The fight is not over but the Knights remain down for the count.
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A 30-6 loss to Manly at Lottoland, Newcastle's fifth in a row, leaves the side walking a finals tightrope with their chances of figuring in the big end-of-season games rapidly drying up.
The Knights were well in the game at halftime, just two adrift of the Eagles but folded in the second half as the home side poured on the pressure. The Knights had no real answers after the break and rarely threatened with Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans playing a leading role in the victory behind a relentless forward pack.
The Knights trailed 8-6 at halftime after giving up the opening two tries of the first half.
The Eagles posted first points after 12 minutes when backrower Curtis Sironen crashed over from close range. Reuben Garrick duffed the conversion from an handy position to leave the score at 4-0.
It was 8-0 after 25 minutes with Garrick latching onto a Cherry-Evans cross-kick on an early tackle to plant the ball down just inside the touch-in-goal line for the home side's second try. Again, his conversion failed.
The Knights try came via Kalyn Ponga nine minutes from halftime after he beat Cherry-Evans twice and Tom Trobjevic in a solo bust from 18 metres out.
The Knights had a couple of further scoring chances but were let down by poor execution.
Winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall failed to reel in a slightly miss-directed Mason Lino cross-kick that could easily have led to points midway through the half and closing in on halftime, Ponga failed to find him with a cut-out pass with the line open.
Manly gave themselves some breathing space 10 minutes into the second half when Mason Lino came up with a poor miss on backrower Joel Thompson, who charged over for a 14-6 lead.
They stretched it to 20-6 midway through after prop Marty Taupau finished off a great chain pass movement that was started by a big run and great play-the -ball from centre Moses Suli.
The Knights had a great opportunity to hit back with plenty of time left on the clock when Connor Watson made a bust up the middle. But he passed too early to Ponga in support and he was gathered in. From the play-the-ball Mitchell Pearce's attacking kick went dead in-goal.
To compound the miss, Manly charged down the other end and a minute later, winger Jorge Taufua crossed in the corner untouched for a 24-6 advantage.
The Eagles weren't finished with Garrick crossing for his second off a long Cherry-Evans pass with eight minutes to go.