Knights centre Enari Tuala doubled his NRL career tally at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday as he crossed for his first two tries in Newcastle colours.
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Tuala, who arrived at the club from North Queensland during the off-season, nabbed a four pointer in each half as part of a 42-24 victory over the Wests Tigers.
Newcastle, now unbeaten and joint-competition leaders, scored eight tries to the Tigers' four and most decisively the last three unanswered in the closing 16 minutes of an otherwise tit-for-tat encounter.
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The Knights were in front from start to finish, including 18-12 at half-time, but on four occasions the hosts came within a converted try and on the hour mark made it 26-24.
Enter skipper and incumbent NSW halfback Mitchell Pearce, who scored his own solo try at the former home ground of his father and Tigers legend Wayne before putting through a short kick pounced on by Tuala.
This rounded out a brace for the 21-year-old Newcastle recruit, who was also the beneficiary of a Pearce play in the opening exchanges with winger Edrick Lee batting back a bomb by the No.7 before collecting the bouncing ball.
Tuala opened the Knights' account in the fourth minute of round two, which was played entirely without spectators as part of the NRL's response to the global coronavirus pandemic.
A penalty try followed for the visitors after Tigers halfback Josh Reynolds interfered with Newcastle second-rower Mitch Barnett while trying to ground a close-range grubber from hooker Jayden Brailey.
Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga, who only landed half of his eight conversion attempts, added the extras to make it 10 points in as many minutes.
The Tigers were then allowed into the contest shortly after when Ponga delivered a poor pass in attack, allowing winger David Nofoaluma to take an intercept and run 90 metres to score at the other of the field.
In the 24th minute Newcastle five-eighth Kurt Mann finished off an impressive play, which started around halfway, when he supported a Lachlan Fitzgibbon line break.
Approaching the main interval, Ponga slotted a penalty goal to make it 18-6.
However, on the brink of half-time Reynolds sliced through the Knights' defense before producing an excellent off-load for fullback Corey Thompson.
NRL veteran Benji Marshall converted to reduce the margin to six.
The second half started much like the first, but this time Lee caught Pearce's high ball and waltzed over for a try to make it 22-12 in favour of Newcastle.
Reynolds and Luciano Leilua then crossed for the Tigers either side of Ponga in a busy 12-minute period.
With the game on the line, Pearce and Tuala scored back-to-back tries for a 14-point advantage before Knights utility Connor Watson sealed the deal three minutes from time.
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