The Warriors have produced a remarkable turnaround, beating Newcastle 28-12 in Auckland on Sunday to climb off the bottom of the NRL table.
The victory came eight days after the biggest defeat in the club’s history when they were thrashed by 62-6 by Penrith.
In a seesawing battle, the Warriors showed far more commitment than against the Panthers to bring up just their third win of the season.
Newcastle, who remain in fifth position on the ladder, had both fullback Darius Boyd and winger Akuila Uate go off in the second half, Boyd with a leg injury and Uate with a chest problem.
Down 12-10 at halftime, the Warriors made a tactical shift, moving skipper Simon Mannering from the second row to right centre to shore up an area the Knights had been targeting.
They went back into the lead after a short ball from hooker Nathan Friend put prop Steve Rapira over.
Mannering then made his mark in attack.
Newcastle failed to contest a bomb, Warriors fullback Kevin Locke cleaned up and he put Mannering over to score a converted try that made it 10-point game.
The Knights maintained plenty of pressure in the final quarter and outside backs Dane Gagai and James McManus, already with two tries, both went close.
But it was the Warriors who had the last word, a Shaun Johnson pass putting lock Elijah Taylor into a hole for his side’s fifth try.
Earlier, the Warriors made a flying start in front of 9257 fans thanks to back-to-back penalties.
They shifted the ball to both sides of the field before winger Manu Vatuvei brushed past three tacklers to score in the fourth minute.
The Knights almost struck back through McManus after a Warriors knock-on from the kick-off, but the winger’s try was ruled out for obstruction.
McManus wasn’t to be denied four minutes later.
A physical contest flared up briefly, with Warrior Russell Packer and rival Newcastle prop Kade Snowden exchanging punches after a play-the-ball incident.
Packer was penalised and the next set ended with McManus expertly securing Jarrod Mullen’s pinpoint cross-kick to score.
The Warriors went back in front from a turnover and with some acrobatics from five-eighth Thomas Leuluai.
Second-rower Ben Matulino was held out as he drove for the line and his offload went to Leuluai, who dived over a pack of bodies to get the ball down.
But another Warriors mistake – a dropped ball by an otherwise impressive Feleti Mateo – allowed the visitors to strike back.
They worked the ball with precision to McManus, who produced the finish, and Kurt Gidley’s sideline conversion nudged the Knights back in front.
