Knights break their 2008 duck

DAVID HALL

Kiama Knights have not only opened their account for the season but also sounded a warning to all other sides in the competition after a resounding 44-24 win over second-placed Milton-Ulladulla Bulldogs at Kiama showground.

Kiama got a superb start to the game when they won a scrum close to Milton’s line in the second minute and Duncan got outside the defence to send winger Aaron De Jagar over in the corner.

The Bulldogs hit back when Tom Cook sprinted away down the sideline after good inside work from centre Timmins and Greg Sherwin’s conversion gave the Dogs the lead 6-4.

The 20th minute saw Duncan force his way over from dummy-half and Joel Moses converted for the Knights to lead 10-6 but the Bulldogs soon leveled when winger Daniel Peat grabbed a rebounded kick from Peter Howcroft to score out wide for 10 all.

The Knights applied plenty of pressure and the home side got a scrum feed 10 metres from the Dogs line and Moses darted through to score beside the posts and converted and right on halftime added a penalty goal for Kiama to lead 18-10 at halftime.

The Bulldogs suffered a double blow at the break when hooker Adam Stone and centre Chris Timmins failed to return after being injured, but the soon closed the gap to just four when Sherwin sent second-rower-cum-centre Paul Winshuttle racing over after a superb pass.

This try seemed to lift the Knights and two tries, the first to centre Jeremy Alger after a Duncan chip kick and the second to Duncan himself after a great dummying run, both converted by Moses, blew the score out to 30-14.

Milton still had some fight in them and after three successive penalties veteran prop Mick Blattner crashed over under the posts for Sherwin to add the extras and the visitors had a glimmer of hope at 30-20.

But it was to be the Knights day and in the 68th minute a great break by centre Scott Morris and good support play by Gunning led to prop Luke Gilmore crashing over out wide and only two minutes later a great run by Gunning saw Morris slide through threat-bare defence out wide to score in the corner.

The rout was completed with the Knights third try in seven minutes when De Jagar gathered a Scot Morris chip kick to score under the posts before the Dogs scored a late consolation try through centre Mark Laws.

In a great team performance Mark Duncan, Ryan Gunning, Scott Morris, Joel Moses and Kal Baird were best in a dominant Knights side, while Greg Sherwin, Paul Winshuttle and Mick Blattner tried hard to rally their team.