NY KNIGHTS 2009 AMNRL CHAMPIONS!

Warriors find redemption in last quarter win over Knights


In a stunning come from behind victory that welcomed the New York Knights to their new home turf at Ken Strong Stadium, the New Haven Warriors defeated the Knights 34-25 in the final minutes. The Knights twice beat New Haven last year in similar fashion, including a tight playoff elimination match. The Knights' squad held the ascendancy for much of the match, but the Warriors were resilient and stormed home thanks to two key tries from Damien O'Malveny in the final quarter.

Said head coach, Guillaume Cieutat right after the match, "We expected nothing but a hard match against the Warriors. The match was in our hands. We thought we had it, but let New Haven took it away...We look forward to our next match against them."

Scorers for the Knights included rookies Fitzjames Adams, set up by US representative Mike Cartwright and Australian native Andrew Le Breton. Other try scorers included 2009 AMNRL MVP and all-time single season try leader Luke Hume (2) in his second season, and Ryan 'Seacrest' Armbrust who scored off of a beautiful high ball from the foot of US representative Sean Taylor. Taylor also forced a fumble against Warriors' star Ewan Robinson in the beginning of the second half with a tackle that could be heard throughout the stadium. Todd Fisher went 4-4 on conversions, and also potted a field goal for one point to put the Knights in the lead at halftime.

The Warriors' try scorers included Ewan Robinson who charged through the Knights defense, then giant Wesley Haughton scored an impressive try, breaking multiple tackles for a 30+ meter run. Hard running 2008 AMNRL MVP Siose Muliumi scored twice, including the try that put the Warriors back into the game. Damien O`Malveny scored the final two tries; one the final tie breaker and another key try in the final moments that sent the Knights to reflect on their prospects this year compared to last.

It was a disappointing afternoon for the Knights, but it gave them an indication of the challenges that face them in the 2010 Championship. The Warriors were without their new recruits and will only improve. This match continued the build the fierce rivalry between the two clubs. Knights players' MVP for the match was Sean 'Babyface' Taylor for his punishing defence and hard-running, as well as setting up the Ryan Armbrust try. Rookies Adams and Armbrust also offered glimmers of hope for the Knights future.

In the B team match against the Warriors, the Knights unearthed some new talent with a number of players starring on debut. In his first rugby league game, Knights players' B team MVP Josh Williams used his size and speed to exploit several opportunities down the right wing. Closer to the ruck, hard running Jack Dunn proved hard to handle, also starring in his first appearance for the Knights. Other notable performances were from tackling machine Olof Matti and Nick 'the Greek' Mastrogeorgiou for his 50 meter run to the tryline. The match was played in great spirit and was great for the development of players in both teams.