Sunday 5 July 2020 12:49, UK
The Newcastle Knights held on for a thrilling 14-12 win over Manly Sea Eagles while the Rabbitohs beat the Bulldogs 26-10.
A injury-ridden Knights held off Manly to claim a 14-12 win at Lottoland, as the game ended in controversy when Sea Eagles prop Addin Fonua-Blake and Jake Trbojevic were sent off for dissent.
Fonua-Blake and lock Trbojevic had been arguing with referee Grant Atkins over the decision not to rule a penalty try to winger Tevita Funa right on full time.
Funa looked to have been taken out off the ball after he put in a grubber metres out from the try line in a final effort play to steal the match.
However, after Atkins had sent it for review, it was ruled there was no grounds for a penalty or penalty try, and Atkins was immediately surrounded by frustrated Manly players as the game ended.
It was the second time the Sea Eagles thought they had scored the winner after skipper Daly Cherry-Evans touched down in the 67th minute, but replays showed Danny Levi had knocked-on earlier before Cherry-Evans had scooped up the loose ball.
Kalyn Ponga opened up the scoring for the Knights with an early penalty and they extended their lead to 8-0 when Andrew McCullough went over from dummy-half.
Manly hit back when Daly-Evans - who had been sinbinned for impeding - returned to the field and scored. However, the Knights went into the break 14-6 up after Kurt Mann scored right on the stroke of half-time.
The Sea Eagles closed the gap to two points with 15 minutes remaining, but the Knights held them off before the final-whistle drama unfolded.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs beat the Bulldogs 26-10 in a brutal contest at Bankwest Stadium with both sides suffering more injury woes.
The Rabbitohs lost Braidon Burns with a kneecap dislocation while Canterbury's Adam Elliot went off with a shoulder injury.
The visitors got off to a good start when Alex Johnston showed his pace by finishing off a long range effort started by Latrell Mitchell.
Adam Reynolds extended the Rabbitohs to 8-0 lead with a penalty goal in the 26th minute, before the Bulldogs hit back three minutes from halftime when Marcelo Montoya scored.
The Rabbitohs scored early in the second half when Jaydn Su'A was on the end of Adam Reynolds kick to extend their lead to eight points.
The Bulldogs made the most of three repeat sets to force a goal line drop out and Raymond Faitala-Mariner powered over.
However, the Rabbitohs went up a gear with Cody Walker and Dane Gagai both scoring late on - the latter being an length of the field intercept try to seal the win.
