The Newcastle Knights made it four wins from six, across their pathways teams at the weekend, with only the Tarsha Gale and SG Ball sides going down.

It capped off a strong few days for the club, with the Telstra Premiership outfit also accounting for arch-rivals Manly at 4 Pines Park.

SUNDAY

NSW CUP – KNIGHTS d MANLY 46-24

The Newcastle Knights ran away with a 46-24 win over Manly in round two of the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup at 4 Pines Park.

Newcastle opened the scoring when winger Logan Aoake finished off a well-constructed attacking set that began through dummy-half Matthew Arthur.

Arthur was a constant menace around the ruck early, probing through the middle and linking neatly with his forwards before the Knights shifted the ball left through Kyle McCarthy, whose composed play created the space for Aoake to dive over in the corner.

The early try handed Newcastle a 6-0 lead.

Arthur continued to cause headaches for the Manly defence throughout the match, repeatedly challenging the line and creating opportunities through his ability to carry the ball and connect with runners around him.

His influence through the middle became a major factor as the Knights began to take control of the contest.

While Jackson Hastings and Tyson Gamble shared much of the playmaking responsibility, it was the latter who stamped his authority on the match in the second half.

A beautifully-timed cut-out pass created space for James Schiller out wide, while a clever grubber kick that led to a field goal highlighted the composure Newcastle displayed as they pulled away on the scoreboard.

Manly had its moments in the opening 40, with Joey Walsh and Braith Alexander looking dangerous whenever they found space.

But, their opportunities dried up once Newcastle began to dominate possession and field position after the break.

The turning point of the game arrived on the half-time siren.

Trailing 18–6 and facing a significant deficit, the Knights showed great awareness to shift the ball through the hands.

A block play movement initiated by Hastings eventually found Schiller in space, with the winger finishing in the corner to close the gap heading into the break.

That late try proved pivotal, swinging the momentum firmly in Newcastle’s favour and setting the platform for a dominant second half performance that ultimately sealed a convincing 46–24 victory, with Manly unable to gain any real ascendancy over a hungrier Knights outfit.

JERSEY FLEGG CUP – KNIGHTS d MANLY 16-14

A seesawing contest saw the Knights’ defensive resilience and scramble thwart a fast-finishing Manly side in the closing stages.

Newcastle held a narrow 4-0 lead going into the interval in what was very much an arm wrestle that tested the patience of both sides.

The Knights struck early in the second half through Zahn McKay, before Manly responded within the space of 10 minutes with back-to-back tries to take a 12-8 lead and gain the ascendency.

A try to Newcastle’s William Bates levelled the scores at 12-all before Te Kaio Cranwell sealed the result for the Knights just moments from full-time, securing two valuable competition points on the road.

SATURDAY – JUNIOR REPS

SG BALL CUP – PANTHERS d KNIGHTS 20-18

Knights coach Matt Lantry was reflective when accounting for his side’s tight loss to Penrith in their round six clash at St Marys on Saturday.

“At the end of the day while being a two-point margin, we really didn’t quite perform to where we wanted to be and it’s another week of lessons learnt for this group of young men,” he said.

“We certainly had our opportunities and we continued to be the better side for many of the different cycles in the match, but we didn’t ice the key moments.”

Newcastle made the perfect start when Ryder Croswell crossed in just the third minute, before Penrith responded shortly after through Hunter Bell to lock the scores early.

The Knights then took control of the contest through the middle, with tries to Diesel Hagan and Chase Butler helping Newcastle establish an 18-10 half-time lead in what had become a physical arm wrestle.

Penrith hit back after the break, with Thomas Goodfield and Ellyjah Birve crossing to reclaim the lead for the home side.

Despite late attacking opportunities, the Knights were unable to land the final blow as the Panthers held on for a narrow two-point victory.

A key talking point in the match was the referee’s decision not to rule play-on from a Kingston Seve break, a moment many felt proved costly for the Knights.

However, Lantry remained measured in his response.

“It was a key call and that’s a call the referee made,” he said.

“We can only control the variables that we have and at the end of the day we need to be better going into the final series.”

HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP – KNIGHTS d PANTHERS 24-10

The Newcastle Knights produced a strong all-round performance to defeat the Panthers 24-10 in their Harold Matthews Cup clash.

Knights coach Matt McLaren was ecstatic with the effort from his young team as they maintained their unbeaten run.

“Super proud of the boys today mate, they were huge,” he said.

“We stuck to our game plan and we spoke about being consistent all week in the build-up and they delivered against a quality side.”

Newcastle made the perfect start when Kade McKay crossed in just the second minute to give the visitors early momentum.

Penrith responded shortly after through Zack Fitzgerald in the 10th minute, but the Knights regained control before half-time.

Tries to Oliver Lawrence and Riley Rostron helped Newcastle establish an 8-4 lead at the break in what had been a physical contest through the middle.

The Knights lifted another gear after the interval.

Malachi Faavae-Eli and Nate Vincent both crossed in the second half as Newcastle began to assert their authority, with Ty Ennis adding two conversions to extend the margin.

Penrith did manage a late try through Ezekiel Tutaia, but the Knights’ defensive effort ensured Newcastle closed out a deserved 24-10 victory.

In the women’s divisions, the Knights kept their unblemished record in the Lisa Fiaola Cup intact, downing Penrith 24-18 in a tight affair.

However, Newcastle succumbed to a red-hot Panthers outfit in the Tarsha Gale Cup 22-16, with a late try to Panthers centre Mylei Palmer-Vaivao proving the difference alongside Penrith’s defensive resolve to hold out late Newcastle raids.

The results capped off an impressive weekend for the Knights across all levels, with the club’s pathways system once again showing its strength.

From junior representatives through to NSW Cup and the NRL side, Newcastle’s depth continues to shine as another generation of Knights push their case for the future.

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• GALLERY… Milligan confident Jets will ‘bounce back’ after rare defeat
• Greta-Branxton advances to Coalfields Cup decider

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