Knights 34 Roosters 18
An ounce of Akuila Uate magic and a tonne of Newcastle courage combined to power the injury-ravaged Knights to victory over the Sydney Roosters at Bluetongue Stadium last night.
Uate scored a hat-trick of tries - one of which will go down in Gosford folklore as one of the most amazing four-pointers ever scored on the Central Coast - as the Knights held off the Roosters despite an interchange bench which resembled a casualty ward.
As Cooper Vuna scored off a Ben Rogers kick with just over 20 minutes remaining to put the Knights up 28-18, the visitors were left with just one healthy body on the bench - Shannon McDonnell (knee) limping off to join the ailing Isaac De Gois (ribs) and Evarn Tuimavave, whose torn Achilles tendon has ended his season.
Newcastle coach Rick Stone may have suspected it wasn't going to be his night when he lost Junior Sa'u (hip) in the warm-up, coming on top of the reshuffle which had seen Scott Dureau dropped, Kurt Gidley moved to halfback and McDonnell brought in at fullback.
The Knights never panicked, with Gidley controlling the ship brilliantly before being shifted back to fullback for the final quarter of the match.
Gidley's performance at first-receiver would have made NSW selectors think as they continue to seek an answer for the No.6 jumper, the Knights skipper clearly outpointing Roosters rival Todd Carney - who had a solid if unspectacular game.
Uate and McDonnell scored inside the opening 16 minutes to put Newcastle up by 12. It seemed they would go to the sheds all locked up when Carney put Mitchell Aubusson over and then bombed for Anasta to score - but they didn't count on Uate.
From the restart after the Anasta try, Uate flew high to reel in a Cory Patterson skyscraper before beating four defenders in a stunning run to the line for an 18-12 lead at the break.
The Roosters Jason Ryles was sin-binned just after the restart for abusing referee Gavin Badger, Uate completing his hat-trick on the following set before Vuna's late double snuffed out any chance of a Roosters comeback.
Meanwhile in Canberra, the Storm headed off the Raiders, with Greg Inglis scoring all but one of their 17 points with three tries and two goals. Brett Finch's field goal was the only other Melbourne score.
The crowd booed and jeered the Storm and Canberra players showed their displeasure too, when a high tackle on one of their own sparked an all-in brawl early in the match.
The Raiders soon recovered their composure scoring a converted try before Inglis put the game beyond doubt.
