Benji in command as Dragons slay Knights

NEWCASTLE ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 18 30 ST George Illawarra climbed into the top eight and Benji Marshall pushed his case for a new contract in a 30-18 win against hapless Newcastle at Hunter Stadium yesterday.

Marshall, the 31-year-old playmaker who faces an uncertain future with the Dragons beyond recruit representative players Trent Merrin and James Tamou in the past 18 months, while luring English Super League Man of Steel Zak Hardaker to the club on loan for the remainder of this season.

The Panthers traded James this season, scored a try and had a hand in three others to remind everyone that he is far from a spent force.

Against the NRL’s worst defensive team, the Dragons made the most of the chance to enhance their attacking statistics and advance, temporarily at least, from 10th to sixth on the ladder.

The most points the Dragons had previously scored in any game this season was in their Segeyaro to Leeds and paid the club a £40,000 (NZ$75,000) transfer fee to lure Hardaker to Penrith for the rest of the season.

Hardaker has somewhat of a chequered history off the field, but his father will make the trek across to Sydney with him to 34-24 loss to South Sydney in round 11.

It was Newcastle ninth successive defeat. They trailed 22-6 at halftime and were lucky the deficit was not worse, after Gareth Widdop converted only one of the Dragons’ five first-half tries.

Hoping to stem the flow of points, Knights coach Nathan Brown reshuffled his backline during the break, switching Dane ensure a smooth transition to the NRL. The Englishman is likely to slot into the centre position, given Kiwi internationals Peta Hiku and Dean Whare are out through injury.

While Jamie Soward still has another year to run on his con- Gagai to fullback and moving Peter Mata’utia from custodian to left-side centre.

But it took only five minutes of the second stanza for Marshall to again show his class, popping a perfect short ball for back-rower Joel Thompson to crash over.

The Knights played the last minute with 12 men after Nathan Ross was sin-binned. SUN-HERALD tract, the English Super League is looming as an option for the Panthers playmaker.

Veteran halfback Peter Wallace, who appeared certain to be moved on after this year, is now set to be rewarded with a new oneyear deal.