Round 2, 2009: Knights 24 - Sharks 12 at Toyota Stadium

Dureau shines through chaos

Dureau shines through chaosNewcastle Herald, AustraliaBY ROBERT DILLON Just over a quarter of the way through last night's round-two NRL clash with Cronulla at Toyota Stadium, and Knights coach Brian Smith was searching for his third scrumbase pairing of the season. His first-choice five-eighth, ...

Source: http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-league/dureau-shines-through-chaos/1467205.aspx

Dureau shines through chaos
BY ROBERT DILLON
24/03/2009 4:00:00 AM


UP AND AWAY: Scott Dureau kicks during last night's win over the Sharks at Toyota Stadium.- Picture by Ryan Osland

PLAN A lasted just 80 minutes. Plan B's life span was even briefer.

Just over a quarter of the way through last night's round-two NRL clash with Cronulla at Toyota Stadium, and Knights coach Brian Smith was searching for his third scrumbase pairing of the season.

His first-choice five-eighth, Ben Rogers, was at home in Newcastle watching the game on TV.

The closest Rogers got to the action last night was having his name in the Big League match program.

Chosen alongside Jarrod Mullen for Newcastle's season-opener against Gold Coast, Rogers was below his best in the 34-20 defeat and Smith felt he appeared flat at training last week.

All the indications were the former Penrith, South Sydney and St George Illawarra playmaker would retain his position.

But in a perfectly executed undercover operation, Smith produced a trademark late change.

Into his starting side came diminutive Scott Dureau to take over as first receiver and tactical kicker, prompting Mullen to move one wider to pivot.

The combination lasted just 23 minutes.

Mullen, who had soldiered on for several minutes in obvious distress, was replaced with suspected broken ribs.

That left 22-year-old Dureau alone in the hot seat and Smith searching for a solution.

The coach barked an order into his walkie-talkie.

Skipper Kurt Gidley was instructed to play as an attacking five-eighth for the balance of the game, and the Knights would have to make do without a wide link man when they were in possession.

The responsibility of calling the shots fell squarely on Dureau's shoulders.

At the time, the scoreline was 6-0 to the Sharks and the damage could easily have been more severe.

Newcastle, already without enforcer Steve Simpson (hamstring) as well as Mullen, were a team under siege, hanging on through sheer desperation.

But Dureau, as he showed in 18 top-grade games last season, is made of stern stuff.

And unbeknown to the Sharks, he had an ace up his sleeve.

Nine days earlier he had been camped in the stand at Toyota Stadium, spying on Cronulla during their round-one win against Penrith.

"Scotty did the homework for us this week," Smith said.

"When we were on the Gold Coast he came to watch the Sharks play last week, and he came up with the plan for this game.

"When the opportunity presented itself, when Benny Rogers was a bit flat I thought the heat affected him more than the others it gave Scotty a chance to play.

"And because he's done that level of homework, he was ready to pull the strings."

And if last week's scouting mission was his school assignment, Dureau passed his exam last night with flying colours.

He scored Newcastle's opening try, created another with a 40-20 kick and superb short ball to Richard Fa'aoso, and generally looked every inch an on-field general.

Suddenly Newcastle's halfback puzzle appears to have been solved, at least for the time being.

Mullen will be sidelined for at least three weeks. Luke Walsh has joined Penrith. And on Dureau's display last night, he can expect an extended run in the No.7 jersey.

Asked whether it was his best game at NRL level, Smith played a dead bat: "I don't know. He hasn't had a lot, and he's been pretty good on other occasions.

"But he was certainly important to us tonight."

Important would appear an understatement, considering the injuries to Mullen, Simpson and Cameron Ciraldo (dislocated ankle).

The Sharks, admittedly, had their own share adversity most of which occurred before they set foot on the field.

Dureau said he arrived last night in confident mood, "with a little picture in my head of how they defend and how they attack".

He learned he would be playing on Saturday, when Smith phoned and said "get your gear ready and be on the bus" for the trip south.

