Lakes coach Lyndon Sheppard hopes his side can continue to build on Sunday's impressive comeback having kept their season alive by producing 34 unanswered points to beat Maitland at Cahill Oval.
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Seemingly down and out at 26-6, Seagulls winger Matt Craig scored a try in the corner just before half-time and his teammates followed suit with five more in the second 40 minutes.
Lakes, who didn't concede a point after the 34th minute, eventually won the round 10 Newcastle Rugby League fixture 40-26 over the Pickers.
"We came back really well," Sheppard said.
"We managed to control the footy, I think we completed at 100 per cent in the second half, and showed what we can do.
"Hopefully now we have that confidence and belief, we can build on it."
Sheppard praised the performance of front-rower John Toleafoa, who he said gave Lakes "fantastic go forward", as well as Seagulls hooker Daniel Peck and two-try debutant halfback Blake Dean.
However, the victory may have come at a cost for Lakes with centre Callan Guest taken to hospital with a suspected broken jaw suffered midway through the second half.
Lakes are now in a three-way share of last on the competition ladder, but only one win outside the top five, while Maitland slip to fourth.
Out at Kurri Sportsground on Sunday and the third-placed Bulldogs held on against a strong finishing Central Newcastle to prevail 22-20.
Kurri winger Barry McGrady nabbed a first-half hat-trick and fullback Ngangarra Barker snatched a long-range intercept try for the hosts to lead 22-8 at the main break.
But midway through the second half Central struck back with centre Kurt Donoghoe barging over before Butcher Boys winger Josh Allison completed his three-try effort in the 68th minute.
Brad Murray's two conversions then put the visitors within striking distance for the closing stages.
"Two weeks ago we found a way to lose, but today we found a way to win," Kurri coach Ron Griffiths said.
In Saturday's fixtures top-two sides Western Suburbs and South Newcastle accounted for Macquarie and Cessnock respectively.
Wests five-eighth Chad O'Donnell crossed twice to negate a double to Scorpions centre Royce Geoffrey as the visiting Rosellas won 38-16 at Lyall Peacock Field.
Competition leaders Wests scored three tries in the opening 16 minutes and were in front 20-6 at half-time. The Rosellas then held a 32-point advantage just after the hour mark.
Defending champions Souths defeated the Goannas 30-18 at Cessnock Sportsground with Lions halfback Jason Keelan scoring the opening try and kicking all five conversion attempts. Second-placed Souths led 18-10 at the interval.
LADDER: Wests 16; Souths 12; Kurri, Maitland 10; Cessnock 8; Central, Macquarie, Lakes 6.
