Newcastle winger Dominic Young has produced a pair of extraordinary acrobatic tries in the final 5 minutes of the game to give the Knights a comfortable 20 point victory over a mostly determined but non-threatening Dragons outfit.
The Knights wasted almost no time, (115 seconds to be precise) before they got on the board, when Jacob Saifiti spun out of a tackle close to the Dragons line, and then strolled over to score a far too easy try. Lachlan Miller converted from almost in front.
They extended their lead further in the 7th minute when Tyson Gamble skipped out of a feeble tackle effort, ran 35 metres before passes inside to Enari Tuala in support, who raced away to score under the posts. Miller converted again. After 9 minutes the Knights had a 12-0 lead.
To the Dragons credit, they smartened up and were rewarded in the 17th minute when Ben Hunt performed a chip and chase, then regathered and scored a glorious solo try. Zac Lomax converted from in front.
The Knights replied in the 32nd minute when Greg Marzhew steamrolled over the top of Mikaele Ravalawa and scored a powerful try. Miller failed to convert from the sideline. At halftime the Knights had a 16-6 lead.
The second half started much like the first, with the Knights crossing within the first few minutes, this time where Fa'amanu Brown was tackled low, close to the Dragons line and he fell forwards and gets the ball down on the line for a strong try. Miller converted from almost in front.
In the 66th minute, it looked like Gamble had scored a brilliant solo try. He shaped to kick on the last, then ran before putting in a chip which Riley Jones regathered and passed back to Gamble all in one motion as he was tackled by the defender. Gamble then raced 40 metres to score. The Bunker then ruled that Jones was narrowly in front of Gamble when he kicked the ball. No try.
In just over a minute later, the Bunker was again called upon to review another try, this time at the other end of the field. Ravalawa somehow grounded the ball while tackled in the air over the sideline. Lomax converted from the sideline to reduce the margin to 10.
Shortly after, Miller was sin binned for tackling a player without the ball and three minutes later, Blake Lawrie was also binned for the same reason. Gamble slotted a penalty goal.
In the 75th minute Dominic Young scored the first of two spectacular tries. His first saw him hit by Suli, who slinged him upside down, yet Young still managed to stretch out and plant the ball in a remarkable effort. Gamble failed to convert from the sideline.
3 minutes later he scored again, this time, the tackle saw him flying feet first over the sideline, yet he still managed to get the ball down for a try. Miller failed to convert from the sideline, but the Knights had done enough to run away with a 32-12 victory.