A SECOND HALF BLITZ SAW KNIGHTS RESPONDED WITH AN IMPRESSIVE WIN

A second half blitz led by Kalyn Ponga and Bradman Best has helped guide the Knights to an impressive 46-26 win over the Titans at McDonald Jones Stadium. Ponga, playing in his first game at McDonald Jones Stadium since July last year, responded to criticism received last month with a try and two try assists as the Knights ran in four tries in 15 minutes to blow the Titans away. The Knights trailed 12-6 before half-time until Ponga sprung to life and placed a kick for Tyson Frizell to cross. He then linked with Bradman Best on the left edge for a 22-18 lead and then broke through himself for the side's fifth of the afternoon. "To play at home like that after the last 7-8 months, it hasn't been all sunshine and roses the last eight months, so to put in a performance like that in front of a crowd I haven't played in front of for a long time... I am happy," Ponga said. "I have to back it up and be consistent and that's something I needed to do for the rest of the year and something I haven't done for the last couple of years... it's just one performance." A try to Dane Gagai shortly after Ponga's effort set up a 16-point advantage before David Fifita, who scored a double in the high-scoring clash, ran the length of the field to narrow the gap late. Best, who came under first for a mid-season trip to Bali during the side’s bye week, had an unfortunate start to the game when he allowed the ball to bounce from the kick-off. He had the final say throughout the afternoon, however.

The Knights weren’t made to pay for the early error and managed enough field position early to enable Jackson Hastings to place a kick for a leaping Dominic Young to collect and plant the ball down nicely. A penalty goal to the home side put them 6-0 in front but their lead quickly evaporated with two tries in four minutes to Queensland Origin hopefuls Fifita and Phil Sami. Fifita made the Knights defensive line look non-existent when he finished off a Kieran Foran pass on the inside before Sami outleaped former teammate Greg Marzhew in the air for the visitors' second.

Despite a try after the break through Jayden Campbell, it was all the Knights in the second half as Ponga and Best worked their magic down the left channel. The Titans appeared to have the final say through Alofiana Khan-Pereira on the left edge until an intercept try to Young, who ran 95 metres for the Knights' sixth try of the second half on the siren, ended a fortnight of scrutiny for the club. Source: NRL.Com