Newcastle have qualified for the NRLW finals after coming from behind and scoring with less than three minutes remaining to claim an unlikely 18-16 win over Parramatta on Sunday.
The Knights looked gone at McDonald Jones Stadium with the Eels holding a 16-12 lead for much of the second half, but Novocastrian Olivia Higgins dived out of dummy-half to score on the left edge in the 67th minute.
Five-eighth Kirra Dibb converted to give the Knights the lead which they held to claim their third consecutive victory in front of a decent crowd that rolled in before the men's NRL match.
"Whether we make the semis or not, our community just wants a performance that they're proud of and that's all we've challenged our players to do," Knights coach Ron Griffiths said.
"We've done that each game."
The result will qualify Newcastle for the finals and leaves them as dual unbeaten competition leaders alongside the Sydney Roosters. They face the Roosters away next week followed by the third-placed Dragons at Gosford to wrap up the five-round regular season.
The Eels, who remain winless after three games, were fighting to keep their season alive on Sunday and were the better side for most of the match.
They struck first after eight minutes when centre Rikeya Horne easily stepped around Dibb to score from close range on the right edge.
But the Knights hit back through Tamika Upton in the 14th minute. The fullback beat three defenders in a brilliant individual effort to cross in the right corner.
Errors and penalties stagnated the flow of the contest for the rest of the half, but Knights prop Tayla Predebon barged over three minutes into the second after winding up from inside 10 metres.
The Eels hit back a few minutes later off a last-tackle kick with winger Tess Staines collecting a cross-field bomb to score out wide. Tayla Preston's successful conversion put the visitors up 12-10.
Newcastle were gifted two points shortly after when the Eels conceded a penalty 15 metres in front of the goal posts. Dibb's penalty kick levelled the scores, but the Eels were in again five minutes later with Rikeya Horne bagging her second.
Raymond Terrace product Higgins scored her crucial try after some quick lead-up play including a strong run from Predebon. Dibb's conversion would prove the difference for the home side.
Griffiths hailed the influence of Upton, highlighting the fullback's key catch off the kick-off after Newcastle hit the front late in the game.
"When she come to the club ... her game was at really elite level and we just spoke about a few little things that we can work on," he said.
"We've done that ... and it will keep growing, but this week we spoke to her about leadership and starting to take more of a role in that.
"We seen that on the field today. We score a try then off the short kick-off ... she is running backwards and catches the ball. That's the sort of player we've got here.
"Her game will go to the next level again, I have no doubt."
