Moon Tennis – Australian Open

Moon Tennis

Australian Open

Ladies Singles Final

Caroline Wozniacki finally became a Grand Slam Champion after an epic three sets victory over Simona Halep. The Dane needed a tie-break to take the first set in a battle that would also determine who would become World number 1. Halep got a break early in the second set to force a decider winning the second set 6-3 playing some exceptional tennis.

It was Wozniacki who this time would prevail in the end however. She needed a medical time out at 4-3 down which she afterwards said gave her chance to re-focus and then reeled off three games in a row to take the title 6-4. The 27 year old has had a string of finals losses on the WTA tour over the last year, but finally gets over the line in the big one. For Halep, surely a Grand Slam of her own is not far away, but it was not to be this time.

Mens Singles Final

Roger Federer was taken all the way to a deciding set by Marin Cilic but in the end claimed his 20th Grand Slam title. Cilic started poorly with Federer taking the first set 6-2. Cilic settled in the second to force a tie break and got himself back in contention winning it to level the score. Federer got the only break in the third in the sixth game and went on to take the third set 6-3.

Federer got a break early in the fourth and had a point for a double break as he began to look like he was cruising to the title. But Cilic fought right back, saving the break point and then breaking Federer in the next game. In an incredible spell Cilic broke again eventually taking Set 4 by 6-3 to force a decider. The final set proved a letdown after the promise of what had gone before. Federer broke twice to take the final set easily 6-1 as the effort of the Croat finally took it’s toll. 

The legend of Federer continues. 20 Grand Slams and plenty of evidence there could be more to come yet from this top class athlete.

Moon Of Liberty Tennis Results

Australian Open

Ladies Singles Final

AT MELBOURNE PARK, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA< AUSTRALIA

Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) Beat Simona Halep (Romania)

2-1 (7-6 3-6 6-4)

Full Report (The Guardian)

Australian Open

Men’s Singles Final

AT MELBOURNE PARK, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA< AUSTRALIA

Roger Federer (Switzerland) Beat Marin Cilic (Croatia)

3-2 (6-2 6-7 6-3 3-6 6-1)

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Moon On Sunday Cricket – 1st ODI Australia v England

MOON CRICKET

England Tour of Australia

1ST ODI AT THE MCG, MELBOURNE,VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA

Australia 304-8 (50) (Finch 107 Stoinis 60 M Marsh 50)

England 308-5 (48.5) (Roy 180 Root 91*)

ENGLAND WIN BY 5 WICKETS

ENGLAND LEAD THE SERIES 1-0

England put their test disaster behind them to remind the world they are a serious force in the one day game. Australia batted first with Aaron Finch getting a century (107) supported by Marcus Stoinis (60) and Mitchell Marsh (50) as the hosts posted 304. Opener Jason Roy set about the chase hitting 5 sixes in his brilliant 180 to put England right in contention. Joe Root backed it up with 91 Not Out to lead the visitors home with 7 balls to spare. It’s clear the One Day series will be much more for a contest than the Ashes was and the Barmy Army finally have a win to cheer.

Full Report (Cricbuzz)

Moon Of Liberty Star Man

Jason Roy (England)

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Moon of Liberty Darts – PDC Melbourne Open

PDC World Darts

Melbourne Open Final – Taylor v Wright

Phil Taylor took another title in Australia winning the Melbourne Open Title by beating Scotsman Peter Wright. After blitzing home favourite Simon Whitlock in the Semi-Final Taylor went in odds on but after five holds of throw to start, it was Wright who struck first, Taylor missed double 19 with Wright on 81 and he took it out to earn the first break of throw and a 4-2 lead.

Taylor then hit back with a series of power legs to take six of the next seven legs and an 8-5 lead. Wright held in the next then hit a double-double finish with two double 18’s to break back and then hold to level at 8-8. Wright would not take another leg though, Taylor broke again then took out a 112 finish in leg 18 to take a 10-8 lead and go one away. 

Wright was beaten at this point and Taylor broke again to take the match 11-8. Taylor has only lost once in Australia in a happy hunting ground. He will try and double up next week and make it an Australian Double as the tour heads out west to Perth.

Report (PDC.tv)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

PDC Darts Results

PDC Melbourne Open Darts Final 

At The Hisense Arena, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phil Taylor (England) 11 – Peter Wright (Scotland) 8

2017 Melbourne Open Darts Champion – Phil Taylor (England)

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Moon Of Liberty Rugby League – Super League Round 3 & NRL Round 1

Rugby League

Super League Round 3

Super League Round Up

Castleford Tigers shot to the top of Super League with a 12 try demolition of Leeds. Greg Eden and Greg Minkin both got hat tricks as the Tigers ran out 66-10 winners. After a mixed start Hull hit their stride running up a 48-8 win at Huddersfield. Marc Sneyd controlled the game as he got a hat trick of tries and scored a total of 28 points. Mason Caton-Brown got both of Wakefield’s tries as they scored their first win of the season in a 16-12 upset at Langtree Park against ST Helens.

