![Yasmin Clydsdale charges into the Roosters' defence. Pictures by Jonathan Carroll Yasmin Clydsdale charges into the Roosters' defence. Pictures by Jonathan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/2a389cd6-99e4-4135-af76-eaf3f9b39e0a.jpg/r0_0_4494_3215_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Knights NRLW coach Ben Jeffries reckoned plenty of other teams wouldn't have survived the onslaught.
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In their season-opening 12-10 victory over the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night, Newcastle were well and truly put to the test.
The two-time defending premiers came under the pump early, and in reality for most of the game at McDonald Jones Stadium, but the red-and-blue wall held firm.
Up until the 59th minute, the Knights had led 10-0 after hooker Olivia Higgins and centre Abigail Roache scored in the first half, but the real story was their defence.
Newcastle gallantly kept the visitors at bay with some desperate efforts on their own try-line and were camped in their own end for large portions of the match.
"Plenty of grit, heart, resilience," Jeffries said of the first-up display
"Had to do a lot of defence.
![Olivia Higgins clashes with Millie Elliott. Olivia Higgins clashes with Millie Elliott.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/3162cc29-f181-4e2a-a7e7-1c5d2ccaf373.jpg/r0_449_3931_2302_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I'd love to see the stat for how many play-the-balls in our 20 [metre area], but they just kept repelling them.
"And in the end, I think it was two kicks that they got tries off. All credit to them, they played well, fronted up and really tested us."
Knights skipper Hannah Southwell described the opening exchanges as "one of the toughest 20 minutes" of football she'd played.
In the first 20 minutes alone, the Roosters had 15 tackles inside the Knights' 20-metre area, while Newcastle had none. The numbers were similar in the 20 minutes after half-time too.
"Overall, to come out of that game like that, I can see other teams capitulating, the amount of ball the Roosters had," Jeffries said.
NSW representatives Caitlan Johnston and Yasmin Clydsdale led the way up front for Newcastle. Johnston made 140 metres from 14 runs, while Clydsdale produced a team-high 190 metres from 16 runs.
Halfback Jesse Southwell's defence was outstanding, while Sheridan Gallgher was another standout making 157 metres on the wing.
![Sheridan Gallagher and Caitlan Johnston celebrate victory. Sheridan Gallagher and Caitlan Johnston celebrate victory.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/AFKkRPHwQbXhqFfb42nFTx/59f9e80c-96ee-4393-a6df-ff110e2ddaa0.jpg/r838_325_4715_3144_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Both coach and captain said the Knights would have "a bit to work on" before facing Canberra next week after some errors at times halted their momentum.
The game looked set to go to golden-point after Roosters halfback Tarryn Aiken set up Jessica Sergis for a try with a grubber kick in the final minute, but Jocelyn Kelleher missed a conversion from right of the goal-posts as the full-time siren sounded.
Kelleher, a bench utility, had scored her side's first try to get them back in the game only 10 minutes earlier.
"They were desperate," Roosters coach John Strange said of Newcastle's defence.
"We were a bit clunky, first game and obviously some changes late.
"In saying that, we still created a lot, and we've got to give the Knights credit. They scrambled really well ... and I think in that first 15 minutes, they probably stopped us scoring three tries ... just through desperation."