StGeorge vs Newcastle Rnd11 2001

Saints On TV
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA
DRAGONS

RUGBY LEAGUE FOOTBALL: TV PICS, RESULTS, REPORTS

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ROUND 11
SATURDAY 28 APRIL 2001 - SYDNEY FOOTBALL STADIUM
KICKOFF: 7.30pm
SAINTS V NEWCASTLE

TV Coverage: LIVE FoxSports, LIVE OPTUS, LIVE NBN (Newcastle & Northern Rivers)

Min 15 Max 23ºC. Chance shower. Southerly breeze.

TABTo win: Saints $2.55, Newc $1.45
Handicap: Saints 5½ start
Referee: Bill Harrigan

PREVIEW & TEAMS
RESULTS
MATCH SUMMARY
FULL MATCH REPORT BY THE CLOCK
SOTV BEST PLAYERS
REF RATING
MATCH & CROWD PICS

SOTV PREVIEW:
SFS, 28 April 2001: Saints take on Newcastle. If the clashes of last year are anything to go on, Saturday's game should be one of the matches of the year.
Saints are still without a 5/8 but Ben Hornby, Jamie Fitzgerald and Amos Roberts are all being short listed for the position which was originally vacated by the suspended Trent Barrett and then by Jason Hooper who had a home accident on Tuesday. Saints are also without the suspended Craig Smith but Wayne Bartrim returns this week as does Colin Ward. Don't be surprised if Barto turns on a top performance. We're also expecting an outstanding effort from the one and only Tingha.
Newcastle have some team troubles as well with Justin Ryder, Darren Albert, Adam MacDougall, Mark Hughes and Robbie O’Davis all in doubt. Saints main danger is without a doubt, Andrew Johns.
It should be a bumper crowd. With the traditional Newcastle convoy expected to make their way down the Pacific Hwy, Saints supporters are urged to get down to the SFS on Saturday night and get set for what will be classic encounter!
NB: As part of a special promotion, anyone under the age of 16 years will get in for free! This applies to all Dragon's home games this year.
Our Tip: Saints by 8

From SOTV News:
26 Apr: SAINTS LOSE HOOPER FOR 8 WEEKS
Thursday, 26 April 2001: Jason Hooper has withdrawn from Saturday's important match against Newcastle following an accident with a power tool in his home on Tuesday night.
This is a massive blow for the Dragons who have had a lousy run of luck in recent times with injuries and suspensions. Hooper, one of Saints' best players this year was set to fill in for 5/8 Trent Barrett who was suspended recently in controversial circumstances.
During a home renovation, Hooper sliced into his fingers with a band saw or something of the like and was rushed to hospital. He had suffered a slightly severed finger and some tendon damage and underwent surgery. He will be out for 8 weeks.

Preliminary Teams named during week:
SAINTS: Amos Roberts, Nathan Blacklock, Mark Gasnier, Lee Hookey, Jamie Ainscough, Jason Hooper*, Willie Peters, Chris Leikvoll, Mark Riddell, Jason Ryles, Darren Treacy, Lance Thompson, Andrew Hart
RES: Craig Stapleton, Jamie Fitzgerald, Ben Hornby, Wayne Bartrim
*Hooper out, Colin Ward in
KNIGHTS: Mark Hughes, Timana Tahu, Matthew Gidley, Adam MacDougall, Justin Ryder, Sean Rudder, Andrew Johns, Glenn Grief, Danny Buderus, Matt Parsons, Steve Simpson, Ben Kennedy, Bill Peden
RES: Paul Marquet, Julian Bailey, Clinton O'Brien, Robbie O'Davis, Darren Albert (one to be omitted)

TEAMS AT KICK OFF

RESULTS:
SAINTS 24 (Ainscough, Ryles, Bartrim, Blacklock tries. Riddell 1/1, Bartrim 3/3 goals)
NEWCASTLE 32 (Grief, Albert, Gidley, Tahu, Peden tries. Johns 3/4, Peden 3/3 goals)