Rock solid defense was the foundation for Champions Wigan. Anthony Gelling went over twice in a 20-0 shut out of Leigh. Salford came from behind to heap more misery on Warrington. The Wolves last years Grand Finalists sit at the bottom of the table as Junior Sa’u got two of four tries for Salford in their 24-14 win. Finally it was all square in Perpingnon as Catalan and Widnes drew 14-14. Rhys Hanbury’s late score capped Widnes comeback from 14-0 down.

Scores and match report links (Rugby-League.com)

NRL Round 1

NRL Round Up

The NRL kicked off with Champions Cronulla going down to defeat against Brisbane. Jordan Kahu got a try and 12 points in the Broncos 26-18 win. Two tries n the firs six minutes from Cheyes Blair and Suniasi Vunivalu was enough for Melbourne despite not scoring again in the rest of the game to take a 12-6 win over Canterbury in the rain. Mitchell Moses was the general for Western Suburbs with a try and 14 points as the Tigers won a comfortable 34-18 victory over South Sydney. Joel Thompson got a hat trick and Gareth Widdop got two tries and a total of 22 points as St George/Illawarra thrashed Penrith scoring seven tries.

North Queensland scored a surprise 20-16 win in golden point overtime with Gavin Cooper getting the winning score. Latrell Mitchell got a hat trick for Sydney City as they eased past Gold Coast 32-18. The New Zealand Warriors got off to a winning start beating last years bottom side Newcastle in a tight game by 26-22. David Fusitu’a got a first half hat trick for the Warriors but two tries from Nathan Ross brought Newcastle level. The winning score seven minutes from time came from Ryan Hoffman. The round ended with Parramatta beating Manly 20-12. Clint Gutherson scored one of the Eels three tries and collected a total of 12 points.

Scores and match report links (NRL.com)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

Rugby League Results

Super League Round 3

Huddersfield Giants 8 – Hull 48 – At The John Smiths Stadium, Huddersfield

Castleford Tigers 66 – Leeds Rhinos 10 – At The Jungle, Castleford

ST Helens 12 – Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 16 – At Langtree Park, ST Helens

Wigan Warriors 20 – Leigh Centurions 0 – At The DW Stadium, Wigan

Catalan Dragons 14 – Widnes Vikings 14 – At The Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan, France

Salford Red Devils 24 – Warrington Wolves 14 – At AJ Bell Stadium, Salford

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Marc Sneyd (Hull)

NRL Round 1

Cronulla Sharks 18 – Brisbane Broncos 26 – Southern Cross Group Stadium, Woolooware, New South Wales

Canterbury Bulldogs 6 – Melbourne Storm 12 – Belmore Sports Ground, Belmore, New South Wales

South Sydney Rabbitohs 18 – Western Suburb Tigers 34 – ANZ Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales

ST George/Illawarra Dragons 42 – Penrith Panthers 10 – WIN Jubilee Oval, Sydney, New South Wales

North Queensland Cowboys 20 – Canberra Raiders 16 – 13000 Smiles Stadium, Townsville, Queensland

Gold Coast Titans 18 – Sydney City Roosters 32 – Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Queensland

New Zealand Warriors 26 – Newcastle Knights 22 – At The Mount Smart Stadium, Penrose, Auckland

Manly Sea Eagles 12 – Parramatta Eels 20 – Brookvale Oval, Brookvale, New South Wales

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Joel Thompson (ST George/Illawarra Dragons)

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Moon Of Liberty Tennis – Australian Open 2017

Australian Open Tennis 2017

Women’s Singles Final – S Williams v V Williams

Serena powers to a record 23rd major title

Serena Williams is the most successful woman in the modern era surpassing Steffi Graf to claim her 23rd major grand slam title. Despite her sister Venus playing as well as she has in some time to reach this final she was no  match for her older sister’s power and speed. A break in each set was enough was Serena to claim her seventh Australian title, itself a record. How many more can she win? On this form in which she has won the title without dropping a set, there could be plenty more to come yet.

