Newcastle Knights close again but fall short in 14-10 NRLW loss to Gold Coast Titans

The scoreboard at Suncorp Stadium read 10-all with less than 10 minutes left to play, but the Titans found a try in the 68th minute to move in front and then hang on for their third victory of the season.

It was a fast-flowing end to the game after the Knights led 6-0 at halftime with the Titans scoring two quick tries midway through the second half to mount their comeback.

But the Knights hit back through winger Katelyn Vaha'akolo to level the scores at 10-all with nine minutes remaining.

They could have edged in front but Kirra Dibb missed a conversion attempt from out wide.

The Titans moved ahead a few minutes later when Karina Brown caught a long cutout pass and scored on the right. Her try proved enough to secure the win.

It was a gallant effort from the Knights, who were desperately chasing their first victory.

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The fourth-placed Titans went into the game having already qualified for the finals after the fifth-placed Roosters lost to the Dragons on Saturday.

Knights centre Paige Parker had a debut to remember, scoring a try in just the fourth minute.

She made the most of a lucky bounce of the ball after Knights' five-eighth Autumn-Rain Stephens launched a crossfield kick from dummy-half that bounced straight over the head of Titans winger Hailee-Jay Maunsell, who Parker then beat to the ball to add the first points.

Phoebe Desmond went close to scoring a barnstorming try early in the second half but was brought down less than a metre short of the try line.

The Knights prop was forced to leave the field for a head-injury assessment after coming down hard on the turf.

The game ebbed and flowed in the second half until the Titans struck through Jessika Elliston, who ran onto a grubber to score from close range in the 52^nd minute.

The Titans scored then their second try five minutes later with Gold Coast winger Hailee-Jay Maunsell finishing off a sweep down the left edge in what looked like it would be the match-winner until the late tries from both sides.

Newcastle end their inaugural NRLW season without a win but can hold their heads high after being in the contest in all but one of their five games.

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