Knights nab 25-24
NRL win over
Bulldogs
Bulldogs coach
Steve Folkes has
slammed referee Tony
Archer's decision to
send off Sonny Bill
Williams, saying the
backrow star's high
shot which put
Andrew Johns in
hospital did not
warrant his marching
orders.
While the Knights
won 25-24 in a
dramatic NRL season
opener, the game
will long be
remembered for
Williams' swinging
left arm which left
Johns lying face
down on the turf
unconscious in the
fourth minute.
More than 18,000
supporters at
EnergyAustralia
Stadium held their
collective breath
for more than five
minutes as the man
widely regarded as
the world's best
rugby league player
received medical
attention.
That silence made
way for chants of
"off, off" from
Newcastle fans as
the champion
halfback was being
stretchered from the
field, with Archer
telling the Kiwi
Test backrower:
"Straight in the
face, knocked him
out, you're off."
Johns was later
cleared of facial
fractures, but will
likely miss next
Friday's clash with
St George Illawarra
after suffering a
heavy concussion.
Williams is
likely staring at a
longer stint on the
sideline through
suspension.
But Folkes
claimed his charge
should never have
been sent off -
hinting the crowd's
calls for the
Bulldogs star's head
had an influence on
the decision.
"I think it was
the wrong decision
to send him off, I
don't think it
warranted that,"
said Folkes, who was
also unhappy with at
least one try being
disallowed by the
video referee.
"I've watched
four-and-a-half
games of football
this weekend and my
first impression was
that I've seen that
tackle 15 times
already. Sometimes
they've been
penalised, other
times they haven't
been."
Asked what
influence he thought
the fact it was
Johns playing in
Newcastle had on the
decision, Folkes
said: "You can draw
you own conclusions
from that, I'm not
allowed to say
anything.
"They were fairly
loud, it sounded
like more than
18,500 people
calling for his
head. That could
influence some
people I guess."
Newcastle coach
Brian Smith did not
want to comment on
the send off, but
said of Johns: "He's
a sick and sorry
boy."
Johns was
expected to be
released from John
Hunter hospital on
Sunday night.
Without their
chief playmaker, the
Knights looked
shell-shocked for
much of the first
half.
Despite playing a
man down, the
Bulldogs raced to an
18-2 lead after 18
minutes, but had a
try controversially
disallowed by the
video referee in the
23rd to replacement
forward Jarrad
Hickey.
The Bulldogs took
a 24-8 advantage
into the break, but
Newcastle scored
three tries in the
opening 18 minutes
of the second half
to level the game.
Kurt Gidley
eventually broke the
deadlock with his
wobbly 15m field
goal in the 73rd
minute.
It secured
Newcastle a
heart-stopping win,
but only after
Bulldogs replacement
Dallas McIlwain
butchered a certain
try just two minutes
from fulltime when
he dropped the ball
cold with the line
wide open.
"I don't know how
may footy games I've
ever coached, but I
don't think on my
death bed I'll ever
forget this one,"
said Smith, who made
a winning start to
his tenure at
Newcastle.
"I've forgot
about a lot of
(games) but that was
one hell of a ride
today."