Full Report (Daily Telegraph)

Men’s Singles Final – Federer v Nadal

Federer claims 5th Melbourne title winning epic battle of the old masters

The fall of the likes of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray opened the way for two old rivals and masters of the game to meet once again in a grand slam final. The contest between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal did not disappoint. The first two sets were shared but it looked like Federer had taken control powering through the third set 6-1. The Spaniard was not done however. Federer made errors in the fourth game to let Nadal back in and he took advantage to break and lead 3-1 in the fourth. He served it out to take the fourth set 6-3 and ensure the crowd got the decider they wished for. Nadal continued the momentum, breaking in the first game of the final set to take the advantage. However Federer kept going and had break point in each of the next three service games of Nadal, at the third attempt he took one to get the score back to 3-3. 

After winning his next service game Federer then broke again to lead 5-3 and just one game away. Nadal kept fighting taking a 15-40 lead with two chances to break back. An ace and a stunning forehand winner allowed Federer to save both. Federer then had a Championship point saved but earned a second one. He then looked to hit a winner tight to the line to win it, Nadal challenged, the crowd waited, Hawkeye deemed the ball in and finally the Swiss had his 18th Grand Slam title. A fitting contest for a battle of this importance between to old masters we may never see again. 

Full Report (Sydney Morning Herald)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

Tennis Results

Australian Open Finals – At Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Women’s Singles Final

Serena Williams (USA) Beat Venus Williams (USA) – 2-0 (6-4 6-4)

Men’s Singles Final

Roger Federer (Switzerland) Beat Rafael Nadal (Spain) – 3-2 (6-4 3-6 6-1 3-6 6-3)

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Moon Of Liberty Cricket – One Day Internationals

One Day Cricket

ODI Game 1 – India v England in Pune

Kohli and Jadhav set up India in monster run chase

India completed a huge chase of 350 to take the first ODI against England in Pune. England may have thought they had a winning score on the board with Jason Roy Joe Root and Ben Stokes all making half centuries. However the fact nobody went on to make a hundred ultimately left them short. In reply Virat Kohli hit his 27th ODI hundred with 5 sixes and Kedar Jadhav hit 120 scoring his half century off only 29 balls to put India in contention. England did not take enough wickets and Handik Pandya with 40 not out was there at the end to finish off what Kohli and Jadhav had set up, hitting a six to win it with 11 balls to spare and continue India’s run as England are yet to beat India at any level on tour so far.

Full Report (Cricbuzz)

ODI Game 2 – Australia v Pakistan in Melbourne

Hafeez takes advantage of poor Australian batting

Pakistan have made a fist of their ODI series against Australia with victory in Melbourne. Australia never had enough on the board with only Steve Smith getting a half century in a total of 220. Mohammad Hafeez played the key knock of 72 to keep Pakistan ahead of the run chase and they got home with 14 balls to spare. The first win in a contest of any sort for Pakistan on this tour which will be a confidence boost for the rest of this series.

Full Report (Cricbuzz)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

Cricket scores

ODI Game 1 – At Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, India

India v England

England – 350/7 – (50 Overs) – (Root 78, Roy 73. Stokes 62)

India – 356/7 – (48.1 Overs) – (Kohli 122, Jadhav 120, Ball 3-67)

India win by 3 Wickets

India Lead the series 1-0

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN –Virat Kohli (India)

ODI Game 2 – At The MCG, Melbourne, Victoria

Australia v Pakistan

Australia – 220 – (48.2 Overs) – (Smith 60, Amir 3-47)

Pakistan – 221/4 – (47.4 Overs) – (Hafeez 72)

Pakistan win by 6 Wickets

Series Tied 1-1

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN –Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan)

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Moon Of Liberty Cricket – Aus v Pak 1st & 2nd Tests

Cricket

1st Test Match – Australia v Pakistan

1st Inning centuries set the tone in thriller

1st Innings centuries from Steve Smith and Peter Handscomb set the tone for Australia to take a 1-0 lead against Pakistan at the Gabba. Superb bowling spells from Jackson Bird and Josh Hazlewood then ensured Pakistan collapsed to 142 all out and despite a spirited fight in the 2nd innings including a century from Sharfraz Ahmed, They fell just 39 runs short of an incredible comeback and what would have been a record final inning total.

Full Report (Cricbuzz)

2nd Test Match – Australia v Pakistan

Smith and Warner put Pakistan’s bowling to the sword

Despite scoring over 400 in their first innings and a double century from Azhar Ali, Pakistan could not stop the power of Australia as Steve Smith (165 not out) continued his brilliant for to hit another century aided by David Warner (144) and Mitchel Starc (83) as the Aussies hit 624. Starc then delivered with the ball with four wickets to help bowl Pakistan out for a mere 163 to take a 2-0 lead and a win by an innings and 19 runs.

