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Craig HillNRL Week 2 Semi-Final Review
September 17th 2006 21:12
NRL Semi-Finals Week 2 Match Reports and Scores
St George-Illawarra VS Manly Sea-Eagles
In a dangerous warning to their premiership rivals, the St George-Illawarra Dragons flexed their title credentials at Aussie Stadium last Friday night, running out convincing winners 28-0.
The promise of a rugged, tightly contested war of attrition never eventuated, as the Dragons took control of the game early in the first half, and cruised to a five try to nil win over a Manly team seemingly suffering stage fright.
It took the Dragons twenty minutes to gain the ascendency, with a Ben Creagh bust on halfway putting the Dragons in good field position. From the ensuing play the ball, rookie Dragons winger Brett Morris accepted a brilliant flick pass from Clint Greenshields to score near the posts. The conversion from hooker Aaron Gorrell made it 6-0 after 21 minutes.
St George-Illawarra went further in front in th e27th minute when Manly veteran Steve Menzies was ruled to be offside after full back Brett Stewart spilt a bomb. Gorrell slotted another goal to make it 8-0.
The first of a handful of controversial decisions against the Dragons happened in the 31st minute, as five-eight Trent Barrett seemed to have booted a huge 40/20 kick. Referee Paul Simpkins forwarded the decision upstairs as Barrett’s kick passed bounced over the sideline dangerously close to the corner post. After a handful of replays, video referees Tim Mander and Chris Ward ruled the ball had indeed brushed the corner post, and instead of the Dragons being on the attack, Manly received a free restart on the 20metre mark.
A dropped ball from Manly three tackles after the tap restart resulted in the Dragons peppering the Sea-Eagles try line with wave after wave of attack. The Dragons crossed the try line in the 34th minute, and once again the Dragons were on the rough end of the decision, with a No Try ruling being decided by the video referee, after Manly half Matt Orford was deemed to have been interfered with by a Dragons chaser. The Dragons held on to their 8-0 lead at the half time break.
Nothing changed for the Sea-Eagles in the second half, with a penalty in the opening set of six putting the Dragons right back on the attack. St George-Illawarra utility back crossed for a try, to extend the lead to 12-0 after 41 minutes.
The game turned into a bit of an arm wrestle for the next twenty minutes, as Manly tried desperately to hold onto their season. There attacking raids were thwarted by terrific Dragons defence, which is definitely pleasing for Coach Nathan Brown.
Brett Morris produced another magical pass to set up rookie centre Daryl Millard for a try in the 64th minute, after a great break from Clint Greenshields. Matthew Head missed his second goal kick of the night, and St George-Illawarra led 16-0 with fifteen minutes to play.
A try to Matt Cooper sealed the win for the Dragons just three minutes later, after a skilful grubber kick by Dragons second rower Ashton Sims. Wes Naiqama’s conversion from the sideline put St George-Illawarra up 22-0 and well on their way to a showdown with the Melbourne Storm this Saturday night.
Brett Morris capped off a big night when he crossed for his second try with three minutes left on the clock. Morris did it all himself as he fielded a drop out kick on the halfway line, and continued on a fifty metre weaving run, beating defenders with both pure pace and magical footwork on his way to the try line. The Gorrell conversion made it 28-0.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 28 (Morris 2, Hornby, Millard, Cooper tries; Gorrell 3, Naiqama goals)
defeated
Manly Sea-Eagles 0
at Aussie Stadium
Brisbane Broncos VS Newcastle Knights
Brisbane and Newcastle competed for a right to play the Bulldogs on Saturday night at Aussie Stadium, with the rampant Broncos firing a warning to the Belmore based club, running out 50-6 over a humiliated Knights outfit.
In what was a mistake riddled first half by the Newcastle team, the Broncos controlled field position and capitalised on their opponents mistakes, racing to a 24-0 lead at halftime.
Newcastle started the match full of running, and dominated the Broncos for the opening ten minutes. But a mistake by Knights forward Kirk Reynoldsen gifted the Brisbane team their first try, with David Stagg scoring in the corner after some scintillating sideline to sideline Bronco ball movement. A magnificent sideline conversion by makeshift goal kicker Darren Lockyer provided the 6-0 lead.
Another mistake by Reynoldson deep inside Knights territory presented the Brisbane team with their second try through Brent Tate. The Corey Parker conversion made it 12-0 after 19 minutes.
