North Queensland extended their winning streak to four games on Saturday with an impressive 26-6 victory over Wayne Bennett's Newcastle in Townsville.
The win comes as good news for the Cowboys keeping their miracle run to finals football alive and forcing other teams in the top eight to take notice.
The home team made the perfect start, after debutant winger Wayne Ulugia ran 60 metres to cross for the first points.
Despite a string of penalties for both sides, the Cowboys managed to hold the early momentum going into halftime leading the Knights by 14 unanswered points.
After the break, the momentum turned and an early Darius Boyd try, converted by Kurt Gidley, put the Knights within eight.
It looked as if the Knights were going to add more points quickly, but desperation defence by Matt Bowen saved what looked like a certain try by Knights winger James McManus.
The Cowboys hit back after a flick pass from Bowen allowed Brent Tate to put Ulugia over for his second try 15 minutes into the second half.
The Knights gave away a penalty in front of the posts which Thurston converted to return North Queensland to a 14-point lead.
Ray Thompson had to be taken from the field on a stretcher with a suspected broken jaw after a shoulder charge from Newcastle second-rower Kade Snowden in the 65th minute.
Snowden was sent from the field.
Just two sets after the dismissal, the Cowboys capitalised with a converted Robert Lui try.
North Queensland coach Neil Henry said he was happy to be in the top eight, but the challenge is to stay there with matches remaining against Cronulla and Wests Tigers.
"We need to control the possession," he said.
"Our edges have to work very hard and our men in the middle have got to do a job, so very happy with that defensive commitment which has been there for probably a month now."
When questioned about Thompson's injury, Henry said that it was a suspected broken jaw, but they won't know more until Sunday.
"He's certainly been a big part of our momentum through the middle," he said.
"It's disappointing, it takes the gloss off a win when you get an injury like that."
Knights coach Wayne Bennett said he thought Snowden's send off was fair enough.
"I'm disappointed for Kade and disappointed for the boy that's injured, Ray Thompson, I hate to see that and there was no malice there," he said.
"It was obviously reckless, but it was unintentional."
Bennett said didn't think the intensity was lacking early on.
"From our point of view we started as good as they did, but made the unforced error and gave them six points. Our start was as good as I have seen us start," he said.
"They went back-to-back on the tries and that was the killing part.
"We started the second half really good and scored the first points there and then fell apart again."