"I was pretty happy to get the call and I'd been pretty disappointed about last weekend, not getting in the side," Dureau said.

"I was pretty keen to make the most of it."

He did exactly that, and Smith's low-key assessment would indicate he expects more of the same in coming weeks.

"It was about what I'd expect of him," Smith said.

"He's a talented boy."

Shire Shark said:

A real man doesnt king hit a player when his arms are held back (brett white to ben ross), a real man doesnt put a player in a headlock when he is already being tackled by two other players. A real man pushes in a scrum. A real man tackles like a man, with arms, not a gutless shoulder charge. A real man doesnt grap a players testicles ( yes gallen im talking about you)

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have you ever heard about richard lowe ss?

besides if you want to argue about union v league go to other sports section.

simmo was a joke last night. such a choir boy

zakspiders said:

besides if you want to argue about union v league go to other sports section.

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You can do that here or here.

Smith hails courageous Knights

Smith hails courageous Knightssportal.com.au, Australia... for the listless and unimaginative Sharks. "It was a tremendous, blue-collar, hard-working, just keep going (performance)," Smith enthused. "We came here tonight and you guys have been asking questions all week about how Cronulla might react under ...

Source: http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/league-news-display/smith-praises-courage-67332

Smith hails courageous Knights
24/03/2009 6:53 AM
Adam Lucius


Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

Proud Newcastle coach Brian Smith labelled his side's stunning 24-12 win over Cronulla as a victory for old-fashioned guts and courage in the face of great adversity.

The Knights finished Monday night's game with just one player on the bench after losing skipper Steve Simpson (hamstring), half Jarrod Mullen and back-rower Cameron Ciraldo (ankle) during the match, but were still too good for the listless and unimaginative Sharks.

"It was a tremendous, blue-collar, hard-working, just keep going (performance)," Smith enthused.

"We came here tonight and you guys have been asking questions all week about how Cronulla might react under the adversity they've had prior to the game and yet the way the cards came out it was us who had the adversity."

"We had some guys who played 80 minutes who could have been subbed after 30."

"It's definitely the best win while I've been here. It was a tremendous win."

"It took a committed effort from every single bloke."

"They'll know what they are physically capable of at their best because it took their bloody best to get it there."

Exhausted skipper Kurt Gidley added: "We've had some tough wins before but certainly that's one of the most satisfying."

Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart refused to use the club's disrupted preparation for the poor showing.

He accused his team of playing dumb football and relying on brawn more than brain.

"We've got to learn to be smarter, be smarter with the football and not rely on toughness so much," he said.

"We're a tough footy team but we're not going to improve until we get smarter."

"We've got to be a lot better than that."

Cronulla captain Paul Gallen saw it as a game thrown away.

"We dropped the ball in key situations and 50-50 calls went against us," he said.

"We could have won the game but unfortunately we couldn't put it together."

"Full credit to them. They toughed it out."

Well I decided not to post much last night wasn't happy with the result but really didn't expect much more.

not having Seymour did hurt us it was obvious but I think green did as well as to be expected.

The Refing was a poor show on their part even the commentators after the game commentated on it I wont go any further on that did Ricky say anything?

Caine and Hughs well I would like to see Caine on for the second part of the first half and same with the second half I actually rate him over Degois just on what I have seen last night give him some more time and he will fly.

As for Reni he needs more time its been limited with us and will get better people calling for his head already make me laugh though.


Simmo well what can ya say, he just doesn't have it and needs to walk away from the game I think I will just nickname him Road kill.

Long way to go people.

You can pick any fullback out off the rest of the 15 team and their fullback can run the ball back with more vigor. After watching simmo last night he doesnt do that give Brown or orcher a shot.

Battered Knights guts out a NRL victory

Battered Knights guts out a NRL victoryThe Australian, AustraliaA WEEK spent focusing on how Cronulla would react to adversity finished with Newcastle producing one of the most courageous performances in the club's recent history at Toyota Stadium last night. With halfback Scott Dureau leading the way, ...

