SHANICE Parker had "goosebumps, shivers and tingles" but never doubted teammate Jesse Southwell would nail the conversion to give Newcastle a 22-20 win over Brisbane on Sunday.
Eighteen-year-old Southwell sealed the come-from-behind victory as the full-time siren sounded in front of a club-record NRLW crowd of 17,043 at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Her goal-kicking, which coach Ronald Griffiths praised her for working on, was Newcastle's saving grace in the topsy-turvy affair but it was Parker's double that put Southwell in a position to win the game.
The club's player of the year last season, Parker scored two tries and set up another inside the last 15 minutes to help the Knights twice come from behind.
The 25-year-old's second came with barely a minute left on the clock and sent the growing crowd into raptures.
"I literally had goosebumps, shivers and tingles when Jess was taking that final kick," Parker told the Newcastle Herald of the thrilling end to the contest.
"I couldn't even look, I was so excited.
"It felt like a grand final and that just proves the crowd that we've got, and the atmosphere we've built here in Newcastle, is one that everyone wants to be a part of. I'll never forget moments like this."
The Broncos led 10-4 at half-time and moved 12 points ahead midway through the second stanza. But Newcastle's right-side centre-wing pairing of Parker and Sheridan Gallagher scored tries in repeat sets to help level the scores with less than 10 minutes remaining.
The Broncos scored with five minutes left to take a 20-16 lead but missed the sideline conversion before Parker bagged her brace in the dying minutes.
In her fourth NRLW campaign after returning last season just months after the birth of her first child, Parker - a Kiwi international - only scored her first NRLW try three weeks ago in her 14th-career game. She now has three to her name.
"I was literally saying to the girls this morning I only average one try every four years, so I'm done for the next couple of years, and then that happens," she said.
"But that's just off the back of all the girls' hard work in the middle and Meek's [Tamika Upton] brilliance to put me into that space."
It was a quick pass from Upton that put Parker into a hole for the final try.
Captaining the side in place of Hannah Southwell, who was rested after a bump last week, Upton was inspirational, halting multiple certain tries.
"I haven't seen a fullback come up with too many defensive saves like that in a long period of time," Griffiths said."I thought they rolled us through the middle and we made some defensive decisions that weren't great. We didn't lock the front door. But four or five times Tamika come up with a play that saved us."
Placed second prior to the match, Newcastle move level on points with competition leaders Sydney Roosters following the win ahead of another home game against Cronulla next week.
The Broncos remain sixth after what was their third loss this season.
Knights winger Jasmin Strange opened the scoring two minutes in, catching a Yasmin Clydsdale cut-out pass and slamming the ball over the try-line before two Broncos heaved took her over the sideline.
The Broncos hit back 10 minutes later when winger Ashleigh Werner scored in similar fashion, diving over virtually untouched on the left flank.
Tamika Upton stopped a certain try when she intercepted a pass after the Broncos made a break, but it counted for little the visitors crossed for their second a few plays later.
Broncos halfback Ali Brigginshaw showed all her experience, dummying and stepping off her right before beating three defenders to score in the 19th minute.
Fresh from a week's suspension, Caitlan Johnston barged over from close range a few minutes later but her effort was disallowed for an obstruction.
Upton produced another try-saving play when she brought a runaway Werner down 10 metres past halfway.
The Knights lost prop Simone Karpani to an ankle injury three minutes out from half-time and also had Clydsdale placed on report at the same time for leading with the legs.
Winger Sheridan Gallagher almost scored Newcastle's second a minute before the pass from her inside centre Shanice Parker went forward.
A couple of errors didn't help Newcastle's cause early in the second stanza and Strange went close to scoring her second in the corner but video replays showed her left arm was over the sideline before she put the ball down.
Powerhouse Broncos centre Mele Hufanga raced over untouched to score her sixth try of the season in the 52nd minute, Brisbane quickly extending their lead to 16-4.
But the Knights hit back a few minutes later when Shanice Parker broke through the defensive line on the right edge. Southwell's conversion reduced the deficit to six.
Parker put Gallagher away for her fourth try in five games in the next set, allowing Southwell to level with the kick.
But the Broncos hit almost straight back with winger Lauren Dam finishing off a sweep on the right edge to put her side in front.
Parker's effort in the final minute and Southwell's conversion sent the Newcastle-strong crowd in raptures.
