NRL: Newcastle Knights pile more misery on Brisbane Broncos

Daniel Saifiti celebrates his try for the Knights against the Broncos

Newcastle Knights handed Brisbane Broncos their fourth-straight defeat since the NRL season resumed as they ran out 27-6 winners at Central Coast Stadium on Thursday.

First-half tries from Kurt Mann and Hymel Hunt helped the Knights into a 13-6 lead at half-time, although Xavier Coates' length-of-the-field score from an interception had been a ray of hope for Anthony Seibold's side.

But Newcastle pushed further ahead early in the second half through influential forward Daniel Saifiti and wrapped up the win late on through a try from Mitchell Pearce.

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Watch Kurt Mann open the scoring for the Knights against the Broncos

As well as remaining winless since the NRL season restarted, the Broncos have now failed to score a try in the second half in their previous four games as well. They were not helped by having two men sin-binned either.

The Knights went into this contest aiming to rebound from suffering their first loss of the season the previous week and made the most of a spell of pressure early on to take the lead in the 10th minute when Pearce sent half-back partner Kurt Mann racing in for the opening try.

Mann had a hand in Newcastle's second try 11 minutes later following a penalty which saw Brisbane full-back Jamayne Isaako sin-binned for a professional foul on Kalyn Ponga, putting in a low kick to the right wing as the hosts attacked for Hunt to scoop up and dot down.

Coates, who had a possibly try ruled out by the video referee on 15 minutes, dragged the Broncos back into the contest on the half-hour mark by intercepting from Andrew McCullough and streaking clear for a converted score.

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Xavier Coates scored a spectacular length of the field try from an interception

But Pearce's drop goal on the stroke of half-time edged Newcastle further ahead and they extended that lead four minutes after the restart when Saifiti twisted his way out of a three-man tackle to get the ball down.

Brisbane's task was made harder on the hour when Patrick Carrigan became their second player to be sin-binned in the match for taking out Pearce off the ball and Ponga, who also kicked four conversions, slotted over the resulting penalty.

And it was Pearce who wrapped up the scoring in the closing stages, exploiting a gap in the defence to dot down under the posts in the dying minutes as Newcastle chalked up their fourth win of the season.