Gold Coast's marquee signing David Fifita is already showing why he's worth every cent, becoming the first forward since 2018 to score an NRL hat-trick as the Titans trampled the Knights, 42-16.<\/p>\n
It was a brutal afternoon for Newcastle, with Kalyn Ponga's opening kick-off going out on the full, and Kevin Proctor scoring from the ensuing set, just 97 seconds after the game commenced.<\/p>\n
Even the one nice moment the Knights had – local lad Chris Randall scoring his first NRL try – was ruined, with the 25-year-old later taken to hospital with a suspected broken arm.<\/p>\n
Coach Adam O'Brien lashed his players in the dressing room at half-time as they went in down 26-12, and would have been particularly bemused by Fifita's second try, where he tapped the ball from a penalty and ran straight through the defensive line.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But the hairdryer treatment proved ineffective; a late Ponga consolation try their only contribution to the scoreboard after the break.<\/p>\n
That came after the returning number one was left in the dust of Fifita's goose step as the big backrower streaked away to score his third.<\/p>\n
The last man to do so was Tariq Sims for the Dragons, in the 2018 finals series against Brisbane.<\/p>\n
"For us, last week was very disappointing," Fifita said post-match.<\/p>\n
"We trained hard throughout the week and focused on starting well and I think we did that."<\/p>\n
![\"Newcastle's](\"https:\/\/vms-network-images-prod.s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com\/2021\/04\/352718\/pickerImage.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Fifita praised the work of his left-side cohort, and warned that the best was yet to come from his team.<\/p>\n
"It's only the beginning," he added after the win.<\/p>\n
It was always going to be a tough ask for the Knights, who lost several players last week to injuries – including halfback Mitchell Pearce with a torn pectoral muscle<\/a>.<\/p>\n It doesn't get any easier for Newcastle, with the Sharks, Penrith, Roosters and Raiders their next four opponents.<\/p>\n