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25232922-2722,00.html

Battered Knights guts out NRL victory
Brent Read
March 24, 2009


Kurt Gidley draws the attention off Trent Barrett in defence Picture: Phil Hillyard

A WEEK spent focusing on how Cronulla would react to adversity finished with Newcastle producing one of the most courageous performances in the club's recent history at Toyota Stadium last night.
gidley

Kurt Gidley draws the attention off Trent Barrett in defence Picture: Phil Hillyard l

With halfback Scott Dureau leading the way, the Knights overcame the loss of two of their most influential players, Jarrod Mullen (rib) and Steve Simpson (hamstring), and a horrific injury to young backrower Cameron Ciraldo to open their account for the season.

It was gritty stuff from Brian Smith's side, without question the most gutsy in his three years in Newcastle. Smith waxed lyrical about his side after the match, saving special praise for Dureau, who stepped up in the absence of high-profile teammates.

The Sharks, without suspended half Brett Seymour and injured prop Ben Ross, had no answer.

"It's amazing. You guys were asking questions all week about how Cronulla might react under adversity they had prior to the game," Smith said.

"The way the cards came out in the deal, it was us who had the adversity during the game. It was a tremendous, blue-collar, hard-working, just keep going (win).

"We had guys out there who played 80 minutes who could have subbed-off after 30."

While Simpson and Mullen departed in the first half, Ciraldo exited midway through the second half with a dislocated ankle and suspected broken leg.

With the Knights down to their bare bones, they needed a hero and Dureau answered the call, although his teammates provided much support as they hung on grimly in the face of a late onslaught by the Sharks.

Dureau was given the job of scouting the Sharks last weekend, so he was prepared when called into the side on Saturday morning to replace Ben Rogers.

"It definitely helped," Dureau said. "You keep an image in your mind of what you saw last week and put it into practice."

Newcastle blew the game open early in the second half and Dureau was in the thick of it. Five minutes after the break, the visitors turned their six-point lead into 12 when replacement forward Chris Houston crashed over.

Dureau then stamped his class on the match. First, he put his side deep in attack with a 40-20. From the ensuing play, he hit Richard Fa'aoso with a short ball and the backrower did the rest. The Knights suddenly had a 24-6 lead.

"I think when we saw Cam injured it lifted the boys," Dureau said. "We really wanted to fight hard for them. We knew we were up against it with the injuries."

The Sharks managed to stop the rot when half Blake Green created something out of nothing in the 50th minute, drifting across field and mesmerising the Knights' defence to close the gap to 12 points.

Their final hope of mounting a comeback ended thanks to a goalpost. Half Trent Barrett seemed certain to win the race to Green's kick but the ball hit the upright and was kicked dead by the Knights.

"It was a night of missed opportunities," Barrett said.

Given the lead-up, perhaps the Sharks should have known what was coming. The portents weren't good. Ross was watching from the comfort of his lounge after suffering a neck injury that ended his season and threatened his career.

As for his side's preparation, Stuart described it as disjointed.

"It's been a difficult week with regard to preparation," Stuart said. "That's certainly not an excuse. We have to be better than that with the football."

The Sharks could have led 12-0 early had decisions gone their way.

Barrett, who scored the opening try, exploited the blind side and threw a precise cut-out pass that gave Misi Taulapapa a saloon passage to the line.

Replays, however, suggested a desperate dive by Gidley had forced Taulapapa's elbow into touch. "I thought it was a try," Barrett said.

Newcastle 24 (S Dureau R Fa'aoso C Houston C Paterson tries K Gidley 4 goals) Cronulla 12 (T Barrett B Green tries L Covell 2 goals) at Toyota Stadium. Referee: B Cummins, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 11,148.

Obviously with all the focus on our "attack" we forgot how to defend.

For the person that asked, both Williams and Tupou let a try through, Williams, by marking up incorrectly and Tupou through a missed tackle.

I didn't think Green went too badly, he's no Buster however as the game went on he got more confident and stepped up his game, I think he'll go much better next week.