MATCH SUMMARY:
ROUND 11: DRAGONS 24 v KNIGHTS 32 SAINTS 2ND HALF RALLY NOT ENOUGH
ANDREW JOHNS OUT OF STATE OF ORIGIN SFS, 28 April 2001: Prior to kickoff, there was some speculation as to who would fill in for the Dragons at 5/8. The question was finally answered when Ben Hornby was announced as pivot with Jamie Fitzgerald coming off the bench.
Saints were defeated tonight by Newcastle, 32-24 who were led brilliantly by Andrew Johns in the first half. However, Johns came off injured just before half time and reports indicate a torn knee ligament which puts him out for 6-8 weeks and means he will miss out on the upcoming State Of Origin Series.
At half time, Newcastle held an impressive 24-6 lead.
With Johns off the field, Newcastle looked less organised and Saints lifted their game with Wayne Bartrim launching himself into the line. Saints mounted a charge scoring 3 tries and were the better team in the 2nd half. But with 15 minutes to go, the comeback was halted by some solid Knights defence which was probably the turning point of the match. A devastating blow came a few minutes later when Newcastle scored following a fundamental knock on and miss tackle by Amos Roberts close to his own line. Saints certainly had their chances to win this match but in the end were unable to finish off enough plays and were often their own worst enemies. Of particular concern was the constant barrage leveled at Ref Harrigan (who was far from perfect) from some of the younger players. On one occasion, Ryles who was having a tremendous match was penalised for kicking the ball away and cost his team valuable metres. Later, Saints were marched 10 metres for back chat. Discipline is a problem with the team who appear to have fallen into the trap of blaming the ref for their loses. On the upside, we saw an outstanding effort from Mark Gasnier, Nathan Blacklock and Jamie Fitzgerald. Special mention again to try scorer, Wayne Bartrim who really made a game of it. He showed some of the old brilliance and almost turned the match on it's head.

FULL MATCH REPORT:
BY THE CLOCK
2 min: Try Grief. Conversion Johns Newcastle 6-0
7 min: Penalty Newcastle. Goal Johns. Newcastle 8-0
11 min: Try Ainscough after a great run by Blacklock moments earlier. Gasnier steps and sets up Ainscough who crosses and then improves his position. Conversion Riddell. Newcastle 8-6
16 min: Try Albert. Conversion Johns misses. Newcastle 12-6
25 min: Touch Judge Allan Fallow has Riddell put on report for a rising elbow in a late tackle. Riddell copped a smack in the face from Johns as well as a huge shove from Buderus but Riddell did not retaliate. The tackle was late but there was no rising elbow & never should have been put on report. Likely to be exonerated but you never know with the current judiciary.
32 min: Try Gidley. The tall centre just runs over Willie Peters from close range. Half back, Peters clearly competing above his weight out wide. Conversion Johns. Newcastle 18-6
35 min: Andrew Johns leaves field with knee troubles and is later reported as having torn ligaments. The champion Newcastle half is later outed for 8-10 weeks and ruled out the State of Origin Series.
37 min: Try Tahu - put into gap by Kennedy and runs 65 metres to score. Conversion Peden. Newcastle 24-6

