The Knights finally ended a 19-match winless streak by securing an eight-point win over the gallant but injury-ravaged Titans this afternoon.
The Knights raced out to a 12-nil lead and looked very comfortable, but the Titans to their credit didn’t give in and recovered well to lead 26-22 late in the second half despite only having one man on their bench.
Newcastle though sensed that the Titans were tiring as some poor errors gifted the Knights field position that they would never relinquish as Ross and Mata’utia scored two late tries to seal the two competition points for the home side.
It was an admirable effort from the Titans but the cost of this defeat is high with Jarryd Hayne, Anthony Don and Karl Lawton suffering what appear to be serious injuries. The Knights meanwhile are back in the winner’s circle and they are a team that is not worth underestimating anymore.
Hayne limped from the field after a collision with Trent Hodkinson in the 28th minute, while winger Don suffered a suspected pectoral tear not long after. Lawton then busted his shoulder moments before halftime.
Despite their injuries, Gold Coast appeared headed for a famous victory when Konrad Hurrell scored his second try to break a 22-22 deadlock with 10 minutes remaining.
But Knights centre Peter Mata’utia crashed over from a Hodkinson inside ball in the 75th minute to reclaim the lead, before Nathan Ross sealed the win on fulltime.
The victory broke a 336-day drought between their last win, delighting the 12,869 crowd.
Both sides started tentatively before back-to-back tries from short range to Brendan Elliot and Jack Stockwell kicked the home team away to an early advantage.
But a sensational try to Hurrell instantly swung momentum to the visitors. He pounced on a Don ‘hail Mary” from over the deadball line in the 28th minute.
Lawton then made the most of an Ash Taylor offload before debutant Tyronne Roberts-Davis finished off a pass from cousin Tyrone Roberts just before halftime.
Ross and Titans forward Joe Greenwood traded early four-pointers in the second half, the latter already an early contender for try of the season.
The play started on the halfway line and then went through 12 sets of hands and two kicks before it found Greenwood to give the Titans a shock four-point lead.
A try to Knights rookie Sam Stone was cancelled out by Hurrell’s second four-pointer, however some poor kicking from the Titans led to the Knights prevailing late.
With AAP.
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