MINUTE
Recalled Knights winger Dominic Young dived over in the corner to give the Knights their first lead of the afternoon.
19TH MINUTE
Jack Johns was the next to cross, flying onto a Daniel Saifiti short ball to score under the posts against his brother Cooper.
Fitzgibbon then left the field for a high tackle that was deemed to have force to the head, while Olakau’atu returned.
12TH MINUTE
Haumole Olakau’atu was sent to the sin bin for a professional foul on Leo Thompson, pulling him back while attempting to chase down a grubber.
Moments later Greg Marzhew scored in the left corner, targeting the vacant hole to score their first points.
9TH MINUTE
Christian Tuipulotu dived over to extend the Manly lead as the Sea Eagles threatened to run away with it, before the Knights mounted an unlikely comeback.
3RD MINUTE
Manly boom backrower Haumole Olakau’atu has scored a stunning try, breaking through the Knights line from halfway.
In bizarre scenes, Newcastle fullback Lachie Miller clearly got his positioning wrong allowing the gun forward to ground the ball as he watched on confused.
Fox League’s Michael Ennis explained it looked like Miller thought the tryline was in the fact behind him.
“He just stood there and waited and he can’t believe his luck, incredible stuff there from Miller,” Fox League’s Michael Ennis said.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that, he just has to have thought the dead ball line was the tryline.”
Moments later winger Christian Tuipulotu scored in the right corner to extend his side’s lead
MATCH PREVIEW
The Sea Eagles are looking to get back into the winner’s circle, but will have to do so without star five-eighth Josh Schuster when they take on the Knights in Mudgee.
Schuster has been ruled out due to a minor quad injury, forcing coach Anthony Seibold to call on the very capable Cooper Johns, who filled in for Schuster in Round 1.
That’s not the only change for Manly, with speedy centre Tolu Koula sidelined with a knee injury. Morgan Harper joins the 17 in what will be he first NRL game of the season.
There is some good news though with workhorse hooker Lachlan Croker returning from a shoulder injury.
The Knights have had some big changes too with Kurt Mann out due to a concussion and Jack Johns coming in to replace him.
Hymel Hunt is also out through injury, which has opened the door for Dominic Young to return to first grade after a week in New South Wales Cup.
Manly are coming off their first loss of the season, while Newcastle bagged their second win of the season last week.
TEAMS
Sea Eagles team:1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Christian Tuipulotu 3. Brad Parker 4. Morgan Harper 5. Reuben Garrick 19. Cooper Johns 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Jake Trbojevic 11. Haumole Olakau’atu 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. Josh Aloiai 14. Kaeo Weekes 15. Ben Trbojevic 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Sean Keppie 21. Karl Lawton
Knights team: 1. Lachlan Miller 5. Greg Marzhew 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 20. Dominic Young 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Jack Johns 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Jack Hetherington 16. Mathew Croker 17. Brodie Jones 18. Dylan Lucas
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