He’s still waiting to find out if he’ll be in charge of St George Illawarra next year, but coach Steve Price continues to have the wood on Wayne Bennett’s Newcastle as the Dragons held off the Knights with a breathless 19-16 win on Sunday at WIN Jubilee Oval.
Price was Bennett’s assistant when the joint-venture won the 2010 grand final and was then handed the reins when the seven-time premiership winner moved north in 2011.
But his tenure has not been a smooth one with the club openly courting Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy and refusing to guarantee his future after opening the season with three successive losses having missed out on the finals last year.
But in three meetings with his former boss Price is yet to taste defeat and he’ll be able sleep a little easier as he side chalked up a second successive and deserved victory in front of a crowd of 14,226.
Former NSW five-eighth Jamie Soward opened the scoring after eight minutes with a penalty in front to the posts and the Dragons extended their lead through Brett Morris just before the quarter-hour mark.
It was a bright start from the hosts with Morris putting the finishing touches to a sweeping right to left move.
The Knights have been comfortable winners in three of their first four games, victories which have all come at Hunter Stadium.
But on the road they look a different proposition and produced little in attack in the opening stanza which concluded with a 35-metre field goal from Soward that clipped the left post before clearing the crossbar for the Dragons to lead 9-0 at halftime.
Bennett’s side were much improved after the break and former Dragon Darius Boyd raced to the line eight minutes after the restart for his side’s opening try.
To compound the blow for the home team, Gerard Beale was forced off with a knee injury leaving them down to 16 players for the remainder of the game.
Jason Nightingale hit back almost immediately for the home side and the Dragons were over again nine minutes later through young back-rower Tyson Frizell who scampered home after Boyd was clattered by Morris and Nathan Fien to knock the ball loose.
Timana Tahu ensured a tight finish with a try 15 minutes from time that was converted by Kurt Gidley.
Despite the Knights throwing the kitchen sink in the final stages, the Dragons defence held firm, with a Akuila Uate try in the final seconds nothing more than a consolation for the visitors.