Dragons take down Knights at Jubilee

Lawson went close to enjoying a dream start diving over off a Valentine Holmes offload only for the officials to rule a forward pass.

Tyrell Sloan crafted a clever grubber to earn his side a repeat set soon after, but the Newcastle defence was able to again hold firm off it as the contest remained in search of its first points.

48 hours on from representing Queensland in the State of Origin opener in Brisbane, Valentine Holmes produced a key defensive stop early jamming in to force a Knights error while on the attack.

A quarter of the way in, Kyle Flanagan fashioned a silky double pump to send Su’A over untouched for the first points of night for the hosts.

Holmes added the extras to make it 6-0 as Su’A, the try-scorer, exited the field having been contending with a knock to his ankle which he had picked up whilst snuffing out a Knights grubber earlier in the match.

It was the potency of Damien Cook which laid the platform for the hosts’ next points with the Dragons No.9 producing a dangerous dummy-half scamper to spark an attacking surge.

The dart earnt the side a set restart, but they required just one play with Jack de Belin motoring into space behind the ruck and finding a supporting Clint Gutherson with an offload to slide over to the left of the sticks and make it a 12-point game.

A textbook de Belin rib-tickler forced a Knights error as they carted the ball into Red V territory soon after and the hosts made them pay off it.

Pasifiki Tonga powered his way over next to the posts for the first try of his NRL career running a nice unders line off Cook with the squad swarming to congratulate the excited 20-year-old.

The Knights had a final opportunity off a Dragons drop, but Shane Flanagan’s men were able to hold them out with Gutherson covering to knock an attacking kick dead as the siren sounded.

Lawson brought the Kogarah crowd to its feed in the opening stages of the second forty with a near 50-metre kick return in which he busted through numerous tackle attempts.

Newcastle threatened soon after with Kai Pearce-Paul crafting a last tackle offload to an unmarked Dane Gagai, but the back rower’s arm was ruled to already have brushed the turf.

The Knights claimed a try just short of the hour-mark after Fletcher Hunt went aerial in an attempt to snatch an attacking Jack Cogger kick only for video officials to rule a knock-on against the rookie winger.

Newcastle found themselves back on the attack moments later off a successful Captain’s Challenge in which video officials whistled the Dragons for illegally holding back a player with the ball.

It was again Holmes who came up with a perfectly timed bone-rattler to jolt the ball free and earn his side possession back.

Shortly after, Newcastle gave a penalty whilst in possession to hand Holmes and the Dragons a gift two points as the scoreline grew out to 20-0.

Leo Thompson was placed on report for a dangerous tackle on Hamish Stewart the next set as the Red V marched back onto the attack.

Toby Couchman was held up over the line off it before Lyhkan King-Togia managed to thread the needle on a grubber to force a dropout.

Sloan claimed a try off the corresponding set after a sweet shift out to the right wing but was unable to hold onto it as he dove for the chalk.

The Knights notched their first points of the night down the other end with Thompson hitting Pearce-Paul with a one-handed offload to score and make it 20-6.

Holmes claimed a late try for the Red V off a Flanagan grubber but was ruled by video officials to have lost it in the grounding attempt.

It mattered little in the context of the final results however with the home side doing enough to hold off the Knights and secure back-to-back wins.