Scott promises hitman tactics to continue

An unforgiving Beau Scott says Newcastle will continue to target the NRL’s best playmakers after shutting Peter Wallace out of the game in their 26-14 win over Penrith.

After the match Wallace admitted his ribs were feeling sore but the unbeaten Knights maintain their tactics are within the rules of the game.

Coach Rick Stone said he would offer no apologies for the way Scott, Joey Leilua and Jeremy Smith put Wallace on his backside whenever possible, cutting down his decision-making time.

Scott flirted with suspensions and created headlines after he did a job on North Queensland’s Johnathan Thurston a fortnight ago, hitting him late and tipping him in a tackle in Newcastle’s 16-14 victory.

The backrower said the targeting of playmakers was not something the team worked on but said they would continue with it as it had contributed to their unbeaten start to the season.

“We don’t sit down and say ‘we’re going to sit down and get to Peter Wallace and do whatever we need to do’. But he’s in the halves so if we limit the opportunities he has it’s going to work for us,” Scott told AAP.

“Because they’re not going to be able to score the points to win the game.”

Stone said unsettling playmakers had been a part of rugby league for 100 years and predicted it wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

“I think that’s what you try to do to most playmakers,” Stone said.

“Wally’s a decent player, he kicks most of the time for them and it’s our job to put some pressure on them.

“We did that pretty well today, within the rules I think.

“Last time we got some flak over that sort of stuff but I think we were well and truly within the rules.”

The Panthers said they had no problems with Scott’s tactics.

“They were pretty good. They put pressure on the kicker, pressured the ball-players and to their credit they were good and we weren’t,” Wallace said.

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