Newcastle have copped a serious reality check on their NRL title plans after a 32-20 thrashing by North Queensland.
A day after coach Adam O’Brien warned his team were not doing as well as they thought, the Knights looked lethargic and confused on Saturday afternoon against a rampaging Cowboys outfit devoid of some big stars.
With Michael Morgan and Valentine Holmes sidelined, experienced forwards Jason Taumalolo and Josh McGuire were ruthless up front against the favoured Knights’ pack in Townsville.
Taumalolo in particular was immense, celebrating his 100th NRL win with 264 metres from 24 runs, 96 post-contact metres and 27 tackles.
A week earlier, the Cowboys were on the wrong end of a 34-0 first-half thumping by the Wests Tigers but returned the favour for the Knights to take a 26-0 lead into the sheds.
And despite three tries in 16 minutes to begin the second half and a late four-pointer to Gehamat Shibasaki, the Knights could not recover from their horror start.
They mounted somewhat of a comeback in the second half, when in the final minute, Kalyn Ponga was denied the chance to score by five-eighth Scott Drinkwater, but a penalty try was not awarded.
Drinkwater was sent to the sin-bin for the professional foul, but he went smiling as the Cowboys celebrated their first win in a month.
The Knights’ pack were punished through the middle as the Cowboys erupted with energy which was unmatched by the visitors at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
The Cowboys successfully dented Ponga’s impact by finishing sets with a kick into touch, limiting space and time for the fullback with ball in hand.
It was a tactic that frustrated the Knights’ playmaker, who still managed to set up a try for Hymel Hunt but finished with just 73 running metres – well below his average of 147 for the season.
The Knights were heavily favoured heading into the match after just one loss for the season, and a win would have cemented their best season start since 2013 – the last time they made the finals.
It broke a three-game losing streak for the Cowboys who had leaked 99 points to Cronulla, the Warriors and Tigers to put coach Paul Green under immense pressure.
The Cowboys take on Parramatta on Friday at Bankwest Stadium, while the Knights face old foes Manly looking to bounce back.
