THE Newcastle Knights twice came from behind to score a thrilling 26-24 win against Manly at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday and consolidate their spot in the top eight.
The two points lifted Newcastle to sixth, a point behind fourth-placed Sydney Roosters, and gave them a five-point buffer on ninth-placed Manly.
But the Knights may have paid a price for their victory after NSW Origin prop Daniel Saifiti, in his first game after a five-week lay-off, appeared to re-injure his left knee.
Saifiti was replaced late in the first half and did not return, although he appeared to be walking relatively comfortably after the game.
Manly raced to a 12-0 lead but the Knights recovered to hold a 16-12 advantage by half-time.
Sea Eagles five-eighth Cade Cust scored in the fourth minute after the Knights allowed a Daly Cherry-Evans bomb to bounce, allowing Cust to kick ahead and ground the ball in-goal.
Five minutes later, Cherry-Evans supported a Taniela Paseka break and raced away to score next to the posts.
Newcastle opened their account in the 21st minute when winger Starford Toa scored in the corner from a Kalyn Ponga cut-out pass, then eight minutes later hooker Kurt Mann burrowed over from dummy-half.
The Knights edged ahead a minute before half-time when Toa batted down a Blake Green high ball, Lachlan Fitzgibbon offloaded and Enari Tuala dived over.
The home side extended their lead six minutes after the break when a bomb from Mitchell Pearce ended up in the hands of winger Hymel Hunt, who scored in the corner.
Manly hit back in the 53rd minute when Cherry-Evans grubber-kicked and Jack Gosiewski won the race to the ball.
A try from Lachlan Croker in the 56th minute, converted by Reuben Garrick, edged Manly ahead, 24-20.
The Knights thought they had equalised in the 66th minute when Hunt crossed, but the final pass from Ponga was ruled forward.
Toa then dived over on the opposite flank but lost the ball as he attempted to plant it down.
Finally Manly cracked in the 73rd minute when Tuala cut inside after a Ponga pass to score his second try of the game.
Ponga kicked a nervous conversion to leave Newcastle clinging to a two-point lead.