When I found out Cain was in the team I couldn't wait for him to get on the paddock, he really should have been out there a lot earlier. Very happy with his performance. Shows a lot more class than Green (and Hughes) at Dummy-Half, which is a shame as it means Green will (should) miss out on his spot when Buster gets back. Can anyone confirm for me if it was Cain or Green who kicked it into the goal posts? I know the commentators called that it was Green however I was sure that Cain was the one?

Ferguson was really good at fullback, safe under the high ball, ran hard, defended well and provided an extra option in attack. He should stay at No. 1 and bring Brown in for No. 4, giving Brown an opportunity in the centers where he has impressed through the trials and Fergo to continue to develop at fullback where he impressed vs the Knights. The added bonus to this is the two are interchangeable, so if Ferguson starts to struggle out the back we can always move Brown there mid game.

Will we ever send it through the hands? I'm getting really sick of the constant hit-ups when he have a backline set and waiting. In saying that, we should have really had an extra prop on the bench.

Newcastle courageous against Sharks

Newcastle courageous against SharksRadio New Zealand, New ZealandThe Newcastle Knights scored a courageous 24-12 win over the Cronulla Sharks in last night's National Rugby League match after losing their star playmaker Jarrod Mullen and two more players to injury. Mullen eventually succumbed to a hip injury in the ...

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/sport/2009/03/24/1245a4a1ccae

Knights walk tall after gruelling win

Knights walk tall after gruelling winABC Regional Online, AustraliaNewcastle captain Kurt Gidley has paid tribute to the courage of his players after they defied a heavy injury toll to defeat the Sharks last night. The Knights won 24-12 over Cronulla, but Steve Simpson and Jarrod Mullen were forced from the field in ...

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/24/2524366.htm?site=newcastle

Knights walk tall after gruelling win
Updated March 24, 2009 09:43:00


Cameron Ciraldo was one of three Knights players injured during the game against the Sharks (Getty Images: Mark Kolbe)

Newcastle captain Kurt Gidley has paid tribute to the courage of his players after they defied a heavy injury toll to defeat the Sharks last night.

The Knights won 24-12 over Cronulla, but Steve Simpson and Jarrod Mullen were forced from the field in the first half, and Cameron Ciraldo badly injured his ankle in the second.

Mullen is likely to be out of action for up to three weeks, while Simpson could be sidelined for up to a month.

Ciraldo's shocking injury was not as bad as first feared, suffering a bad dislocation, and he was taken to hospital for x-rays to determine the extent of the injury.

Gidley says he is proud of his team's efforts to record its first win of the season in trying circumstances.

"We've spoken about this year, just before the first game and this game about being more tough, and more consistent," he said.

"[Also] making our defensive line more stronger when it's under pressure and I think we did that last night and we stuck to it."

Cronulla coach Ricky Stuart says recent off-field dramas probably affected his side's performance.

The Sharks were without injured stars Brett Kearney and Ben Ross, as well as suspended half-back Brett Seymour, who made a public apology before the game for an alleged drunken incident at a Cronulla Bar.

Stuart says it was a forgettable performance from his side.

"We are a tough footy team, but we are not going to improve until we get smarter with the ball," he said.

"But in saying that, I feel for the players who've had a pretty disjointed week, and the way we trained replicated the way we played today."

WHERE THE F*CK IS FILIGA GOD DAMN IT!

Only round 2, we were always going to lose games, last night wont be the first game we lose, expect it more this year than last year. Maybe losing the game like that was a blessing in disguise, Ricky said training was light and bad all week, think what they will do this week now and hopefully they will be ready for the pricks next sunday.

WOEFULL!

Ciraldo to undergo leg surgery

Ciraldo to undergo leg surgeryLIVENEWS.com.au, AustraliaNewcastle forward Cameron Ciraldo will have surgery on his right leg this week after a sickening injury in last night's NRL victory over Cronulla at Toyota Stadium. Ciraldo was carried off the ground in the 60th minute with a badly dislocated ankle and ...

