Match Report: NSW Cup R10 vs Knights

Leading 18-4 at half-time, Wests were not to be run down producing arguably their best performance of the season to date.

The Magpies opened the scoring through Solomon Alaimalo, with the towering winger collecting a Noah Ryan cross-field bomb to score after 15 minutes.

Alex Lobb converted to make it 6-0 to Wests, before the Magpies went back-to-back. Powerful middle forward Sione Fainu crashed over to the left of the uprights to extend the home side’s early lead.

Newcastle scored their first points of the afternoon through Laitia Moceidreke, with the Fijian winger producing an acrobatic finish to score in the left corner.

In one of the highlights of the match, makeshift five-eighth Declan Casey then produced a no-look pass to a rampaging Jordan Miller, with the 19-year-old front rower grabbing his first try at NSW Cup level.

Miller’s try was converted by Lobb, with the scoreboard reading 18-4 to the Magpies at half-time.

The second half began with both sides going set-for-set, until a mix-up at the back from Newcastle led to Wests fullback Curtis Wilson grubbering the loose ball through to bag a try on his NSW Cup debut.

Alex Lobb’s penalty goal made it 24-4 with 12 minutes to go, with Knights fullback Will Pryce being sin-binned for dissent as the kick was being lined up.

Reuben Porter was also sent to the bin late for repeated infringements, and Jed Cartwright scored the visitors’ final try of the match with their one-man advantage.