Coach Tim Sheens believes Wests Tigers would have lost to Newcastle by 40 points had it not been for the efforts of rookie fullback Jahream Bula.
Knights ran in four unanswered tries on Friday to lead 18-0 in Newcastle but it was the 21-year-old fullback who pulled the Tigers back into the contest.
In only his 11th NRL game, Bula fended off NSW representative Bradman Best and then bustled past Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga and Greg Marzhew for a try in the corner.
After halftime, he ran in support when Isaiah Papali'i broke down the left edge, scoring a try that had the Tigers back within four points and confirmed his first double as an NRL player.
In defence, Bula and prop Alex Seyfarth held up Marzhew just as the Knights winger looked to have scored a try that would have ballooned the lead out to 22 points.
Ponga's silky ball-playing secured victory for the Knights but Sheens suggested the 34-18 result would have been much less respectable without Wests' fullback.
"Without Jahream Bula, we get beaten by 40 tonight," Sheens said.
"That kid is a freak and he's done a great job for us."
Bula has been a shining light for the last-placed Tigers in a season scuppered by injuries to fellow spine players Adam Doueihi, Luke Brooks and Api Koroisau.
Bula is a leading contender to snare Rookie Of The Year honours but Sheens did not believe the Tigers had yet seen the best of him.
"I'm not going to predict anything," he said.
"A long way to go, but for a kid that's just dipped his toe into first-grade, to play like he did tonight, he gets to the ball so quickly.
"But we've still not tapped his potential in attack, which we need to do.
"Another 18 months or two year's time, Benji (Marshall, the Tigers' next coach) will have quite a fullback if things go well for him."
Bula almost had a try assist in the opening minute of the game when he tapped Will Smith's kick back for Tommy Talau, who crashed over the line.
But the bunker rescinded the four-pointer on the grounds Bula's touch had propelled the ball forward.
The no-try decision swung momentum dramatically to the Knights, who then scored three tries soon after and continued the Tigers' unhappy run with the match officials.
The bunker rescinded a try against Cronulla last week in similar circumstances, ruling Talau had knocked the ball on contesting a kick.
Against Canberra in round 14, the referees missed Jamal Fogarty pushing Brooks over in the lead-up to a try that ultimately won the Raiders the game.
Sheens did not blame the latest call for the loss.
"It looked like a try to me," Sheens said.
"If I get another apology from the referees, I won't be happy.
"But we didn't play well enough, we didn't play smart enough."
