Live: Knights claim share of unwanted piece of history against Cowboys

Taumalolo beats one defender, carries two more a good way and offloads to Dearden who goes back inside to Dearden who’s away, he has Drinkwater in support and the star fullback races away for his second.

That’s two tries and two assists for Drinkwater and once he converts he’s got 22 points on his own. The Cowboys now lead 38-4.

Drinkwater pokes a kick through for himself, he gets stopped but Nanai is there first and scores another one for the Cowboys.

Drinkwater takes two more and it’s 32-4 North Queensland. 

Young flashes away down the right, he has Votano on the inside but the rookie drops the ball. Second time today he’s had a chance at a try on debut, gotta feel for him.

Drinkwater picks it up and takes off the other way, he weaves through three defenders and looks tryline bound himself only for Frizell to pull of a sensational chase and cover tackle!

The Cowboys can’t capitalise as Cotter’s pass goes to ground and is claimed by Gagai.

A bit of joy for Newcastle at last – Arthur goes high across field, Young goes high to claim it over Burns and that’ll be a try to the Knights.

The debutant Votano will take the shot at goal but he sprays it wide. Cowboys 26-4.

Drinkwater puts Purdue through and he glides past Votano to score the first of the second half. There was some conjecture about an obstruction in the lead up and the Knights do have a case but Arthur didn’t try to move off Nanai.

Feels like that could have been a penalty a few weeks ago but they allow it this time. Drinkwater converts and it’s 26-0 Cowboys. 

Newcastle kick us off and we’re halfway home.

How’s this for a number – Newcastle, having been held scoreless in the first half, have now equalled the record set by the 2014 Tigers for most times being held to nil at halftime (since 1980).

That….seems less than ideal.

Arthur looks to go long with the Knights on the attack but Burns comes up in the line, snatches the intercept and goes the length of the field to score.

Nice turn of speed from the veteran and it’s a very handy lead for the Cowboys now. Drinkwater converts again and it’s 20-0 North Queensland. 

Votano can’t get to a bomb, Burns bats it back, Croker cleans it up but loses the ball as he’s taken by Cotter, Dearden picks it up and goes 20 metres to score.

Scrappy one, but we go upstairs and it’s clean. Drinkwater converts and it’s 14-0 Cowboys. 

Thompson gets his front through the defence, offloads to Saifiti and he looks certain to score only for Drinkwater to dislodge the ball at the last minute! That’s a tough one for the big man, Cowboys work it out.

We could have a penalty try here – Arthur went short to McEwan, who went back to Arthur and he had Saifiti with him only for Robson to take him off the ball.

It won’t be a penalty try but it is a professional foul. Robson goes for ten, Knights on the attack against 11 men.

Manly’s attack has misfired again in a fierce blow to their NRL finals hopes, while Wests Tigers kept theirs alive in a dominating 26-12 win.

Tries in the first and 79th minutes on Sunday at the Sydney Football Stadium took Manly’s tally to just 32 points in their past four games, all losses.

Until Matt Lodge’s late touchdown, it was the Sea Eagles’ lowest tally across four games since 1975.

It was a dagger blow to Manly’s finals hopes, the Sea Eagles now likely needing to win all three remaining home-and-away fixtures to be a top-eight chance.

The Tigers’ hopes were officially over if they lost on Sunday, but, improving to 9-12, they moved level on 24 points with Manly to remain alive.

Less than a minute in and things looked bleak, Tolutau Koula brushing through some soft defence for a brilliant solo try that created one of Manly’s two line breaks for the contest.

That seemed to wake up the Tigers, although Manly missing 15 tackles in the first 12 minutes — and completing 28 of 42 sets — also helped.

First Adam Doueihi strolled over thanks to a neat tap-back from fullback Jahream Bula.

Then the halfback laid on a try for winger Jeral Skelton, who did well to plant the ball in the right corner and set up a 12-6 halftime lead.

Manly’s Tommy Talau blew what should have been a simple try to bring his men level, penalised for a double movement attempting to score at the scrum base with the Tigers’ line exposed.

Tigers winger Sunia Turuva had collided with Bula attempting to catch Daly Cherry-Evans’ spiralling bomb, handing possession back to the Sea Eagles.

Talua was made to rue the error moments later when Turuva busted through a series of half-hearted tackle attempts to put his side two tries clear.

Taylan May, put through a gap by Jarome Luai, then effectively iced the contest midway through the second half.

His scything try was confirmed despite Samuela Fainu running what appeared to be an obstruction as May approached Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic.

Compounding problems, Reuben Garrick will have scans on a shoulder injury that forced him out of the game in the first half.

Tigers centre Starford To’a (shoulder) also left the field with his left arm in a makeshift sling.

AAP

The Knights get pinged for a strip and North Queensland will extend their lead. Drinkwater makes no mistake, it’s 8-0 Cowboys. 

Frizell and Saifiti link to put Cogger into space, he has Votano inside but his pass is too high and the rookie fullback knocks it on.

Could’ve been a brilliant moment for the debutant but the pass from Cogger wasn’t good enough. Cowboy ball.

The first chance North Queensland have Dearden straightens up, Drinkwater goes out to Vailea and he goes back inside for the fullback to score the opening try of the day. Nice stuff from the Cowboys.

Drinkwater converts and it’s 6-0 Cowboys.

Away we go up north with the Cowboys kicking us off as they run from right to left.

Straight away we have some drama for North Queensland with Reuben Cotter staying down after he was bumped off by Thompson.

He’s staying on but looks in pretty rough shape, seems to be an abdominal injury.

A handy win for the Tigers, one of their more complete performances of the season. Finals are a bridge too far but they’ve now won their most games in a season since 2019.

Manly continued the poor form that has all but sunk them in the last month. Points were so hard to come by.

Just the one change for North Queensland – Viliami Vailea starts at centre with Zac Laybutt moving to the bench and Kai O’Donnell going back to 18th man.

Knights are 1-17.

After Koula nearly pulls his way through a gap, Simpkin goes short to Lodge and he scores. Cherry-Evans converts and it’s 26-12 Tigers.