Twin towers Daniel and Jacob Saifiti growing reputations as two of the best young props in the game was enhanced last night when they scored a knockout victory over Brisbane's much-hyped forward pack.
The two brothers worked in tandem to smash the Broncos up the middle as the Knights rebounded from last weekend's lost to Melbourne with a comprehensive 27-6 win over Brisbane.
It was the Broncos fourth straight defeat and they were rarely in the game with their only points coming from a 100 metre intercept try against the run of play in the first half.
Daniel Saifiti was enormous, scoring a try and running for 226 metres from 20 charges, everyone of them with venom, before getting a well-earned spell late in the game.
His brother wasn't far behind after coming off the bench but there were plenty of outstanding performers among Adam O'Brien's men.
The Knights coach wanted a response after a lack-lustre first half against the Storm and his team supplied it with a great defensive effort that restricted the Broncos to just a handful of half chances.
READ MORE: Knights vs Broncos | VIDEOS, PHOTOS
Five-eighth Kurt Mann continued his outstanding run of form, again shrugging off an ankle injury to be among his side's best.
It took just four minutes for Broncos backrower Teveta Pangai Junior to make his presence felt in the game after producing an early bell-ringer on David Klemmer.
But after a fumbling start from both sides, Klemmer responded in the best possible fashion with a great off-load that led to the Knights opening try.
It was scored by Kurt Mann off a beautifully held back pass from Mitchell Pearce but it was the two Knights bookends, Daniel Saifiti and Klemmer who were the main instigators.
Saifiti put the Knights in great field position with a big run back from a line dropout before Klemmer's off-load in traffic gave his skipper the space to put Mann over for a 6-0 lead after 10 miinutes.
The Broncos appeared to have hit back through winger Corey Oates five minutes later but were denied when his fullback Jamayne Isaako was penalised for interfering with the Knights defence over the line.
MORE RUGBY LEAGUE
- Seven Days in League: Eels star pays tribute to hero Hindy
- Toohey's News, the Podcast: Kurt Gidley
- Show Cameron Smith more respect: Bellamy
Isaako found himself in the sin bin midway through the half for not allowing Kalyn Ponga to play the ball quickly, a dubious decision that cost Brisbane big time.
Ignoring an easy shot at goal, the Knights instead went for the try and were rewarded with a Mann crossfield grubber in behind the Brisbane defence scooped up by Hymel Hunt who crossed in a handy position for Ponga to convert for a 12-0 scoreline.
The Broncos were struggling to make any real headway and it appeared only a matter of time before the Knights extended their lead.
But totally against the run of play, Brisbane winger Xavier Coates grabbed an intercept right on his own tryline and raced 100 metres to score and put his side back in the fight.
It came from a dummy half pass from former Brisbane hooker Andrew McCullough that would have resulted in a Knights try had Coates not got in the way.
The try lifted the Broncos but neither side would have been happy with their ball control in the opening 40 minutes.
With the seconds ticking away, Pearce made it a seven point ball game at the break with a late field goal for a 13-6 scoreline.
Daniel Saifiti ran for more than 100 metres in the first half and was a powerhouse for the Knights so it was no surprise to see him embarrassing a couple of the Broncos forwards early in the second half.
He carried two or three of them over the line with pure desire from close range to plant the ball down to give his side a 19-6 lead just four minutes after the resumption.
When Pearce was hit in a late whiplash tackle midway through the second half which saw Patrick Carrigan sent to the sin bin, Brisbane was again down to 12 men and Ponga extended the advantage to 21-6 with a successful penalty goal.
Brisbane went close to edging back into the game when centre Herbie Farnworth got on the outside of Bradman Best with 12 minutes left but the young Knights centre recovered just in time and Farnworth lost control of the ball just short of the tryline.
Pearce ended the scoring for his side late with a try under the posts.
IN OTHER NEWS:
