A thrilling finish saw the nib Newcastle Knights claim victory at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday, defeating the Gold Coast Titans 34-26.
Another brace for winger Nathan Ross led the Knights to a 22-point second half, 12 of those coming five minutes before the final siren in a dominant finish.
The Knights had the first chance when a pinpoint kick by five-eighth Brock Lamb just slipped through the hands of winger Ken Sio before waiting 18 minutes to put points on the board.
It came from new fullback Brendan Elliot, crashing through a Titans pack to cross the line, before teammate Jack Stockwell came from the bench to also roll over for a four-pointer.
Captain Trent Hodkinson finishied off both conversions for the Knights to lead the Titans 12-0.
In the 28th minute the Titans hit back with a flick-back ball from Anthony Don landed in the hands of Konrad Hurrell to score. Ash Taylor converted to get Gold Coast to within six points.
Sio crossed the line again but the video ref ruled a not try, for the Titans' hooker Karl Lawton to score on the visitor's next set. With Taylor's conversion, scores were locked at 12-all.
Unlucky for the red and blue, a no try for Knights’ centre
Pete Mata’utia was next to cross the line, but he too was denied by the video ref, before the Titans hit the lead for the first time in the match.
Tyrone Roberts put winger Tyronne Roberts-Davis over in the corner and the Titans took a 16-12 lead into the break.
Minutes into the second half, a perfect looping pass from Elliot allowed Ross to get his third try in two matches to level scores, before a ball travelling from one side of the field to the other seeing Joe Greenwood cross the line again for the Titans.
In his first home match for the red and blues, local junior Sam Stone scored his first NRL try and the Knights took a two-point lead.
The Titans kicked a penalty goal minutes later to made it 22-all with under 20 minutes to play.
Lamb was assisted from the field after colliding with teammate Stone, before Hurrell got his second for Gold Coast with 12 minutes to play.
In a thrilling last five minutes, Pete Mata’utia got the Knights back in front when he barged his way over in the 75th minute.
Minutes later, Ross cemented the victory when he claimed his second try to take the red and blue to a 34-26 final score.
SUMMARY
Newcastle Knights 34 (T: Ross 2, Elliot, Stockwell, Stone, P Mata'utia, G: Hodkinson 5/6)
Gold Coast Titans 26 T: Hurrell 2, Lawton, Roberts-David, Greenwood, G: Taylor 2/5, P: 1)
