Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers: NRL highlights, live scores, blog

Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2018 NRL season as the Wests Tigers beat the Newcastle Knights. Hopefully you enjoyed the coverage. I'll be back tomorrow night for some Supercars action at Eastern Creek from 7:20pm (AEST) and on Sunday from 2pm (AEST) for the Cronulla Sharks and Manly Sea Eagles. Right now though, you can take your pick of NRL and AFL. Riley Pettigrew is bringing you live coverage of the huge clash between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Melbourne Storm while Johnathan Thompson has the Richmond Tigers and Geelong Cats in the AFL. Bye for now.

FULLTIME The Wests Tigers have kept their top eight hopes alive after a nine-point victory over the Newcastle Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium. The Knights put in an inept first half, defending awfully. They let in some of the softest tries you are ever likely to see as Russell Packer and Luke Brooks scored to hand the Tigers a 12-point lead at halfitme. The Tigers continued to be the better of the two sides early in the second half, but couldn't quite skip away with the game despite leading 22-4 at one point. Some tense moments were set up during the second half as Kalyn Ponga scored to bring the game back to a 12-point lead, before Aidan Guerra followed up with an effort and a half, pumping the legs through what looked to be a decent tackle to spin around and score. While it was the Newcastle defence struggling in the first half, the Tigers were the ones up against it late in the second. They played a conservative final 20 minutes though and Luke Brooks eventually iced the game with a field goal five minutes from fulltime. The Tigers will now be sweating on the St George Illawarra Dragons beating the New Zealand Warriors tomorrow afternoon in Wollongong to bring them back to within two points of the top eight. Knights 16 Tigers 25

Thoughts on the game Roarers?

FULLTIME Short kick-off and Kenny-Dowall runs onto it, taking the ball. Ese'ese takes the tackle, then Ponga runs into the middle and is stopped. 20 seconds left as the Knights aim for a try, but Farah gives away a penalty. Levi the quick tap, then they go right from Ese'ese to Cogger and Fitzgibbon who is held. There goes the siren and after some scary moments down the stretch, the Tigers hang on and stay alive in the race for the top eight. Knights 16 Tigers 25

80' - PENALTY GOAL TIGERS, ESAN MARSTERS Knights 16 Tigers 25

79' - Tigers to shot at penalty goal. Knights 16 Tigers 23

78' - This game is winding down now, butt he Tigers will have another opportunity to score, which, is important to improve the for and against some more. Newcastle drop it coming out of their own end to set it up, with Sue then going back into the middle, followed up by Twal. Liddle out of dummy half and here is a penalty. Knights 16 Tigers 23

77' - The Tigers don't get to a kick here, but they hand it over in a good spot. Knights 16 Tigers 23

75' - FIELD GOAL TIGERS, LUKE BROOKS The visitors straight back over halfway and after that error, surely the Tigers find a way to hold on here. Up the middle they go through Marsters who came in for some work, then it was Sue playing one out through the middle. This is setting up for a field goal and, wasting no more time, the ball is thrown back to Luke Brooks who slots it over the black dot! Seven-point game, five minutes to go. Knights 16 Tigers 23

75' - Kenny-Dowall and Buhrer go over halfway for the Knights, before Ponga goes short side but really doesn't make a heap of metres. Ese'ese a run, then it's an inside ball for Ponga, but he drops it. Knights 16 Tigers 22

74' - The Tigers back to halfway, then Brooks looks to roll a kick into touch, but it comes up short as Ponga brings it away. Knights 16 Tigers 22

72' - The Knights go over halfway through Saifiti, then it's Barnett up the middle. Felise takes to the right, then it's a one out play for Saifiti to do the same. Two plays left and the Knights need to score here, but a pass to ground from Cogger won't help as Ponga cleans up and is tackled 30 out on the fifth. Cogger kicks high under heavy pressure, but Denniss comes up with it, goes back to Guerra, then it' Sio, Denniss, Guerra, Ese'ese and eventually Mata'utia throws it to Packer. Knights 16 Tigers 22

71' - The visitors away through Taylor, then Brooks spins out of a tackle and is wrapped up straight afterwards. Farah now goes right, but he drops it at the line with Denniss taking the advantage and winning a penalty on a second effort in the tackle. Knights 16 Tigers 22

CROWD: 18,561

70' - And that is how you kill a comeback. Mata'utia drops it cold bringing the ball out of his own end. Knights 16 Tigers 22

70' - The Tigers start this set through Marsters and Naiqama, before Twal and Packer head up the middle third third of the ground. Out of dummy half goes the explosive Liddle, then Brooks kicks high from halfway with Ponga linking to Sio for the run back. Knights 16 Tigers 22

68' - The Knights bring it back from the dropout through Saifiti, then it's Heighington up the middle. Barnett goes to within ten, then it's a short ball from Cogger to Guerra who is so nearly over the line. Back to the right and it's Mata'utia to Cogger before a tackle is made. Fitzgibbon takes it on the right and now on the last it's Cogger with a chip crossfield, hit backwards, but the pass from Mata'utia to Sio is forward. Knights 16 Tigers 22

67' - The Knights bring it away through Heighington who has been busy since he came on, then it's King and Guerra bringing them up to halfway. Good set after points with Ponga kicks down to the corner, gets it to sit up and Mbye hits it dead. What a kick from Ponga! This kid is the future of our game. Knights 16 Tigers 22

66' - CONVERSION SUCCESSFUL by KEN SIO Just maybe this one isn't over... Knights 16 Tigers 22