The Newcastle Knights scored five tries in 12 minutes to come back from a 12-8 deficit to race away with an astounding 42-12 win against the Parramatta Eels.
Eels' season not over: Arthur
Settled Knights return to form
WATCH: Mullen breaks through the Parramatta defence to score
WATCH: Full match highlights
WATCH: Knights press conference
WATCH: Eels press conference
Match stats, scores, highlights
Relive our live match commentary
Eels' season not over: Arthur
Settled Knights return to form
WATCH: Mullen breaks through the Parramatta defence to score
WATCH: Full match highlights
WATCH: Knights press conference
WATCH: Eels press conference
Match stats, scores, highlights
Relive our live match commentary
After defeating Melbourne, the Roosters and the Warriors in recent weeks, Newcastle continued their giant-killing run to account for the Eels, meaning the blue and golds must win in Canberra next week and hope the Broncos lose to Melbourne to have a hope of playing finals footy.
Despite hooker Travis Waddell being ruled out of the game just minutes before kick-off, debutant Tyler Randell did his best at hooker after playing the previous 80 minutes in NSW Cup though was rubbed out in the dying stages after a nasty head collision.
Down by four after 51 minutes of play, Newcastle five-eighth Jarrod Mullen helped the Knights regather the lead with a solo effort when he shrugged off the Eels defence and raced 20 metres to score.
The Knights went back-to-back off the proceeding kick-off when offloads from Chris Houston and Beau Scott, as well as magic hands from centre Dane Gagai, saw Chanel Mata'utia get one back on his little brother when he dove over in the 53rd minute.
Chanel Mata'utia continued his family's magic try scoring form six minutes later when he turned nothing into something after brushing off two Eels defenders and crossing in the corner with an acrobatic effort to extend Newcastle's lead to 12.
Back-rower Beau Scott was the next Newcastle player to cross for the Knights after coming up with goods from an outstanding flat ball from Mullen to make it a 30-12 scoreline in the 63rd minute. Two minutes later Joey Leilua crossed to make it an absolutely one-sided affair.
Their win was capped off by a magical effort from Chanel Mata'utia when the winger jump then ground the ball down inches inside the dead ball line to make it a 42-12 scoreline and earn his first career hat-trick.
While the Eels struck early when Will Hopoate weaved his way through the Newcastle defence within the first three minutes and reclaimed the lead in the 34th minute through a rampaging effort from 18-year-old back-rower Tepai Moeroa when he shot through the defensive line, broke through two men and ran 30 metres to score, losing a boot in the process.
Newcastle kept themselves alive in that first stanza while the Eels had a strong breeze at their backs through Sione Mata'utia in the 16th minute when Kurt Gidley wrapped around the back of a scrum 10 metres out from the try-line which initiated a sneaky short side play that ended in the winger crossing untouched.
A further three Eels errors handed the Knights further opportunities and they paid the price in the 25th minute when Sione Mata'utia earned a double and his fifth try in six games.
Newcastle forward Korbin Sims was concussed in the first half and did not return, while Eels back-rower Ben Smith was placed on report for a crusher tackle.
Newcastle Knights 42 (C. Mata'utia 3, S. Mata'utia 2, Mullen, Scott, Leilua tries; Gidley 5 Goals) defeated Parramatta Eels 12 (Hopoate, Moeroa Tries; Sandow 2 Goals) at Hunter Stadium. Crowd: 18,558.
