Round 4 Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs v Newcastle Knights

[TITAN PETE]

SUNDAY

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs v Newcastle Knights at ANZ Stadium, 3:00pm (local). #NRLCBYNEW

BULLDOGS: Ben Barba, Steve Turner, Josh Morris, Jonathan Wright, Bryson Goodwin, Josh Reynolds, Trent Hodkinson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis, Sam Kasiano, Frank Pritchard, Dene Halatau, David Stagg. Interchange: James Graham, Greg Eastwood, Corey Payne, Joel Romelo

KNIGHTS: Darius Boyd, James McManus, Timana Tahu, Junior Sa'u, Akuila Uate, Tyrone Roberts, Jarrod Mullen, Kade Snowden, Danny Buderus, Adam Cuthbertson, Chris Houston, Zeb Taia, Neville Costigan. Interchange (from): Matt Hilder, Richie Fa'aoso, Joel Edwards, Alex McKinnon, Zane Tetevano

[TITAN PETE]

Can super Benny get the Knights to fire .... me thinks not this week..

[TITAN PETE]

Knights inflict first defeat on Bulldogs

By Ian McCullough AAP Sun, Mar 25, 2012 - 6:56 PM

Wayne Bennett believes his Newcastle players are finally getting to grips with his coaching style after an impressive 20-6 NRL win over previously unbeaten Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.

The Knights had been patchy in their opening three games of the season, losing twice, but they ground the Bulldogs into submission thanks to influential performances from veteran hooker Danny Buderus and skipper Kurt Gidley.

Gidley returned earlier than expected from a dislocated shoulder, and kicked four goals, playing from halfback after Bennett switched the NSW utility with Jarrod Mullen, who slotted in at five-eighth.

Mullen scored the Knights' second try, either side of efforts from Richie Fa'aoso and a late four-pointer from Alex McKinnon.

"It's as good a game as we've played in the last month," Bennett said.

"It was a pretty complete performance. Maybe the penny's dropped that we can do better.

"We've got to consistently do it now, week after week. That's what good teams do."

Bennett selected Gidley after he came through a training session on Friday and was delighted with his performance, saying he may continue playing him in the No.7 shirt.

"It's my job to work out what position you are best suited at and it's something I may well do," Bennett said.

"Kurt played very well. I was very pleased with his performance."

Bulldogs coach Des Hasler said his team's inability to keep the ball was the reason for the defeat, in which halfback Trent Hodkinson was ruled out for up to six weeks with a medial ligament injury.

The Bulldogs made 15 errors to the Knights' six and completed 62 per cent of their sets and only got onto the scoresheet in the final minute when Joel Romelo darted over from close range.

"We never gave ourselves a chance," said Hasler.

"We were terrible with the ball and that places more pressure on our defence.

"It's not up to standard, it just doesn't cut."

The Bulldogs went into the game on the back of three successive wins, but the former Manly supremo said it was a good learning curve for his players, but lessons needed to be learned fast.

"I would have liked to have seen us hang onto the ball a bit more - it was simple as that," he said.

"We just kept legging them down the field. The stats speak for themselves.

"We need to learn from that. They are obviously very disappointed."