Newcastle star Darius Boyd edged out opposite number Jarryd Hayne in an epic battle of the fullbacks on Sunday as the Knights ended Parramatta’s unbeaten run at Pirtek Stadium with a thrilling 16-10 victory.
Parramatta received the benefit of the doubt from a controversial video referee decision to award a try to Semi Radradra with 11 minutes on the clock, bringing them within a converted try.
From the subsequent set a rampaging Pauli Pauli charged towards the tryline only to be cut down in a brilliant try-saving tackle from Boyd.
Earlier in the match, it was Boyd’s ball-running and ball-playing which set up the Knights’ first back-to-back win of the season.
The Knights leap-frogged Cronulla out of last place with the impressive road victory in front of 15,556 and in the process putting a significant dent in the Eels’ finals hopes.
Despite Hayne’s red-hot form and their exuberant start to the season, Parramatta have now slipped to consecutive losses and sit precariously in tenth place on the ladder.
Newcastle, on the other hand, have emerged as NRL giant killers, knocking off North Queensland last week and now Parramatta.
Radradra made things interesting at the death, with Newcastle ropeable the try was awarded after it appeared Parramatta forward Ken Edwards held back Knights defender Dane Gagai.
But video referee Steve Clark ruled the pair had hold of each other’s jerseys and pressed the green light.
“So Dane held himself back? It was a professional foul,” Knights captain Kurt Gidley remonstrated with referee Jared Maxwell.
But the Knights showed plenty of guts to hang on.
Boyd was slammed for his lacklustre performances early in the season as the Knights slumped to a nightmare run of seven straight losses, but since the State of Origin period the Queensland strike weapon has come into his own.
Hayne scored a scintillating 90-metre individual try in the eighth minute off a kick-return to put the Eels ahead 6-4.
But Boyd hit back with a special of his own before halftime, scooping up a kick and slicing through for a 95-metre runaway effort which spurred the visitors to a 16-6 advantage at the break.
Parramatta had their chances to get themselves back into the match, but execution let them down badly – with winger Vai Toutai and centre Ryan Morgan both dropping the ball in try-scoring positions and Chris Sandow’s last-tackle options leaving plenty to be desired.
Boyd had his paws all over the Knights’ opening try, with his long ball to centre Joseph Leilua resulting in Akuila Uate touching down for his seventh try in five games.
Leilua got himself on the scoreboard in the 30th minute when he Morgan spilt a bomb right on the Knights’ goal-line.
