THEY may have won by a comfortable 20 points, but it wasn't until late into Saturday's grand final that Newcastle had a grasp on the Harold Matthews Cup.
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Facing the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at the newly opened Bankwest Stadium, the Under-16 Knights led 12-8 with less than 15 minutes left to play.
With only a four-point lead, the side needed something special to hold off a resurgent Bulldogs outfit.
After stopping the Bulldogs attack from taking advantage of consecutive line dropouts, the Knights got through their set and put a kick downfield.
Bulldogs fullback Pharell Zimmerman took the ball with ease but he was unprepared for the desperate steal from Knights centre Fletcher Myers, who reefed the ball out of the fullback's hands and raced in to score the match-defining try.
Myers scored again minutes later for a double. Newcastle ended 28-8 winners.
Knights backrower Max Bradbury was named the player of the match.
The Knights Under-18 women's side lost to the Illawarra Steelers 24-12 in the Tarsha Gale Cup grand final held earlier that day.
The match was in the balance at 10-4 in the second half, but Illawarra finished strongly.
