Selwyn Cobbo has crossed for a hat-trick, as the Brisbane Broncos edged closer to their first NRL finals series in three years after overcoming Newcastle 28-10 at Lang Park.
In Saturday's other results, third-placed Cronulla defeated Wests Tigers 36-12 in Tamworth and the Sydney Roosters made it five straight wins with a 32-18 defeat of North Queensland at the SCG.
Broncos captain Adam Reynolds stamped his authority in the slippery conditions in Brisbane to orchestrate four of his side's five tries for the dogged victory.
Despite returning to the winners' circle, Broncos coach Kevin Walters will be unhappy with a disappointing second half on Saturday night when the Knights stormed back into the contest after trailing 18-0 at the break.
Up by eight points with 10 minutes left, it took some Reynolds' magic to ease the 25,742-strong home crowd's nerves by setting up Cobbo's last two tries in the right corner.
The win virtually locks in a finals berth for the Broncos — their first since 2019 after two painful seasons in the cellar — as they now sit three wins clear and a significant for-and-against advantage over ninth-placed Canberra.
It also ended a two-match rut following flat losses to Wests Tigers and the Sydney Roosters that had put their top-four hopes on ice.
But their form will need to improve if they are to make an impact in September.
Drizzle in Brisbane made the ball like a cake of soap, with both sides regularly coughing up possession.
Without injured big guns David Klemmer and Kalyn Ponga, the Knights muscled up and actually had the better of the territorial battle in the first half but they were found wanting out wide where the Broncos cut loose.
Newcastle breathed life into the contest when stand-in skipper Jayden Brailey — in his 100th match — cleverly put a barging Daniel Saifiti over midway through the second half.
When Bradman Best swivelled over with 13 minutes left, the visitors had the momentum but Reynolds stepped up to combine with Kotoni Staggs for Cobbo to cross.
Three minutes later an inch perfect cross-kick gave the Maroons winger his third.
While Reynolds dominated, it was rising five-eighth Ezra Mam who had the home fans roaring loudest by starting and finishing a blazing 75-metre break just before half-time for the 18-point lead.
Brisbane prop Tom Flegler was placed on report for an accidental high collision with Anthony Milford that forced the Knights playmaker off briefly for a HIA.
Sharks outclass Tigers
Kade Dykes scored his maiden NRL try in just his second match as Cronulla retained its spot in the top-four with an uncompromising win over Wests Tigers at Scully Park.
Dykes is the Sharks' first third-generation player after his father Adam and grandfather John played for the club.
He played his part in Cronulla's eighth win in their past nine matches with his 21st-minute try after chasing a kick back on the inside from winger Lachie Miller.
The win also ensured the Sharks leapt over the top of the Melbourne Storm into third place on the ladder as they search for a home final with just three rounds left.
The Sharks continued to show no mercy to the joint-venture club this year after belting them 30-4 in round five.
The Sharks scored four tries in the first half — three off kicks — as they got their attack humming off the back of a 61 per cent possession rate for a 26-6 lead at the break.
Their second half brought another two tries as they made it an uncomfortable night for the out-of-luck Tigers.
Both Matt Ikuvalu and Miller were playing just their third match for Cronulla this year, coming in for the injured Siosifa Talakai and Will Kennedy respectively.
And both wingers scored in the opening 10 minutes.
The Wests Tigers disrupted the flow with hooker Fa'amanu Brown, who spent three seasons at the Sharks, barged over from dummy-half to give his team a sniff at 12-6.
But then prop Royce Hunt ran right over the top of fullback Dane Laurie and Dykes had his piece of personal history and the game was indeed getting away from Brett Kimmorley's side.
It only took Cronulla just 13 minutes to score the first points of the second half — another prop barging over, this time Braden Hamin-Uele dragging three defenders with him for a 32-6 lead.
But it lit a small fuse in the Tigers with back rower Luke Gardner getting on the outside of Dykes for a 20-metre dash to the line.
However, Jesse Ramien crossed for his ninth try of the year just before things started to turn sour for the Sharks.
They lost two players to injuries — Toby Rudolf (knee) and Miller (head injury assessment) — and then back rower Teig Wilton was sin-binned for a late tackle on Laurie.
Wests Tigers winger Brent Naden waltzed through flimsy defence to cross the line but the try was over-ruled because of obstruction.
It just was not the Tigers' night and it does not get any easier for them as they face the Sydney Roosters next Saturday.
Roosters down Cowboys
The race for the top eight is all but over after the Sydney Roosters ran through North Queensland.
Teenage sensation Joseph Suaalii starred with a big first half, while Sam Verrills scored a double just days after confirming he was leaving the Roosters.
Flags were flown at half-mast for the late Paul Green and the Cowboys were gutsy in the circumstances with 10 players still left from the former coach's his time in charge of the club.
But ultimately the Roosters were too classy, virtually ending North Queensland's hopes of top spot on the ladder and handing the minor premiership to Penrith.
At the other end of the top eight, the finals race has also become clearer.
The Roosters looked in serious danger of missing the finals a month ago but have now won five straight since their round-17 bye.
Realistically, the only way they could now miss the top eight is if they lost their last three matches and Canberra win their last four.
And with the way the Roosters are playing ahead of their next game against Wests Tigers, that looks unlikely.
The Roosters controlled the match perfectly, quickly extinguishing any sniff the Cowboys had when they drew back to 10-4 and 20-10 deficits.
Matt Lodge and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves were influential in the middle as both scored tries.
And while they each topped 150 running metres, only Luciano Leilua reached three figures in the Cowboys' pack.
Suaalii was also in everything early.
He claimed the Roosters' first try courtesy of an under-arm harbour-bridge pass from Victor Radley.
The winger also jammed in on Scott Drinkwater and Griffin Neame with powerful hits, the second of which forced an error and line dropout before the Roosters scored soon after.
And if that was not enough, the 19-year-old also put the Roosters on the attack later in the half with another linebreak out of his own end.
Radley also had a high involvement. After the lofted ball for Suaalii's try, he laid on a nice short pass for Lodge to stroll over along the posts.
The Roosters' other first-half points came via Daniel Tupou on the left wing, after Murray Taulagi had briefly given the Cowboys some hope with his own try.
There was controversy, with the Roosters stretching the lead to 20-6 after the break when the Cowboys claimed Lodge had held Griffin Neame back in a scrum as Verrills went over untouched.
Cowboys captain Chad Townsend approached referee Ashley Klein after the try was given to protest but the bunker opted not to intervene and the try was confirmed.
Ultimately, the Roosters' strength with Verrills and Waerea-Hargreaves crossing late before a consolation try for the Cowboys came via Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
AAP/ABC
