NSW has been dealt another blow heading into the State of Origin series opener, with Knights centre Bradman Best failing to finish his side's win over the Titans.
The 22-year-old suffered a hamstring injury during Magic Round and now appears in doubt to earn selection for the Blues, who have lost a host of key players in recent weeks including Nathan Cleary and Tom Trbojevic.
Best's injury soured what was a resilient win for Newcastle, who managed to fight back from a half-time deficit to secure a 28-24 victory.
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The opening 40 minutes was chaotic, with Jackson Hastings and Aaron Schoupp both spending time in the sin bin for a heated scuffle.
The afternoon started in perfect fashion for the Knights, with fill-in fullback David Armstrong crossing for a double inside the opening 10 minutes and completing his hat-trick in the 47th minute, continuing to showcase his blistering speed.
However, his hot start was undone by his teammates, with electric winger Alofi Khan-Pereira crossing for a double as the Titans turned the tables to take a 24-10 lead.
Newcastle came out fired up for the second half and narrowed the margin, before regaining the lead with less than 15 minutes remaining after Jacob Saifiti was awarded a penalty try when Moeaki Fotuaika tackled his opposing prop without the ball.
Brian Kelly was denied a try by the Bunker in controversial fashion with four minutes remaining and the Knights were able to withstand a late flurry to hold on.
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Just a few days after his decision to backflip on the Roosters, David Fifita was rather well-contained by the Knights throughout the afternoon, but was busy on both sides of the ball and looked dangerous whenever he got his hands on the ball.
The barnstorming back-rower received a few boos prior to and during the match, but the reception from his own supporters was far more welcoming than a week ago.
Another positive for the victors was the performance of young halfback Tom Weaver – playing just his second game of the season, giving the club a glimpse into the future.
The 21-year-old looked composed in the chief playmaking role and laid on a nice cross-field kick for Jojo Fifita to score, all while directing a makeshift spine around the park in a spirited display from Gold Coast.
The injury woes continued for the Titans as well, with front-rower Jaimin Jolliffe leaving the field in the first half with a pectoral injury and failing to return.
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