Newcastle’s Canterbury Cup outfit was no match for the Blacktown Workers on Sunday.
The Knights were convincingly beaten 36-20 at HE Laybutt Field.
It was a tough start for the visitors who lost Aidan Guerra to a HIA just three minutes into the match.
Full 2019 squad and development players list
Still, the visitors were able to capitalise early through Starford To’a.
The winger scored the opening try in his return from a wrist injury.
Unfortunately, Tex Hoy missed the goal and the home side squared things up minutes later through Lloyd Perrett.
Kane Elgey slotted the extras to take the lead 6-4 after 15 minutes.
Three minutes later and the Workers were in again through Elgey who converted his own try.
Leva Li and Zach Dockar-Clay added their name to the score sheet to extend the lead 20-4 before Hoy sliced through the defence to reduce the gap heading into halftime.
Down by 12 at the break, it was a bad start to the second stanza for the Knights with Haumole Olakau'atu crossing three minutes into the second half.
The Workers then opened up the game with Alfred Smalley crossing and Lloyd Perrett snaring his double with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Down 36-8, the Knights needed to show some fight and they did just that with Mitch Andrews going over in the 65th minute.
Chris Randall, who was this week rewarded with a development contract, scored five minutes later and Hoy nailed the extras to reduce the difference to 16-points.
But it was too little too late.
