A contingent of Newcastle's SG Ball side will now turn their attention to the Jersey Flegg competition after falling at the final hurdle in their grand final on Saturday.
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In a double blow for the Knights, after the Harold Matthews Cup team lost its earlier decider at Leichhardt Oval, the under-19 SG Ball side went down 28-22 to Parramatta.
In bleak conditions, the Knights fell short of clinching what would have been the club's first SG Ball title since 2011.
Despite a spirited display in a contest that went down to the wire, Parramatta were the dominant team and led most of the match.
Newcastle did well to not fall further behind after conceding two early tries and fought back to level the scores at 12-all by half-time. Bench forward Beau Slade barged over in the 27th minute and centre Ethan Ferguson crossed five minutes later out wide.
But the Eels scored twice in quick succession after the break and were in front from then on. The Knights kept fighting though and moved to within four points after Mayson Metcalf, a late replacement for a suspended player, crashed over in the 53rd minute.
Ferguson converted to make it 22-18, but the Eels struck again five minutes later with winger Devonte Vaivela bagging his second.
A break and chip and chase from fullback Fletcher Sharpe helped set up Newcastle's fourth try, scored by Taj Blackman. But despite their best efforts, the Knights couldn't find another try in the last five minutes.
"For such a young age, it can go two ways and probably the last three weeks it's gone the way of fighting and resilience," SG Ball coach Matt Nicoll said. "There's a fair bit of character in the club at the moment."
With some gun attacking players in the side, the conditions probably didn't favour Newcastle but Nicoll said it was no excuse.
"We are a bit of an expansive side at times, but we've also been able to win footy games by grinding as well," he said. "We were probably missing a few key personnel in areas that play a pivotal role in our side, but at the end of the day I thought the guys that came in for them were really good. So no excuses."
Nicoll said 15 players from SG Ball would join Newcastle's Jersey Flegg squad and vie to play in the under-21s side, who are seventh after eight games. They play a full 26-round competition which runs into September.
"My sole job is to get these guys moving up the grades and ... with 15 going up to 20s next week the club is in good hands," Nicoll said.
"I believe a few will go straight in [to the Jersey Flegg side], but that's up to [coach] Tony Gleeson."
