THE Newcastle Knights have secured a berth in the NRL play-offs - and hosting rights - after notching their eighth consecutive victory with a 32-6 triumph against Cronulla at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.
The penultimate-round result lifted Newcastle above Cronulla to fifth on the ladder.
With one game remaining, against struggling St George Illawarra at Kogarah on Saturday, Newcastle can finish no lower than sixth, which entitles them to home-ground advantage in week one of the play-offs.
After consecutive capacity crowds for their wins against South Sydney (29,018) and Cronulla (29,423), another sell-out is assured for the final - Newcastle's first on home soil since 2006.
It's the first time the Knights have won eight games in a row since 2001, their last premiership-winning season.
Scores were locked 6-all at the end of a first half played with semi-final intensity, but the Knights upped the ante in the second stanza to run away with the game.
A brace of tries from centre Bradman Best and one each from wingers Dominic Young and Greg Marzhew and back-rower Dylan Lucas blew Cronulla off the park.
Young's try was his 21st of the season - equalling the club record - and Marzhew took his tally to 19.
Cronulla fullback Connor Tracey opened the scoring in the seventh minute but Newcastle skipper Kalyn Ponga restored parity in the 21st minute with a trademark solo try, the 50th of his NRL career. For good measure, he then converted from a wide angle to make it 6-all.
Eight minutes later, Cronulla appeared to have regained the ascendancy when back-rower Briton Nikora crashed over, only for the video referee to rule he had been held up over the line.
Newcastle broke the deadlock nine minutes after the break when Ponga made a 40-metre break from a kick-return, then seconds later Best burst clear on the far side of the field to score.
Ponga converted to give Newcastle a 12-6 advantage.
In quick succession, further tries by Young, Best, Marzhew and Lucas put paid to the Sharks' resistance.
The only concern for Newcastle was an apparent shoulder injury that forced Ponga from the field late in the second half, after a heavy tackle from Cronulla centre Jesse Ramien.
