Newcastle Knights outgunned by Penrith despite brave fightback

The result extended Penrith's dominance against the Knights, whose only return from the past 15 clashes between the two teams has been a win in 2018 and a draw in 2020. It was Newcastle's third successive defeat, after losses against Canterbury and Melbourne in their previous two outings, and left them 13^th on the competition ladder, three points adrift of the top eight, with 10 games to play.

The three-time champions - who have been without champion halfback Nathan Cleary in recent weeks because of a hamstring injury - climbed to second on the table, behind only Melbourne.

The Knights started strongly and a try by fullback Fletcher Sharpe in the fourth minute gave them a 6-0 lead.

Sharpe, as he did a week earlier on debut against Melbourne, angled across to the right-hand flank before cutting inside two defenders with impressive footwork.

That brought a roar of approval from the bumper crowd of 27,996, but they were silenced 10 minutes later when the premiers hit back, after a bomb from halfback Brad Schneider ended up in the arms of back-rower Scott Sorenson, who crashed over to score.

Penrith grabbed the lead in the 22^nd minute when they shifted the ball to their left edge and created an overlap for NSW Origin winger Brian To'o, who scored out wide.

With the Knights looking vulnerable, Blues five-eighth Jarome Luai upped the ante to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

FIrst Luai dummied and weaved his way through the line for a fine solo try in the 34th minute.

Then, with barely a minute before the half-time break, he threw the final pass for prop Lindsay Smith to score, giving the visitors a commanding 20-6 advantage at the interval.

Newcastle gave the home-town fans something to cheer about in the 54th minute, when back-rower Dylan Lucas burst onto a Jackson Hastings short ball and raced 30 metres to score.

Knights centre Bradman Best, returning from a hamstring injury, got his team back within striking distance in the 59th minute when he won the race to ground a Hastings chip kick in-goal.

Hastings converted, reducing Newcastle's deficit to 20-18.

But just when it appeared the home team were set for a remarkable comeback, Penrith prop Moses Leota broke the line and fullback Dylan Edwards backed up to score.

Meanwhile, in the curtain-raiser, elusive David Armstrong appeared to have recovered from the quadriceps injury that ruled him out of last week's loss to Melbourne Storm.

Armstrong, playing on the wing, scored two tries in Newcastle's 42-22 loss to Penrith in NSW Cup, including a runaway 90-metre effort.

After five NRL games, he has been displaced in Newcastle's top team by young Sharpe, amid reports that Super League club Leigh Leopards are eager to entice Armstrong to England on a three-year deal.