IT wasn't pretty but the Newcastle Knights broke a seven-game losing streak with a gritty 16-6 win over Canterbury in Brisbane on Friday.
The victory, which lifted Newcastle off the bottom of the ladder and left the Bulldogs equal-last, was secured with two tries in the second half after the scores were locked at six-all at halftime.
Boosted by the return of back-rower Mitch Barnett, Newcastle's forward-pack laid the platform for the win with prop David Klemmer producing a game-high 190 run metres in greasy conditions at Suncorp Stadium.
Klemmer said after full-time the victory was a "a start" the Knights could build from to try and turn their season around.
"I know it's only one win, but we've got to keep building," he said.
"We've got a couple of weeks coming up to save our season."
The Knights' second-half display was better than their first but they were helped by a string of errors and penalties from the Bulldogs, who had looked the better side in the opening 40 minutes - throwing the ball around and forcing three goal-line drop-outs.
But it was Newcastle who grabbed the first four-pointer with a smart, short-side play down the left edge in the 14th minute.
Winger Edrick Lee finished off the handy work of Kalyn Ponga, who threw a cut-out pass to Bradman Best before the centre got the ball away to his outside man.
The Bulldogs hit back a few minutes later when try-scoring machine Josh Addo-Carr raced onto five-eighth Matt Burton's perfectly weighted grubber into the left corner.
The Knights were forced to defend four repeat sets at their own end midway through the first half, but the Bulldogs could only manage a penalty goal from the lengthy period of possession to level the scores at 6-all.
Newcastle failed to take advantage of some decent field position late in the half. Tex Hoy twice put in kicks resulting in seven-tackle sets.
But with errors and penalties aiding them, the Knights tested the Bulldogs after the break and got their second try in the 47th minute after Brent Naden rushed up on Kalyn Ponga from a scrum.
The Knights captain simply had to put on a step and get a pass away for centre Bradman Best to cross with ease.
Rugby union convert Leo Thompson bombed a certain try, which would have been his first in the NRL, midway through the second half when he dropped a pass only a metre out from the try-line.
In a desperate effort with 10 minutes left to play, interchange prop Pasami Saulo dived on a ball and looked to have scored but he was ruled to have bounced the ball.
Halfback Adam Clune scored in the 75th minute from close range to ensure victory and ease the pressure on his coach Adam O'Brien.
Newcastle host Brisbane at home next Thursday and will have former Broncos playmaker Anthony Milford at their disposal for the first time.
