NRL 2021: Newcastle Knights beat NZ Warriors 20-16, Bradman Best inspires comeback

Knights sensation Bradman Best produced two stunning try assists to ensure Newcastle maintained their perfect start to the season with a comeback win against the Warriors.

Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake rips in to the Knights’ defence. Picture: Getty Images

It’s the Best start to a season Newcastle could’ve asked for.

One week after swatting aside Canterbury, the Knights made it back-to-back wins to open their NRL campaign with a thrilling 20-16 comeback win over the Warriors on Friday night.

And it was 19-year-old sensation Bradman Best who literally delivered the win, producing two sterling try assists in the second half, including the game-winning play.

Watch The 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership Live & On-Demand with No Ad-Breaks During Play. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >

Jayden Brailey got the Knights off to a good start with the opening try against the Warriors. Picture: Getty Images

His late-game heroics came two years after being handed his anticipated debut by the man in the opposition coach’s box in Nathan Brown, before his shock exit later that season.

The Knights looked to have blown the two points at a wet Central Coast Stadium when Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck put Ken Maumalo in for a try with just four minutes to play.

However Best, who in doubt earlier in the week with a chronic ankle issue, came up big in the clutch, standing up opposing centre Peta Hiku before finding winger Hymel Hunt for his second try.

“He was certainly one of the ones we were thinking there, when we need to find a try, he’s in the conversation to get the ball to,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said.

“Usually with young talented guys, it’s around the preparation … that you have to constantly be on top of them. I don’t have to do that with this kid.”

It was the second of two highlight plays for the rising centre, having already sent Hunt over with a jaw-dropping flick pass with his non-preferred left hand.

The audacious ball had seemingly given the Knights, up by two at halftime, a comfortable eight-point lead with 30 minutes left to play.

Only Tuivasa-Sheck had other ideas.

The Warriors star twice found holes in the Knights’ right-edge in the space of 10 minutes, closing the gap by putting Adam Pompey over before stealing the lead with his try for Maumalo.

However their joy lasted just seven minutes, with Best showing why he’s considered a future representative star by inspiring his team to an exciting triumph.

Brown was upbeat with his team’s effort, declaring his former club a top-eight team who he has a soft spot for following his four trying seasons there.

Bradman Best was outstanding for the Knights. Picture: Getty Images

“We’re all expecting (the Knights) to be there at the end of the year. The squad’s improved on last year. And we went three tries all with them, we’re all new with each other,” Brown said.

“I hope the Knights do well.

“I was there for nearly four years and people like the two (Saifiti brothers), Mitch Barnett, those three blokes played in the hardest times of any kids I’ve ever seen play first grade when the Knights basically had a reserve grade side.”

NOT ALL THAT JAZZ

Jazz Tevaga has become a cornerstone of the Warriors forward pack in recent years, however there was nothing tough about his knee to the head of Best midway through the first half.

Tevaga is likely to be in hot water with the match review committee after he was put on report by referee Grant Atkins for “leading with the knee” as Best got up to play the ball.

Tevaga mightn’t be the only Warriors forward to be rubbed out of next week’s daunting road trip to Canberra, with Jamayne Taunoa-Brown also cited for a first-half crusher tackle on Hymel Hunt.

“I don’t think there’s a great deal in any of it,” Brown said.

RTS SET UP FOR BIG FINISH

His team might have lost the game, but Tuivasa-Sheck seems set to bow out of the NRL in style if his first two games are anything to go by.

The rugby union-bound star racked up 170 metres to go with his two try assists against the Knights, adding to the 166 metres he tallied in round one.

Tyson Frizell was strong against the Warriors. Picture: Getty Images

BARNETT TEES OFF

He might not have the fast feet of Kalyn Ponga, but does he have his golden boot?

Ponga (shoulder) is still considered a few weeks away from returning, however Barnett could lessen the burden on the star fullback by taking over goalkicking duties fulltime.

The Knights second-rower has kicked an impressive 13 goals from 14 attempts over the opening two rounds, including a pearler from the sideline against the backdrop of an orange Gosford sunset.

KNIGHTS PLAN BIG BASH FOR PEARCE

Newcastle players had barely returned to the dressing room after their win over the Warriors when coach Adam O’Brien turned his attention to next week’s big bash for Mitchell Pearce.

The veteran halfback will join the exclusive 300-game club when the Knights hosts the Wests Tigers, whom his dad Wayne helped make famous in his time with Balmain, next week.

“We’ll come up with something pretty special early in the week and set the tone. We’ve already mentioned it tonight,” O’Brien said after their four-point victory in Gosford.

“It’s a really special night — 300, that’s unreal. I’m really looking forward to the week. He deserves this. He deserves to have the guys rally around him, which I know they will.”

Mitchell Pearce will play his 300th NRL game next week against Wests Tigers. Picture: Getty Images

Pearce has endured a turbulent off-season that included the publicised cancellation of his wedding after a texting saga involving a club employee that resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy.

He later signed a one-year extension, tying him to the Hunter until the end of next season.

Now the spotlight will again home in on the former NSW State of Origin playmaker when he attempts to guide the Knights to their first 3-0 start in six years.

“It’s not so much about Mitchell’s performance at the end of that week,” O’Brien said.

“It’ll be everyone else around him, including myself, to make sure we do our jobs to make sure we do our jobs and make this is memorable as we can for him because it’s huge.”

O’Brien also insisted the Knights were far from a finished product despite opening their season with back-to-back wins for the second time in as many seasons at the helm.

The second-year coach pointed to a slew of first-grade regulars on the sidelines, including star fullback Kalyn Ponga and the experienced Blake Green.

“We’ve got a lot of quality to come in,” he said. “We’ve got five guys that are missing from this team that would I daresay make the 17 in terms of Kalyn and Greeny, Edrick (Lee), (Lachlan Fitzgibbon).”