Just like newly-elected Prime Minister Tony Abbott, moving to Canberra can’t come quick enough for Ricky Stuart after his Parramatta side ended a wretched season on the wrong side of a 54-6 hiding by Newcastle.
Stuart is widely expected to be named as the new Raiders coach later this week and after another hapless display from the Eels – the fourth time they have conceded 50 points or more this year – it would be hard to blame him for wanting out.
The game at times was little more than a warm-up for the Knights ahead of their finals clash with either Canterbury or Canberra next weekend having secured a seventh-placed finish.
Wayne Bennett’s side had the two points wrapped up by halftime after racing to a 22-0 lead and entertained the crowd of 23,392 after the break with six more tries to send the retiring Danny Buderus out on a high in his final game at Hunter Stadium.
Tyrone Roberts opened the scoring in the fifth minute after Eels halfback Luke Kelly had inexplicably booted a line drop-out out on the full.
Joey Leilua and James McManus stretched the lead and centre Leilua almost added his second in embarrassing circumstances when he took a quick tap penalty close to the line and ran straight at three Eels defenders who simply fell off him.
However, the blushes of Daniel Harrison and Ken Edwards were spared when Kelly dislodged the ball as the former Sydney Roosters man crashed over.
But five minutes before halftime the Knights did score a fourth try when Dane Gagai picked off a wayward Jarryd Hayne pass and ran 70 metres before offloading to Darius Boyd.
Hayne, so often the key man for the Eels over the last five years, showed his class four minutes after the restart when he stepped past three players and kicked ahead for Ken Sio to score.
However, it proved to be a rare high point for the wooden spooners as the Knights reacted strongly to run in two quickfire tries through Beau Scott and McManus.
McManus’ try came after Hayne butchered a 20-metre restart under pressure from Buderus and the NSW winger made no mistake for his 19th try of a prosperous season.
Leilua added his second after 66 minutes before Akuila Uate and Jeremy Smith getting in on the fun before a Buderus conversion brought up the half century.
Jarrod Mullen then added some extra gloss to the lop-sided scoreline with another try in the closing seconds to make it a record win for the Knights over the Eels.