Round 22: Knights vs Storm

<br><br><table width='100%' class='theader'><tr style='font-weight: bold; height: 120px;'><td width='40%' class='bgimg kni'>&nbsp;</td><td width='20%' rowspan='2' style='text-align: center; font-size: 60px;'>vs</td><td width='40%'class='bgimg stm'>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr style='font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;'><td width='40%'>Knights</td><td width='40%'>Storm</td></tr></table><br>

Sat 9 Aug, 5:30PM Hunter Stadium

<br><br><table width="100%" id="teams"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" align="right" width="40%"><table class="teamlists"><tbody><tr><td align="right"><div>Michael Morgan</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Tautau Moga</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Matthew Wright</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Kane Linnett</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Antonio Winterstein</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Robert Lui</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Johnathan Thurston</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Matthew Scott</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Rory Kostjasyn</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Ashton Sims</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Tariq Sims</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Jason Taumalolo</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Glenn Hall</div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="center">&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Ray Thompson</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Scott Bolton</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Gavin Cooper</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>Sam Hoare</div></td></tr><tr><td align="right"><div>John Asiata</div></td></tr><tr style="height:40px;"><td align="right"><div>Paul Green</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td valign="top" align="center" width="20%"><table class="teamlists"><tbody><tr><td class="tl_position">Fullback</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Wing</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Centre</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Centre</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Wing</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Five-eighth</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Halfback</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Prop</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Hooker</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Prop</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Second Row</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Second Row</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Lock</td></tr><tr><td align="center">&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Interchange</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Interchange</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Interchange</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Interchange</td></tr><tr><td class="tl_position">Interchange</td></tr><tr style="height:40px;"><td class="tl_position">Coach</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td valign="top" align="left" width="40%"><table class="teamlists"><tbody><tr><td align="left"><div>Mitchell Moses</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Keith Lulia</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Tim Simona</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Bodene Thompson</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Pat Richards</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Blake Austin</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Luke Brooks</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Aaron Woods</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Robbie Farah</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Keith Galloway</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Curtis Sironen</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Dene Halatau</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Adam Blair</div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" align="center">&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Ava Seumanu***ai</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Martin Taupau</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>Sauaso Sue</div></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><div>James Gavet</div></td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr style="height:40px;"><td align="left"><div>Mick Potter</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Gidley: "A moment I'll never forget"
By Jack Brady
NRL.com
10:40pm Sat 09th August, 2014



Newcastle mastercoach Wayne Bennett summed it up with a quick-witted "never in doubt," but the smile could have easily been wiped from his face if his captain Kurt Gidley didn't kick a conversion from the sideline after the siren to secure a remarkable 32-30 victory over the Melbourne Storm on Saturday afternoon.

With the Knights down 30-20 with four minutes remaining on the clock, an outstanding one-on-one strip from Travis Waddell put Newcastle right back in the game with 1:45 to play. It went down to the final five seconds as a frantic last throw of dice saw a play from the left side of field finish up in the opposite corner in Akuila Uate's hands to equal the game at 30-all.

The game had come down to Gidley kicking the match-winner from the edge of the paddock in what he described as moment right up there in his career highlight reel. While his teammates tackled him to the ground in scenes of pure jubilation, Gidley couldn't help but feel disappointed that he was put in the predicament to begin with.

"I was disappointed I was in that position because I missed a few earlier in that game," Gidley admitted to reporters after the game.

"Yet as a goal kicker it is a moment you always dream of: to kick a winning one after the siren and after doing so much practice over the years, it is one I'll never forget."

The game wouldn't have been over if he had missed the conversion with golden point on offer, and Gidley said he wasn't nervous lining up the kick, adding it was all about going through the same process he would do with any other shot at goal.

"As a goal kicker you want to go through the same process every kick you have and I think with that last kick I hit it well but it was about doing the same process, it doesn't matter where you kick on the field, you have to worry about the same things going through your head and make sure your technique is good," Gidley said.

"It was a pressure kick but it was a great moment and the embracing at the end was the best part about it, especially after a tough year and we're at home playing a good team. It was a pretty emotional moment in the end."

With the game seemingly over at several different points of the game as Melbourne kicked clear, Gidley said the grit and determination of his Newcastle team managed to get them over the line in the end. It was a massive turnaround considering the 40-point flogging from the Rabbitohs last round.

"We knew we had to be on. We were coming up against one of the best attacking teams in the competition. There were plenty of tries scored there but we never gave up," Gidley said.

"Our desire and our belief in the last two minutes was still there. Our home fans have been through the highs and lows with us this season and they have stuck with us so I think everyone walks away happy tonight proud of their team."

Gidley and his teammates will be happy men leading into their game against the Warriors next Sunday afternoon, and coach Bennett summed it up with simply: "it is enjoyable as it gets."

Fiery Bellamy unleashes on Klein
By Jack Brady
NRL.com
10:33pm Sat 09th August, 2014


Frustrated Melbourne Storm mentor Craig Bellamy was beside himself following Melbourne's dramatic 32-30 loss to the Newcastle Knights.

With his team appearing to be home and hosed at different points throughout the game, two tries in the final three minutes through Travis Waddell and Akuila Uate saw the Storm fall to a dramatic two point loss.

Bellamy however wasn't so much focused on his side’s defensive effort, rather choosing to criticise referee Ashley Klein off the back of Melbourne conceding 11 penalties to Newcastle's mere three indiscretions.

"I'm gutted. I'm disappointed with the way we defended to be quite honest but I'm really disappointed in the way the game was refereed. It was 7-0 penalty-wise in the second half and the ones where we drove them over the sideline, the tackle was still in full motion, the attacker still had both feet on the ground and we get penalised for that," Bellamy told reporters after the game.

"If he doesn't go over the sideline, the referee would've taken it back to where he called held. You're allowed to drive [in the tackle] and we copped two of those penalties and they scored twice from them but even then there were other things that we were penalised for and it is hard to compete.

"Ashley Klein obviously doesn't like the way we play our footy. There have been that many times this season when we have had him and the penalty count hasn't even been close. I don't know... but every time we seem to have Ashley we are on the wrong end of the penalty count. Seven penalties in a half of footy though..."

Storm captain Cameron Smith acknowledged his coach's qualms before expressing his own problems with the referee after the game, though smartly refused to mention that he had any run-ins with Klein.

"I had a conversation with Ashley a couple of times mainly because Newcastle were given a penalty for things that I believe were done earlier in the game," Smith said.

"One in particular was a penalty against us for obstruction. Newcastle did that in the first half and they played on for another 15 metres across field yet we were penalised. I was just asking the question as to why they were receiving the penalties and we weren't."

While Smith and Bellamy recognised their problems with refereeing decisions, the coach in particular wasn't prepared to put all the blame on the officials.

"Our defensive performance wasn't good enough," Bellamy said. "I'm not trying to blame it all on the officials but as I said it is hard to compete with the penalties."

With Melbourne temporarily missing their chance to enter the top four, their match-up against the Cronulla Sharks next weekend will prove a test as to whether they can bounce back from such a devastating loss.

What a mighty upset. Well done Knights.

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