Newcastle secured a narrow 12-6 victory over Wests Tigers in wet conditions at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday, in a match marked by low scoring and numerous handling errors. The Knights’ game three Origin specialist Bradman Best, returning from injury, was pivotal in the win, scoring the match-winning try late in the contest.

The victory marked a significant boost for Newcastle, whose attack has been revitalized this season with the addition of Dylan Brown and the continued presence of captain Kalyn Ponga. However, Ponga expressed dissatisfaction with the team’s overall performance, acknowledging shortcomings, particularly in skills execution. “It was scrappy. As a spine, we have to take some accountability for our team,” he said, pointing to a lack of patience and poor handling in the second half.

Wests Tigers, who had conceded nearly 300 points across their previous seven games, saw the return of halfback Adam Doueihi after a shoulder injury that sidelined him since Round 9. Despite this, the Tigers found opportunities limited and struggled to convert field position into points. They did register the first try of the match when Tony Sukkar crossed to score his first career NRL try early in the game, following a forced turnover from Dane Gagai.

The match opened with promise for the Knights when Dom Young made a rapid break down the right touchline before offloading to Brown, but the try was disallowed after bunker review determined Jermaine McEwen had tackled a defender illegally prior to the scoring play. Phoenix Crossland’s successful 40/20 kick temporarily swung momentum back to Newcastle, but errors, including a bobble by Best, eroded the advantage.

Both teams struggled to sustain sets, with neither able to press home an advantage in the first half. Newcastle finished the opening period with a completion rate of just 52 percent, while Wests Tigers ended their first half without adding to Sukkar’s try, their first scoreless half of the season.

The second half remained tightly contested, with extended periods of error-ridden play. It took until just past the 50-minute mark for Newcastle to level the score when Dylan Lucas exploited a shift in attack to cross under the posts. From then on, the game continued its low-scoring trend as both teams battled through the rain.

The decisive moment came in the 75th minute when a bobbled catch by Jahream Bula fell to Best, who combined with Young to break through the Tigers' defense and send the ball back to Best for the try that ultimately sealed the match. Newcastle’s 12 points were all scored in the latter half of the game, while the Tigers were unable to mount a meaningful response in the final minutes.

This result matched the round 15 Warriors-Cronulla game for the lowest scoreline this season, highlighting the challenging conditions and skill inconsistencies that prevailed throughout the contest. Newcastle will look to build on this performance as they seek to maintain their momentum, while Wests Tigers face continued challenges in both attack and defense.