A 76th-minute try from stopgap centre Brodie Jones clinched an ugly but crucial 10-6 win for the Newcastle Knights over the NZ Warriors at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
Scores were locked at 6-all for much of the second half before an Enari Tuala break put Newcastle on the attack.
From the ensuing play, the Knights spun the ball to the left edge where Jones found enough space to dive over, much to the relief of the 9975 diehards who braved the miserable conditions.
Jones, usually a back-rower, played as left-side centre in a reshuffled backline that featured Kurt Mann as fullback, with Tex Hoy relegated to 18th man.
The win lifted the Knights from 14th to 12th and kept them within two points of the top eight.
Running into a howling southerly, the Knights were fortunate to be trailing only 6-4 after an error-riddled first half.
The Warriors opened the scoring in the 25th minute when Newcastle fullback Kurt Mann fumbled and centre Euan Aitken picked up the dregs and raced 75 metres to score, breaking an attempted cover tackle from winger Dom Young.
Rookie fullback Reece Walsh landed a booming goal from the sideline.
The Knights responded five minutes later when back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon crashed onto a Mitchell Pearce short ball and scored.
Five-eighth Jake Clifford's conversion attempt was waved away.
Fitzgibbon's celebrations were short-lived, however, when he was sin-binned four minutes later after a high tackle on a slipping Kodi Nikorima.
Somehow, despite immense pressure, the Knights kept their line intact until the siren sounded for half-time.
A penalty goal from Clifford in the 51st minute brought Newcastle back to level terms.
The stalemate continued throughout the second half, until Jones crashed over in the 76th minute.
As well as Fitzgibbon, Knights forwards David Klemmer and Jacob Saifiti face nervous waits after being reported for high contact.
Warriors prop Ben Murdoch-Masila was sin-binned in the dying stages for a high tackle on Knights winger Hymel Hunt.
