'Open the sin-bin, you're about to be filled'

Author: Newcastle Knights
Timestamp: Thu 21 Mar 2019, 08:01 AM

"Open the sin-bin, you're about to be filled."

They were the words of Fox Sports commentator Matt Russell as referee Ben Cummings put 10 fingers in the air and sent four players for early showers.

For a brief moment, the biff was back.

It was the 76th minute of the nib Newcastle Knights Round 23 victory over the Penrith Panthers.

Guerra: Plastic bags flying; then fists were flying!

Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Penrith's Viliame Kikau were involved in a heated push and shove.

Danny Levi and Tyrone May joined in on their own battle after SKD and Kikau's feud boiled over, further escalating the ever growing tension between the two teams on this sunny Sunday afternoon in Penrith.

There was a huddle of players on the Knights 10-metre line and most of the players had a grasp of another man's jersey.

That was until SKD and Kikau got involved again, being the third and forth players to throw-down.

The Knights received the penalty as the four players were on their path towards the sheds.

Moments later, Aidan Guerra narrowly avoided being struck in the back of the head, after a fan threw Mitchell Pearce's touch-finder towards the Knights' bench.

This day really had it all.

The man was escorted from the ground by security officials.

In a game overshadowed by adversity, play was dominated by Newcastle from start to finish in their 20-12 victory which saw Kalyn Ponga torment the Panthers' defensive line whilst wearing the No.6 jersey for the first time.

This contest split the games between the Knights and Panthers in 2018, Newcastle having lost earlier in the season on what was Indigenous Round.

The Knights were defeated 29-18 at McDonald Jones Stadium which saw Knights Indigenous star Connor Watson cross over for a try.