Further tries to Justin Hodges and Karmichael Hunt gave the Brisbane team an unassailable 24-0 lead at half time, and things went from bad to worse after the break for the Knights.
A 43rd minute penalty goal to Corey Parker and a 47th minute converted try to Dane Carlaw secured the result for the Broncos, with Newcastle’s demeanour justifiably shot.
Three converted tries in the space of six minutes brought up the half century for the Broncos, with the northerners turning on some breath taking attacking rugby league. Petero Civoniceva’ try in the 54th minute, was followed up by a scintillating Brisbane backline movement two minutes later. Darren Lockyer finished the movement with a try under the posts, after he himself handled twice in the lead up. Rookie winger Darius Boyd crossed three minutes later after yet another exquisite Broncos attacking raid, with Corey Parker kicking his seventh goal of the night to bring up the 50 for Brisbane.
Newcastle fullback Kurt Gidley never gave up trying all night, and was rewarded in the 77th minute with a try off an Andrew Johns flick pass. The Johns conversion finished the scoring for both teams for the night, and the Brisbane side will go into Friday nights clash with Canterbury brimming with confidence after their 44 point thrashing.
Brisbane 50 (Stagg, Tate, Hodges, Hunt, Carlaw, Civoniceva, Lockyer and Boyd tries; Parker 7, Lockyer goal)
defeated
Newcastle Knights 6 (Kurt Gidley try; Johns goal)
at Aussie Stadium
Week 3 NRL Semi-Final Schedule
Friday Night –
Canterbury Bulldogs VS Brisbane Broncos at Telstra Stadium
Saturday Night –
Melbourne Storm VS St George-Illawarra Dragons at Telstra Stadium
Cheers,
StephenP
St George-Illawarra VS Manly Sea-Eagles
In a dangerous warning to their premiership rivals, the St George-Illawarra Dragons flexed their title credentials at Aussie Stadium last Friday night, running out convincing winners 28-0.
The promise of a rugged, tightly contested war of attrition never eventuated, as the Dragons took control of the game early in the first half, and cruised to a five try to nil win over a Manly team seemingly suffering stage fright.
It took the Dragons twenty minutes to gain the ascendency, with a Ben Creagh bust on halfway putting the Dragons in good field position. From the ensuing play the ball, rookie Dragons winger Brett Morris accepted a brilliant flick pass from Clint Greenshields to score near the posts. The conversion from hooker Aaron Gorrell made it 6-0 after 21 minutes.
St George-Illawarra went further in front in th e27th minute when Manly veteran Steve Menzies was ruled to be offside after full back Brett Stewart spilt a bomb. Gorrell slotted another goal to make it 8-0.
The first of a handful of controversial decisions against the Dragons happened in the 31st minute, as five-eight Trent Barrett seemed to have booted a huge 40/20 kick. Referee Paul Simpkins forwarded the decision upstairs as Barrett’s kick passed bounced over the sideline dangerously close to the corner post. After a handful of replays, video referees Tim Mander and Chris Ward ruled the ball had indeed brushed the corner post, and instead of the Dragons being on the attack, Manly received a free restart on the 20metre mark.
A dropped ball from Manly three tackles after the tap restart resulted in the Dragons peppering the Sea-Eagles try line with wave after wave of attack. The Dragons crossed the try line in the 34th minute, and once again the Dragons were on the rough end of the decision, with a No Try ruling being decided by the video referee, after Manly half Matt Orford was deemed to have been interfered with by a Dragons chaser. The Dragons held on to their 8-0 lead at the half time break.
Nothing changed for the Sea-Eagles in the second half, with a penalty in the opening set of six putting the Dragons right back on the attack. St George-Illawarra utility back crossed for a try, to extend the lead to 12-0 after 41 minutes.
The game turned into a bit of an arm wrestle for the next twenty minutes, as Manly tried desperately to hold onto their season. There attacking raids were thwarted by terrific Dragons defence, which is definitely pleasing for Coach Nathan Brown.
Brett Morris produced another magical pass to set up rookie centre Daryl Millard for a try in the 64th minute, after a great break from Clint Greenshields. Matthew Head missed his second goal kick of the night, and St George-Illawarra led 16-0 with fifteen minutes to play.
