James Maloney stars as Panthers down Knights 29-18 in freezing conditions in the Hunter

A JAMES Maloney play with 22 minutes to go may have raised eyebrows but it was one that helped wrest back the momentum and allowed the Panthers to overcome the Knights 29-18.

Tyrone Peachey helped his NSW credentials against Newcastle.

A JAMES Maloney play with 22 minutes to go may have raised eyebrows but it was one that helped wrest back the momentum and allowed the Panthers to overcome the Knights 29-18.

With 22 minutes left on the clock and Penrith attacking the Knights’ line, Maloney casually slotted a field goal on the fourth play to put his team ahead 19-12.

Many questioned the mentality at that stage of the game and even coach Anthony Griffin wondered what his halfback was thinking.

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Tyrone Peachey helped his NSW credentials against Newcastle.

“I was surprised. I thought with that swollen eye he couldn’t read the clock, there was a lot of time left,” Griffin said.

“But he kicked the field goal and then we steadied after that and got a bit of ball which we needed.

“We’d spent 15 or 18 minutes without it so for the next 15 minutes we had all the field position which allowed us to close the game out.”

The Panthers added another 10 points to their total through two penalties and a try, Corey Harawira-Naera sealing things with 10 to go when he took a Maloney cross-field kick and touched down just inside the deadball line.

A late consolation try to Nathan Ross with two minutes to play made the final scoreline more respectable for Newcastle but it was a disappointing result for the 14,801 fans who braved the freezing conditions.

An obscure field-goal from James Maloney proved valuable in the clash.

It was another night of missed chances for Newcastle who had kept in touch at the start of the second half.

Coach Nathan Brown lamented another 12-point turnaround, this time late in the first half, which he felt could have seen a different match play out.

Five-eighth Connor Watson gave away a penalty when Newcastle scored with 10 minutes until the break, meaning the Daniel Saifiti try was disallowed. Minutes later a Watson pass went to ground off a Lachlan Fitzgibbon linebreak, which the Panthers’ Tyrone Peachey swooped on go 40 metres downfield and put Dallin Watene-Zelezniak into score.

Kalyn Ponga was again one of Newcastle’s best.

It was a game defining period for Newcastle.

“The Connor Watson penalty when we scored to make it 12-all and then the linebreak to where they got an intercept try off our linebreak was where the game was won and lost,” Brown said.

“I’m very comfortable with the effort we were putting in tonight we would have won, where last week we didn’t perform well enough to deserve any luck.

Corey Harawira-Naera scored a late try to seal the game.

“We got a lot of 25, 35, 40-gamers at the moment and if you look at Connor for example, he had some great stuff tonight and then he comes up and gives a penalty when we score a try.”

From there Penrith took an 18-6 lead into the break and withstood and fightback from the Knights when they came back out.

Newcastle had 77 per cent of possession on the back of four penalties and three drop outs after 13 minutes in the second half. They came within striking distance when they crossed for a try during that period but the Maloney field goal five minutes later marked the momentum shifting back in the visitors’ favour as he steered his side to the win.

PENRITH 29 (R Campbell-Gillard C Harawira-Naera T Peachey D Watene-Zelezniak tries J Maloney 6 goals J Maloney field goal) bt NEWCASTLE 18 (K Ponga N Ross C Watson tries B Lamb 2 K Sio goals) at McDonald Jones Stadium. Referee: Alan Shortall, Gavin Reynolds. Crowd: 14,801.

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