Former Newcastle Knights favourite Akuila Uate scored twice to condemn his former club to an 18-14 defeat to Manly.
The Sea Eagles moved up to fourth on the NRL following the controversial victory, with Uate’s second try wrongly awarded after the ball was lost in the events leading up to the score.
It was Uate who have Manly the lead in the 20th minute just two minutes after Brock Lamb had kicked a penalty to nudge Newcastle ahead.
But the Knights were ahead 8-6 at the break as Jaelen Feeney crossed the whitewash, with Lamb’s kick making in 8-6.
However, Manly regained the lead in the 50th minute through Curtis Sironen before Uate’s second-try was controversially awarded to give the Sea Eagles an 18-8 lead.
Danny Levi scored with five minutes remaining to offer the Knights a glimmer of hope, but Manly managed to hold on to secure the win.
Manly: T Trbojevic, Wright, Walker, Kelly, Uate, Green, Cherry-Evans, Lawrence, Koroisau, Taupau, Winterstein, Sironen, J Trbojevic. Subs: Brown, Perrett, Hastings, Fonua-Blake.
Knights: Gagai, Sio, Elliot, P Mata-utia, Ross, Lamb, Feeney, D Saifiti, Levi, Starling, S Mata-utia, Fitzgibbon, Barnett, Subs: Yates, King, Randell, J Saifiti
