In a see-sawing game of great attacking football the NYC Newcastle Knights beat the Manly Sea Eagles 30-24 at Hunter Stadium on ANZAC Day.
Despite trailing with 15 minutes to play, the young red and blues scored two late tries to earn competition points for the fifth week running. Hooker Joe Morris was a standout for the Knights, scoring two tries as well as making nine runs and 30 tackles.
Nine minutes in Manly scored first points on the back of a break, halfback Cade Cust spinning out of a tackle to score and five-eighth Nicholas Hynes making the conversion.
Three minutes later the away side was over again, Hynes throwing a cut-out pass for winger Jayden El-Jalkh to score.
With 16 minutes played the Knights kicked into gear, hooker Morris wrestling through the line to score his fifth try of 2016. Brock Lamb converted, and soon after the Knights added more points to their tally when Matt Soper-Lawler used his raw pace to dive over in the corner.
Lamb did well to get the two points from the sideline and put the Knights into the lead for the first time, but three minutes before half time Manly struck back via winger Harlan Collins.
Five minutes into the second half Morris collected his second of the afternoon when he scooted over from dummy-half, and the Knights again went into the lead with Lamb converting.
Both teams were proving dangerous in attack though, and Manly again struck back in the 54th minute when centre Brad Parker ran through a hole.
Hynes grabbed his second with 20 minutes to play to make the score 24-18, but the Knights continued to build pressure in possession and the tide eventually turned.
Fullback Nick Meaney broke through the line to run 20 metres and score in the 66th minute, and then five minutes later Lamb dummied his way through the defence to put the Knights back into the lead.
With the score poised at 30-24 and seconds left to play, Manly centre Parker made an 80 metre break down the touchline that looked as though it could again swing the momentum of the game.
Meaney showed great pace to keep up with him though, and put in a tackle that saw the Knights keep their lead and win the game.
SUMMARY
Knights 30 (T: Morris 2, Soper-Lawler, Meaney, Lamb; G: Lamb 5/5) defeat Manly 24 (T: Cust, El-Jalkl, Collins, Parker, Hynes; G: Hynes 2/4)
