Storm, Knights yet to trouble scorers

The round nine NRL encounter between Melbourne and Newcastle was surprisingly scoreless at half-time at Olympic Park on Monday evening.

The Knights came into the encounter having lost their previous three matches at 'the graveyard' by a combined 114-6.

But the visitors more than held their own against the reigning premiers in an exciting opening 40 minutes.

Hearts were in the mouths of New South Wales selectors early on with Knights full-back Kurt Gidley and Storm prop Brett White both providing injury scares.

Test utility Gidley, who has been touted as the Blues half-back but will definitely feature somewhere in the side, received a head knock and it was feared he had sustained a broken cheekbone.

But he soldiered on and the extent of any injury is not yet clear.

White meanwhile was forced into the dressing rooms early on with what was a suspected broken collar bone.

But his injury was not as bad as first thought and he was able to rejoin the game.

Both sides came close to scoring late in the half with Test full-back Billy Slater pulling off a try-saving tackle on a rampaging Gidley.

Minutes later Cooper Vuna dragged Steve Turner over the sideline just before the corner post when it appeared certain he would score.