South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights - live scores, commentary and highlights

Michael Di Lonardo

•
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Newcastle Knights - live scores, commentary and highlights image

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS - LIVE BLOG

80th minute: FULL-TIME! The siren has sounded and the Knights have one six straight. It was a dire night for the Rabbitohs who were clearly missing their halves. Knights win 20-12.

78th minute: Tom Burgess is pinged for a blatant trip. It has been a night to forget for the Burgess boys.

77th minute: John Sutton throws a forward pass to Liam Knight and that should be game. Knights lead 20-12.

76th minute: In a wild turn of events, the Rabbitohs win a scrum off the drop-out after finding touch.

76th minute: Sam Burgess has caught the kick-off but ran dead. Ouch.

75th minute: TRY! Sam Burgess breaks through the line with a rampaging run and there is a glimmer of hope. Knights lead 20-12.

73rd minute: The Knights have defended set after set but the Bunnies can't get through. They get another crack after Adam Doueihi forces a drop-out.

71st minute: James Roberts makes a half break but kicks it out on the full.

70th minute: They might be up by 14 points, but the referee's have been well against the Knights tonight. Corey Allan is dragged into touch but they say he was held. Shocking call.

69th minute: Another costly error from James Gavet end's Newcastle's charge.

68th minute: A one-on-one strip from Mitch Barnett spoils the party for South Sydney. Newcastle work it down the field and Kurt Mann forces a drop-out. End-to-end stuff.

66th minute: A loose kick from Corey Allan somehow forces a drop-out and the Knights will have to hold out their line again.

63rd minute: What a try-saver from Jesse Ramien. he works hard to put Campbell Graham into touch inches from the try-line. Knights lead 20-6.

62nd minute: Damien Cook forces a drop-out and there's a sniff for the ladder leaders here.

61st minute: Herman Ese'ese drops it again into contact and it hurts his side's momentum.

59th minute: Lovely grubber from Mason Lino forces a drop out. It's one-way traffic.

56th minute: If you want another look at that punch-up from the first half, here is the video:

55th minute: Knights are giving a penalty in front and they wisely take the two. Knights lead 20-6.

53rd minute: And there's a knock-on from Tom Burgess and Daniel Saifiti is pumped, giving it to his opposite number.

52nd minute: Pearce tries a cut-out ball to Lachlan Fitzgibbon but in the wet conditions it is coughed up. Rabbitohs survived.

52nd minute: Liam Knight tries to offload but he fumbles it and the Knights go on the attack again.

51st minute: South Sydney's defence is sturdy and Corey Allan does well to defuse a Mitchell Pearce grubber. Knights lead 18-6.

50th minute: The sin-binned players are on the field and it is 13 on 13 again.

49th minute: The Knights defence holds on with 11 men and they get a penalty working their way out of trouble. The sin-binned players are getting ready to come back on.

46th minute: Straight off the kickoff Dane Gagai puts on a huge hit on Herman Ese'ese and he turns the ball over.

45th minute: TRY! Knights opt against taking the two and Connor Watson burrows over under the sticks. Knights lead 18-6.

41st minute: We're back underway and it's 11 on 11.

40th minute: After all that chaos, Dane Gagai takes the shot at goal and Knights go into half-time with a 12-6 lead.

39th minute: IT HAS EXPLODED! Punches were flying and tensions were at boiling point. Tom Burgess headbutted Daniel Saifiti and he responded with a punch. A push-and-shove broke out and it was wild. Four players have been sent to the sin bin, Tom and Sam Burgess for South Sydney, and Saifiti and Lachlan Fitzgibbon for Newcastle. Somehow South Sydney got the penalty. Incompetent refereeing. They take the shot at two. Wow.

38th minute: Newcastle just can't get out of their own end. A questionable call as Daniel Saifiti is deemed to have knocked it on. Souths have one last shot.

37th minute: Sam Burgess comes ever so close, reaching out inches away from the try-line but dropped it before he could score. Huge defence from the Knights.

35th minute: John Sutton skilfully forces a drop out and Souths have a chance to respond before half-time.

32nd minute: We thought Sam Burgess' kicking licence was revoked, but he put a crossfield kick in for Campbell Graham who drops it. Strange play.

30th minute: SKD defuses the bomb as they work it out from their own line Hymel Hunt juggles it and gives the Bunnies another crack.

29th minute: A penalty gets South Sydney out of trouble and they start the set just short of halfway.

28th minute: Newcastle are full of confidence and it is being led by Pearce once again. The skipper finds the touchline 15 metres from South Sydney's line.

25th minute: TRY! Mason Lino sends Mitch Barnett through a gaping hole and the Knights are rewarded for their pressure. Shocking defence from Dane Gagai, shooting up on Jesse Ramien. Knights lead 12-4.

24th minute: Pearce forces a goal-line drop out and all the pressure is on the home side.

22nd minute: Damien Cook puts in a desperate kick from 30 metres out and it goes dead. Newcastle get a 20 metre tap and automatically South Sydney give away a penalty for offside.

19th minute: Connor Watson has pulled off a one-on-one strip. Moments later, Newcastle get a penalty in front of the sticks and they take the two. Knights lead 8-4.

17th minute: James Gavet needs to clean up his discipline, giving away two penalties already. He had a fiery push-and-shove with Dane Gagai and the referee's saw him as the perpertrator.

15th minute: It's slippery out there and Connor Tracey has now coughed it up. It seems like one of those nights where the ball will be hard to hold onto.