Full Report (Cricbuzz)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

CRICKET

1st Test Match – At The Gabba, Brisbane, Queensland

Australia v Pakistan

Australia – 1st Inns – 429/10 – (Smith 130, Handscomb 105, Renshaw 71, Amir 4-97)

Pakistan – 1st Inns – 142/10 – (Ahmed 59*, Hazlewood 3-22, Bird 3-23)

Australia – 2nd Inns – 205/5 Dec – (Khawaja 74, Smith 63)

Pakistan – 2nd Inns – 450/10 – (Shafiq 137, Ali 71, Khan 65. Starc 4-119)

Australia win by 39 Runs

Australia Lead the Series 1-0

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Steve Smith (Australia)

2nd Test Match – At The MCG, Melbourne, Victoria

Australia v Pakistan

Pakistan – 1st Inns – 443/9 Dec – (Ali 205*, S Khan 65, Shafiq 50, Hazlewood 3-50)

Australia – 1st Inns – 624/8 Dec – (Smith 165*, Warner 144, Strac 84, Handscomb 54, S Khan 3-131)

Pakistan – 2nd Inns – 163-10 – (Ali 43, Ahmed 43, Starc 4-36)

Australia win by an Innings & 18 runs

Australia Lead the Series 2-0

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Steve Smith (Australia)

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Moon Of Liberty Rugby League – NRL Round 26

Rugby League

NRL Round 26 round up

The Brisbane Broncos kicked off the final week of the regular season taking good form into the play offs with a 24-14 win over Sydney City including 12 points and a try from Anthony Milford. By contrast Canterbury go into the play offs with a loss, two tries from Joe Burgess helped South Sydney to a surprise 28-10 win. A last minute Gareth Widdop Penalty earned ST George a 28-26 win over bottom side Newcastle who have only won one game all season. Gold Coast did not get the win they needed to ensure a play off spot, losing 32-16 to North Queensland. Johnathan Thurston kicked a perfect 6 for 6 to contribute 12 points for the Cowboys who had already qualified sealed a top four spot with the win. Gold Coast now needed Canberra to beat Western Suburbs.

In the big battle for top spot Melbourne came out on top against Cronulla. Two first half tries from Cheyse Blair gave Melbourne control that they never let go, running out 26-6 winners to take spot and the advantages that go with it into the play offs.Given the Gold Coast’s defeat Wests Tigers had the chance to make the play offs, but failed as Canberra demolished them. Jordan Rapana and Josh Papalii both scored twice. Jarrod Crocker also got 16 points including a try as the Raiders scored a total of nine tries in a 52-10 win the means Gold Coast will take part in the play offs. In the final games Parramatta won in New Zealand 40-18 with a hat trick from Bevan French and finally the Penrith Panthers warmed up for the play offs with a big 36-6 win over Manly. Josh Mansour went over twice and Nathan Cleary kicked all six conversions.

Reports – Broncos v Roosters (ABC Australia)  Bulldogs v Rabbitohs (Stuff.co.nz) Dragons v Knights (ABC Australia)  Cowboys v Titans (Sydney Morning Herald)  Storm v Sharks (ABC Australia)  Tigers v Raiders (the Roar) Warriors v Eels (Sydney Morning Herald)  Panthers v Sea Eagles (Fox Australia) 

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

RUGBY LEAGUE

NRL Round 26

Brisbane Broncos 24 – Sydney City Roosters 14 – At The Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Queensland

Canterbury Bulldogs 10 – South Sydney Rabbitohs 28 – At The ANZ Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales

ST George/Illawarra Dragons 28 – Newcastle Knights 26 – At The WIN Jubilee Oval, Sydney, New South Wales

North Queensland Cowboys 32 – Gold Coast Titans 16 – At The 13000 Smiles Stadium, Townsville, Queensland

Melbourne Storm 26 – Cronulla Sharks 6 – At AAMI Park, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, Victoria

Western Suburbs Tigers 10 – Canberra Raiders 52 – At The Leichhardt Oval, Leichhardt, New South Wales

New Zealand Warriors 18 – Parramatta Eels 40 – At The Mount Smart Stadium, Penrose, Auckland

Penrith Panthers 36 – Manly Sea Eagles 6 – At The Pepper Stadium, Penrith, New South Wales

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Cheyse Blair (Melbourne Storm)

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Moon Of Liberty Rugby League – NRL Round 25

Rugby League

NRL – Round 25

North Queensland opened round 25 with a 24-16 win over Canterbury helped by two tries from Ethan Lowe. Brisbane ruined Melbourne’s chances of securing the minor premiership top spot this week with a 26-16 win over the League leaders. Tom Opacic went over for two of the Broncos fives tries as Wayne Bennett’s side look in form heading towards the play-offs.The Green Machine of Canberra have secured third place in a high scoring 44-30 win over Manly. Jordan Rapana got a hat-trick for the Raiders. Penrith have secured their play-off place with a narrow win over Gold Coast. Matt Moylan’s drop goal with two minutes to go gave them a 15-14 win leaving Gold Coast’s own play off chances hanging in the balance going into the final weekend.

