KNIGHTS END 8-YEAR LOSING STREAK AGAINST STORM

A determined Knights side ended an eight-year hoodoo against the Storm to keep their finals hopes alive with a 26-18 triumph at a packed McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday. Buoyed by the support of home fans who had turned up early to cheer the club's premiership winning NRLW team, Newcastle came from 12-0 down after conceding two early tries to overpower the Storm. The turning point was the sin-binning of Melbourne forward Tariq Sims five minutes before half-time for a high shot on Knights halfback Jackson Hastings and the home side piled on three tries in his absence. The Knights hung on in the second half to end an 11-match losing streak against the Storm since 2015 and move within one point of the top eight. The Storm off got to a flying start when fullback Nick Meaney swooped on a loose ball and raced 75 metres to score in just the third minute of the match. Newcastle had lost their previous 11 matches against the Storm and the hoodoo appeared set to continue when Melbourne forward Trent Loiero crashed over in the eighth minute and Meaney's conversion gave the visitors a 12-0 lead. However, the Knights got back in the game after a dropped ball by Melbourne winger Will Warbrick gave them attacking field position and winger Dom Young scored off a tap-on pass by Dane Gagai. With momentum turning in favour of the home team, Jackson Hastings put Bradman Best over in the 32nd minute to reduce the Storm's lead to 12-10 after the conversion by Kalyn Ponga.

The Knights then scored three unanswered tries while Sims was in the sinbin for a high shot on Hastings to take an 18-12 halftime lead. Greg Marzhew was the first to cross in the 36th minute after five-eighth Tyson Gamble stepped across the face of the defence before linking with Best to put the winger over out wide. Lachlan Fitzgibbon then scored one of the best tries of the season after the Knights shifted the ball through 10 sets of hands, with Tyson Frizell and Jackson Hastings handle twice, in the 39th minute. Ponga missed both conversions but Newcastle showed their intent to carry on with the job when Matt Croker scored in the 45th minute as Sims was waiting to return to the field.

The Knights only other points came from a 75th minute Ponga penalty goal but their defence limited the Storm to just one second half try through Papua New Guinea centre Justin Olam and they hung on to win.

Source: NRL.com