14th minute: George Burgess absolutely crunches Kurt Mann and forces a knock-on in Knights territory. Cracking hit.

12th minute: Newcastle make good metres again but their hard work is undone in the next set as they give away a cheap offside penalty.

9th minute: TRY! Brilliant play from Adam Doueihi as he catches Kurt Mann out of position with a nifty chip. James Roberts beats Edrick Lee to the ball and scores in his first game for the cardinal and myrtle this season. Gagai misses an easy kick. Knights lead 6-4.

7th minute: Out of nothing, South Sydney manage to force a repeat set as Mitchell Pearce is dragged back by the Burgess brothers.

6th minute: Newcastle are making good metres and found themselves in attacking territory again. Mitchell Pearce sends up a bomb but it is dropped by SKD. Souths have the play-the-ball 10 metres out from their own line.

4th minute: TRY! It all looked too easy for Newcastle as Kurt Mann sends Hymel Hunt over with a spread to the left. Poor defence from James Roberts. Mason Lino steps up for the goal-kicking and nails it. Knights lead 6-0.

2nd minute: Mitchell Pearce kicks early to a chasing SKD, but it is grounded by Campbell Graham.

1st minute: A minute in and we have an error. The Knights send a kick down and the defence steps up, dragging Campbell Graham and forcing a fumble. They have a scrum 10 metres out from South Sydney's line.

6.01pm: KICK-OFF! We're underway in slippery conditions at ANZ Stadium for the battle of the wounded.

5.40pm: The team lists have been confirmed. Cody Walker, Adam Reynolds are notable absentees for South Sydney, while Kalyn Ponga and David Klemmer sit out for the away side. Billy Brittain has been added to the bench, suggesting Damien Cook won't play 80 minutes.

4.01pm: It has been confirmed David Klemmer will miss four to six weeks with a fractured wrist.

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS - PREVIEW

With less than a 48-hour turnaround between State of Origin and the Friday 6pm clash, star power is lacking for both sides. Perhaps Newcastle are feeling the burn the most with fullback Kalyn Ponga, who set up two tries in the series opener, being rested, while marquee prop David Klemmer's injury news came as a shock when scans revealed he had played on with a fracture wrist. Thankfully for Wayne Bennett, three of his four Origin stars - Damien Cook, Dane Gagai and Cameron Murray - have all put their hand up to back-up, but a few bumps and bruises have kept Cody Walker on ice. The next few weeks will be South Sydney's biggest challenge on their premiership quest throughout Origin, combined with news halfback Adam Reynolds will miss three to five weeks with a back fracture and second-rower Sam Burgess is booked in for shoulder surgery with a similar recovery time. So, round 13 kicks off with the battle of the wounded in what would otherwise be a must-watch top four clash if circumstances were different. With both spines depleted, Newcastle may hold the key to this game through form halfback Mitchell Pearce who is looking to continue his incredible five-game man of the match streak. But Klemmer's absence gives the ladder leaders the advantage in the middle if Cook and Murray's bodies hold up. History also favours the South Sydney, winning their last nine games against the Novocastrians.

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS - TEAM LIST

 1. Corey Allan 2. Mawene Hiroti 3. James Roberts 4. Dane Gagai 5. Campbell Graham 19. Connor Tracey 20. Adam Doueihi 8. George Burgess 9. Damien Cook 10. Thomas Burgess 11. John Sutton 12. Sam Burgess 13. Cameron Murray 14. Junior Tatola 15. Ethan Lowe 16. Liam Knight 22 Billy Brittain 

Players cut: 6. Cody Walker, 7. Adam Reynolds 18. Bayley Sironen 21. Dean Britt 

Rabbitohs team news: Adam Reynolds is a shock late withdrawal with a back fracture and is expected to miss three to six weeks. After picking up a couple of bumps and bruises, Cody Walker is the only Origin player from South Sydney who will sit out for Friday's clash. Damien Cook, Dane Gagai and Cameron Murray have all been confirmed to start. Billy Brittain joins the bench, suggesting Cook won;t play 80 minutes. Prized mid-season recruit James Roberts will make his first appearance in cardinal and myrtle since 2012 after leaving Brisbane. Sam Burgess is booked for shoulder surgery after the game and will spend five weeks in recovery, hopeful of missing just two games in that period.

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS - TEAM LIST

6. Kurt Mann, 2. Edrick Lee, 3. Hymel Hunt, 4. Jesse Ramien, 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall, 21. Mason Lino, 7. Mitchell Pearce, 16. James Gavet, 9. Connor Watson, 10. Daniel Saifiti, 11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 12. Mitch Barnett, 13. Tim Glasby. Interchange: 14. Jamie Buhrer, 15. Herman Ese'ese, 19. Pasami Saulo, 17. Sione Mata'utia

Players cut: 1. Kalyn Ponga, 18. Josh King, 22 Jacob Saifiti 23. Tautau Moga

Newcastle team news: David Klemmer has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a fractured wrist with his Origin hopes all but dashed. Pasami Saulo joins the bench. Kalyn Ponga has been given the week off after a sizzling Origin performance, shifting Kurt Mann to fullback and Mason Lino to five-eighth. Connor Watson will play hooker after starring in the position when Danny Levi left the field against the Roosters a fortnight ago. Jamie Buhrer takes the utility position on the bench.

Michael Di Lonardo

Michael Di Lonardo Photo