Given Melbourne’s loss Cronulla set up a final day showdown for top spot after thrashing Sydney City 37-12. Six tries and 11 points from James Maloney saw Cronulla move one point behind Melbourne, the two meet head to head next week.Western Suburbs kept their play-off hopes alive with a Sauaso Sue getting two tries in a 36-24 win in New Zealand. South Sydney thrashed bottom side Newcastle 34-12 with Alex Johnson going over twice. The round ended with ST George/Illwarra going down to Parramatta 30-18. Bevan French got a hat trick and Mike Gordon got 14 points including a try for the Eels. Neither side can make the play-off. This leaves two thing left to be decided. Melbourne meet Crounulla for top spot, and the final play-off place could go to either Gold Coast or Western Suburbs.

Reports – Canterbury v Nth Queensland (Fox Australia)  Melbourne v Brisbane (Courier Mail Manly v Canberra (ABC Australia)  Gold Coast v Penrith (ABC Australia)  NZ v Wests (Daily Telegraph Australia)  Cronulla v Sydney City (League Unlimited.com)  Newcastle v South Sydney (Daily Telegraph Australia)  Parramatta v ST George (Fox Australia)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

RUGBY LEAGUE

NRL – Round 25

Canterbury Bulldogs 16 – North Queensland Cowboys 24 – At  The Belmore Sports Groun, Sydney, New South Wales

Melbourne Storm 16 – Brisbane Broncos 26 – At AAMI Park, Olympic Boulevard, Melbourne, Victoria

Manly Sea Eagles 30 – Canberra Raiders 44 – At The Brookvale Oval, Brookvale, New South Wales 

Gold Coast Titans 14 – Penrith Panthers 15 – At Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Queensland 

New Zealand Warriors 24 – Western Suburbs Tigers 36 – At The Mount Smart Stadium, Penrose, Auckland

Cronulla Sharks 37 – Sydney City Roosters 12 – At The Southern Cross Group Stadium, Woolooware, New South Wales

Newcastle Knights 12 – South Sydney Rabbitohs 34 – At The Hunter Stadium, Neacastle, New South Wales

Parramatta Eels 30 – ST George/Illawarra Dragons 18 – At The Pirtek Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales

MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Jordan Rapana (Canberra Raiders)

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Moon Of Liberty Rugby League – NRL Round 23

Rugby League

NRL Round 23

South Sydney got a victory in New Zealand 41-22 against the Warriors. Joe Burgess got two of South Sydney’s six tries. Penrith also got six tries as they thrashed bottom side Newcastle 42-6 including two tries from Jake Mansour and 14 points from Nathan Cleary. Sydney City beat North Queensland 22-10 with the key try from Shaun Kenny-Dowall allowing the Roosters to move away after a tight contest.

The top two both suffered defeat. St George/Illawarra beat Cronulla 32-18 with two late tries from Tariq Sims sealing the victory. Melbourne could not take advantage as they ran into the NRL form team Canberra. Two tries from Joseph Leilua and 10 points from the boot of Jarrod Crocker saw the Raiders win 22-8. Canberra are in third but currently are playing the best Rugby in the NRL which is reinforced with this impressive win against the league leaders.

Reports –   ST George v Cronulla (Stuff.co.nz)   New Zealand v South Sydney (Stuff.co.nz)   Newcastle v Penrith (Leagueunlimited)  Sydney City v North Queensland (League Unlimited)  Canberra v Melbourne (Stuff.co.nz)

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MOON OF LIBERTY SCOREBOARD

RUGBY LEAGUE

NRL – Round 23

New Zealand Warriors 22 – South Sydney Rabbitohs 41 – At The Mount Smart Stadium, Penrose, Auckland

ST George/Illawarra Dragons 32 – Cronulla Sharks 18 – At WIN Jubilee Oval, Sydney, New South Wales

Newcastle Knights 6 – Penrith Panthers 42 – At The Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, New South Wales

Sydney City Roosters 22 – North Queensland Cowboys 10 – At Allianz Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales

Canberra Raiders 22 – Melbourne Storm 8 – At Gio Canberra Stadium, Bruce, Austalian Capital Terriroty

 MOON OF LIBERTY STAR MAN – Joseph Leilua (Canberra Raiders)