HALF TIME

43 min: Extraordinary penalty to Newcastle when Ainscough loses the ball while getting to his feet. The penalty could have gone against Newcastle players hanging on but looked like a scrum should have been the correct ref decision. Penalty goal Peden and the Knights now have a handy 20 point lead. Newcastle 26-6
46 min: Ryder puts foot on touchline, right under the nose of Touch Judge Fallow who must have seen the disturbed turf left on the line by Ryder's studs. This is the same touchie who 'saw' Riddell's elbow from 30 m away in the 25th minute.
50 min: Try Ryles - stretches out close to line and scores next to the posts. Conversion Bartrim. Newcastle 26-12
54 min: More dramas. Ryles falls over while playing the ball and loses possession. Saints' players appeal for interference but the ref rules knock on. Ryles shows his anger, kicking the ball while looking over the ref. This gives Harrigan no choice and he penalises the hot head who played himself right into a hole. Penalties now 7-4 to Newcastle. Moments later, Ryles regains possession through strong defence and lets everyone know about it.
56 min: Saints are on a roll but cannot get over the line due to the Newcastle defence being offside by miles in every play. On the last tackle, the ball is kicked dead and the ref, who was apparently playing advantage, awards a penalty to Saints. We're waiting for a sin binning but it ain't happening.
57 min: Try Bartrim close to the line and it's a comeback! Conversion Bartrim. Newcastle 26-18
61 min: Saints marched 10 metres for back chatting after being penalised. Penalties 9-4 to Newcastle
64 min: Gasnier sees a gap and runs for 80 m before being pulled down just 10m short. Quick play the ball & Knights force error as Saints knock on with the defence in their face. Ref penalises Newcastle for offside. Parsons throws ball away - still no sin binning.
Turning Point. Despite the penalty being given almost in front, Saints choose not to kick for goal despite being down by 8 and with over 15 minutes to go. A repeat set follows for Saints but Newcastle put on a huge defensive effort, often offside but nonetheless impressive and Saints are held out. We feel this was the turning point.
68 min: Try Peden. After failing at the other end of the field, Saints found themselves trying to ruck the ball out from their own danger zone. Amos Roberts made a horrendous error when he drops the ball cold and Peden picks it up. Despite the attention of Roberts, Peden is able to easily shrug of the Dragon's full back to score under the posts. Conversion Peden. Newcastle 32-18
75 min: Try Blacklock who scores his 9th try for 2001 taking him to equal 1st try scorer in the NRL. Conversion Bartrim from out wide. Newcastle 32-24
79 min: In a weird decision and with only 7 seconds remaining on the clock, ref Harrigan sends off Newcastle's Ryder to the sin bin for holding down. Strange considering the ample opportunity that ref must have had for much of the match to sin bin players from both teams. The siren sounds and the Knights have hung on to victory despite being out scored by 18-8 (3 tries to 1) in the 2nd half.

FULL TIME:

SOTV BEST PLAYERS:
Nathan Blacklock (3pts) Made loads of inroads and scored a try after putting in 110% all night.
Wayne Bartrim (2pts) On the front foot from the moment he came on. Almost turned things around
Jamie Fitzgerald (1pt) Some excellent work in defence and was always backing up.
Not far away: Mark Gasnier, Andrew Hart, Jason Ryles, Jamie Ainscough
Team2001 score updates - click here

REF RATING: Bill Harrigan. Saints players gave him a hard time with some justification but as usual, the ref won all the arguments. May have done enough to keep his SOO job.
As for the touch judge, Allan Fallow, a serious question mark must be put over his competency in light of incidents in the 25th & 46th minute. This ex-Wests player is considered one of the form adjudicators of 2000 but will not be given too many chances in 2001 if he continues with these ordinary calls.
Penalties: Newcastle 9-7 (NB above TV card penalty count wrong - they missed 'back chat' penalty, 61st minute)
Ref, Vid Ref & Touchies - overall rating: 4 out of 10

MATCH & CROWD PICS:

Nathan Blacklock bust through the defence
	In the clear...
Mark Gasnier sets up Jamie Ainscough>>
Ainscough crosses for Saints' first try	Jamie Ainscough breaking clear
Trent Barrett looks on	Andrew Hart takes them on
Blacklock in the clear again	But this time the ref pulls up play on a touchie report
Wayne Bartrim into the action	Lance Thompson reads the riot act. (clockwise bottom left: Jamie Fitzgerald, Lee Hookey, Ben Hornby, Amos Roberts, Willie Peters)
Ben Hornby shows a good turn of speed
Touch Judge, Fallow looks on as Ryder touches the sideline	Newcastle winger, Ryder looks back but no flag despite the obvious divot
Barto scores	Darren Treacy runs it out
Andrew Hart & Mark Gasnier shoulder up	Mark Gasnier sights an opening goes for it.
Gaz showing a clean pair of heels