Source: http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2009/03/24/Ciraldo_to_undergo_leg_surgery

Ciraldo to undergo leg surgery after horror injury
News Boss
AAP

Newcastle's brave victory over Cronulla has come at a serious cost with Cameron Ciraldo likely to miss the rest of the NRL season and NSW Origin players Jarrod Mullen and Steve Simpson out for up to three weeks.

Ciraldo will undergo surgery on his right leg later this week after his sickening injury in Monday night's 24-12 victory over the Sharks.

Ciraldo was carried off Toyota Stadium with a badly dislocated ankle which turned his foot sideways and was rushed to nearby St George Public hospital where X-rays also revealed a fractured fibula that requires surgery.

Doctors will further assess Ciraldo's ankle for ligament damage during the surgery.

Knights halfback Mullen is out for two to three weeks after X-rays on Tuesday revealed the 21-year-old had cracked ribs.

Mullen lasted just 24 minutes against the Sharks, leaving Scott Dureau to play a match-winning hand.

Dureau will play halfback against South Sydney at Gosford on Sunday, with recruit Ben Rogers returning to play five-eighth after he was dropped for the clash with Cronulla.

Former NSW forward Simpson had MRI scans on his hamstring on Tuesday which revealed a grade one tear that will sideline him for two to three weeks.

Poor options in attack cost us the most - kicking game was well below par, except for a few short ones close to the line, all the long kicks were terrible (we didint need a 40-20 off every kick in our half).
We looked really dangerous when we kept the ball alive but we missed Kearney backing up with pace, every attacker looked flat footed when they got the ball.
Simmons has to be dropped, but for some unknwon reason to me, Ricky & many other league figure heads have massive raps on him?? All we ask is that he shows some ticker out there - the one time he did it last night was jumping on that loose ball & copping a knee - other than that there was nothing!
We also need to stop buying older players and blood our lower grade players earlier, that is why nearly all of our lower grades players struggle when they finally get a chance in 1st grade. Now is the time to play Stapleton & Orcher - mix it up a bit, it might fail but at least they tried something different like all other NRL clubs - Melbourne is the best example for bringing in young guys and really giving them a shot.

cheers,
mick

I didn't see the game, but I listened on MMM. It sounded like:

- we got hammered in the penalties
- we really struggled for attacking options other than "give it to Barrett"
- Green wasn't too bad - scored a try and should have set up one if Pomeroy hadn't dropped it
- Caine went very well off the bench
- Our handling was poor
- Our defense was poor
- Maitua was very rusty

I hate Simmo as much as the next guy, but nothing here screams to me that the fullback should take the blame and get the sack.

burgess1978 said:

I didn't see the game, but I listened on MMM. It sounded like:

- we got hammered in the penalties
- we really struggled for attacking options other than "give it to Barrett"
- Green wasn't too bad - scored a try and should have set up one if Pomeroy hadn't dropped it
- Caine went very well off the bench
- Our handling was poor
- Our defense was poor
- Maitua was very rusty

I hate Simmo as much as the next guy, but nothing here screams to me that the fullback should take the blame and get the sack.

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Thats pretty much it, reminds me of that big banner they use to hang at Shark Park years ago, "Im blind, im deaf, im an NRL ref".

had a laugh at barret v de gois last night!

i dont think they like each other!

Terrible terrible refereeing last night. Absolutely disgraceful. They were allowed to sit all over our boys in the ruck. The Ref(s) gave us a few late penalties to even up the count.

The result would have been different if they got the calls right.

But in saying that, we still should have been able to win that game. It was very frustrating.

Our forwards played well and dominated the Knights, but our backs were atrocious.

David Simmons is scared. He has no confidence which is a bad quality for a fullback. Ferguson looked good when he was playing at the back last night. Looked safe and ran the ball back hard. I think he should probably be there next week.

I think Barrett is looking great, but he needs some better quality outside him. He really looks like he’s in control and he’s steering the team around the park.