Newcastle Knights end Melbourne Storm jinx with breakthrough victory

It was Newcastle's first win against the Storm since 2015 and ended an 11-game losing streak at the hands of the Victorian juggernaut.

Coming after victories against Canterbury and Wests Tigers, the Knights have now won three straight and sit 10^th on the ladder, two wins adrift of eighth-placed South Sydney, with six rounds remaining.

The result was especially sweet for Knights coach Adam O'Brien, who celebrated his first success in five head-to-head clashes with his former mentor, Storm mastermind Craig Bellamy.

It capped off a great night for the bumper crowd after Newcastle's champion NRLW team opened their title defence with a 32-16 victory against St George Illawarra in the curtain-raiser.

The Knights were under siege from the outset, conceding two converted tries in the opening 10 minutes.

Storm fullback Nick Meaney opened the scoring in the third minute when he swooped on a Newcastle fumble and raced 70 metres to score untouched.

Four minutes later, the Storm made it 12-0 when back-rower Trent Loiero crashed over from short range.

The Knights hit back in the 17^th minute with a try out wide by winger Dominic Young - his 19^th of the season - to reduce the deficit to 12-4.

The home team followed that with a try by in-form centre Bradman Best, who crashed over after an angled run onto a Jackson Hastings short ball.

Skipper Kalyn Ponga converted to bring Newcastle back within two points.

There was controversy in the 37^th minute when Storm forward Tariq Sims hit Hastings with a high tackle, sparking a melee.

Sims was sent to the sin bin, and within a minute Newcastle winger Greg Marzhew had scored in the corner after a Best flick pass.

Ponga missed the conversion attempt from the sideline but Newcastle were in the lead, 14-12. They extended that advantage in the last minute of the first half when they kept the ball alive and back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon finished off a superb team try.

Ponga's shot at goal was again off target, leaving the Knights 18-12 up at the break.

Five minutes into the second half, Newcastle hooker Phoenix Crossland grubber-kicked into the Storm in-goal and bench forward Mat Croker won the race to ground it.

Ponga converted to increase Newcastle's advantage to 24-12.

The Storm responded with a Justin Olam try in the 53^rd minute to move back within six points.

The game hung in the balance until the Storm conceded a ruck-infringement penalty in the 75^th minute and Ponga goaled, to give his team a vital eight-point buffer.

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