A try to Matt Cooper sealed the win for the Dragons just three minutes later, after a skilful grubber kick by Dragons second rower Ashton Sims. Wes Naiqama’s conversion from the sideline put St George-Illawarra up 22-0 and well on their way to a showdown with the Melbourne Storm this Saturday night.
Brett Morris capped off a big night when he crossed for his second try with three minutes left on the clock. Morris did it all himself as he fielded a drop out kick on the halfway line, and continued on a fifty metre weaving run, beating defenders with both pure pace and magical footwork on his way to the try line. The Gorrell conversion made it 28-0.
St George-Illawarra Dragons 28 (Morris 2, Hornby, Millard, Cooper tries; Gorrell 3, Naiqama goals)
defeated
Manly Sea-Eagles 0
at Aussie Stadium
Brisbane Broncos VS Newcastle Knights
Brisbane and Newcastle competed for a right to play the Bulldogs on Saturday night at Aussie Stadium, with the rampant Broncos firing a warning to the Belmore based club, running out 50-6 over a humiliated Knights outfit.
In what was a mistake riddled first half by the Newcastle team, the Broncos controlled field position and capitalised on their opponents mistakes, racing to a 24-0 lead at halftime.
Newcastle started the match full of running, and dominated the Broncos for the opening ten minutes. But a mistake by Knights forward Kirk Reynoldsen gifted the Brisbane team their first try, with David Stagg scoring in the corner after some scintillating sideline to sideline Bronco ball movement. A magnificent sideline conversion by makeshift goal kicker Darren Lockyer provided the 6-0 lead.
Another mistake by Reynoldson deep inside Knights territory presented the Brisbane team with their second try through Brent Tate. The Corey Parker conversion made it 12-0 after 19 minutes.
Further tries to Justin Hodges and Karmichael Hunt gave the Brisbane team an unassailable 24-0 lead at half time, and things went from bad to worse after the break for the Knights.
A 43rd minute penalty goal to Corey Parker and a 47th minute converted try to Dane Carlaw secured the result for the Broncos, with Newcastle’s demeanour justifiably shot.
Three converted tries in the space of six minutes brought up the half century for the Broncos, with the northerners turning on some breath taking attacking rugby league. Petero Civoniceva’ try in the 54th minute, was followed up by a scintillating Brisbane backline movement two minutes later. Darren Lockyer finished the movement with a try under the posts, after he himself handled twice in the lead up. Rookie winger Darius Boyd crossed three minutes later after yet another exquisite Broncos attacking raid, with Corey Parker kicking his seventh goal of the night to bring up the 50 for Brisbane.
Newcastle fullback Kurt Gidley never gave up trying all night, and was rewarded in the 77th minute with a try off an Andrew Johns flick pass. The Johns conversion finished the scoring for both teams for the night, and the Brisbane side will go into Friday nights clash with Canterbury brimming with confidence after their 44 point thrashing.
Brisbane 50 (Stagg, Tate, Hodges, Hunt, Carlaw, Civoniceva, Lockyer and Boyd tries; Parker 7, Lockyer goal)
defeated
Newcastle Knights 6 (Kurt Gidley try; Johns goal)
at Aussie Stadium
Week 3 NRL Semi-Final Schedule
Friday Night –
Canterbury Bulldogs VS Brisbane Broncos at Telstra Stadium
Saturday Night –
Melbourne Storm VS St George-Illawarra Dragons at Telstra Stadium
Cheers,
StephenP
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Comment by MichaelB
Diet Dog
Comment by StephenP
First off, you have tremendous taste if choosing the Eesl as your favourite NRL team (not that I am byassed or anything!), and had we beaten Melbourne, I firmly beleive that we would still be competing this weekend.
I think the Broncos will be lucky to get past the Bulldogs on Friday - three of their past four Broncos wins, have been against understrength opposition, and when faced with a quality defensive unit (eg. Dragons week one of the semis), they tend to struggle and rely on Lockyer too much.
I think the Dragons will do away with the Storm in a tight match, as both sides backlines cancel each other out, but the Dragons have a huge advantage in the forwards. They have an awesome interchange of Ryles, Bailey, Simms and Poore, and I beleive this is where they will win the game. Also the injection of MAtthew Head off the bench is a godsend for Coach Nathan Brown.
So barring injury to key playmakers, I agree with your prdeiction of a Dragons V Bulldogs grand final!
Cheers,
StephenP