By Diego Arellano
Wentworthville sit alone atop the competition table after trouncing a gutsy Newcastle 50-32 at Ringrose Park.
Wentworthville got off to a flying start with tries to Api Pewhairangi, Fabian Goodall, Luke Kelly and Peni Terepo saw them lead 22-0 in as many minutes.
The Knights didn't know what hit them but they weren't leading the comp for no reason. They started their comeback four minutes later when Chad Redman snuck over for his first of two tries.
Josh Mantellato converted to make the score 22-6.
With ten minutes left in the first-half Newcastle second rower James Elias sliced through the defence from sixty metres out before sending replacement fullback Matt Minto on his way to the tryline.
Former Raider Michael Dobson pounced on a dropped Wenty ball deep inside his own half and raced away before being run down by Pewhairangi.
From the next play, the ball was spread out to Minto who then threw a beautiful cut out pass for an unmarked Mantellato to dive over and narrow the score to 22-16.
Newcastle levelled the scores just four minutes in thanks to Redman picking up his second try from dummy-half.
The fightback was all but complete at 22-all with Mantellato's conversion.
The Magpies' big guns needed to start firing again and that's exactly what they did.
Led by Kelly, Hunt, Pewhairangi and Junior Paulo, the home side ran in the next four tries to shut out any hopes of a Novacastrian upset.
Kelly set up the first with a wonderful cut out pass for centre Vai Toutai to place the ball over the white line.
Next it was Hunt's turn to show his skills when he caught the Newcastle defence napping off a Toutai pass and raced eighty metres untouched to score under the posts.
The Kelly conversion making it 32-22.
Toutai turned provider again after a strong run up the middle before sending Kelly downfield. The number seven then offloaded to Hunt who had no qualms about scoring his second in a space of four minutes.
Wenty's big props weren't going to let the backs have all the fun and it was Mitch Allgood who strolled over in the 64th minute thanks to well-timed before the line pass by his counterpart Terepo.
Wenty tackle the Sharks as part of a double header at Henson Park this Saturday while the Knights return to Cessnock to host the Panthers.
Wentworthville Magpies 50 (J Hunt 2, V Toutai, A Pewhairangi, F Goodall, L Kelly, P Terepo, M Allgood, L Ma'afu tries; L Kelly 7 goals) def. Newcastle Knights 32 (C Redman 2, J Mantellato 2, M Minto, C Mata'utia tries; J Mantellato 4 goals) at Ringrose Park.
