UPDATE:
The Newcastle Knights are into the NRL Nines quarter-finals after continuing their undefeated run with a 16-4 win against Penrith in Perth on Saturday.
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The Knights meet the Parramatta Eel in the cross over game at 5.40pm
After hammering the Warriors on 34-0 on Friday night, the Knights backed it up against a Panthers team captained by NSW halfback Nathan Cleary.
The Panthers scored first through back-rower Liam Martin in the sixth minute, but the Knights hit back a minute later by spinning the ball to teenager Nathanael Sasagi, who showed explosive pace and footwork to score out wide.
Newcastle hit the lead midway through the second half when veteran Kurt Gidley threw a classic short ball and Jacob Saifiti crashed over to score.
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Coalfields pair Brodie Jones and Matt Soper-Lawler both scored tries in a Kurt Gidley inspired 34-0 slaughter of the Auckland Warriors in the opening round of the NRL Nines in Perth on Friday.
Cessnock's Jones scored on the stroke of half-time when Gidley set up the four-pointer with a flick pass.
Maitland's Soper-Lawler, who is hopeful of securing a place in the Knights top 30, pounced on a Gidley grubber kick a minute before full-time.
Jones and Soper-Lawler are joined by fellow Coalields player and Maitland junior Pasami Saulo in the Knights Nines squad.
Club legend Gidley who came out of retirement to play in the tournament at the age of 37, set up three of Newcastle's six tries.
The Knights play Penrith, who thrashed the Roosters 35-0, in their second pool game at 2.10pm on Saturday.
Newcastle opened the scoring in the fourth minute when playmaker Mason Lino dummied and stepped his way over.
Flying winger Starford Toa scored their second try through sheer pace in the eighth minute, and then Gidley set up a try for Jones.
That gave the Knights a 20-0 lead at the break.
Two minutes after the resumption, Sione Mata'utia won the race to ground a Kurt Mann grubber in-goal.
Rookie Tex Hoy then scored in the 14th minute after Gidley created an overlap, and then the former NSW skipper sealed a man-of-the-match performance with a grubber kick to set up Soper-Lawler.
Gidley played 251 top-grade games for the Knights, second only to Danny Buderus, before retiring after spending 2016 and 2017 playing in Super League with Warrington Wolves.
He was invited to make a one-off Nines comeback by new Knights coach Adam O'Brien and jumped at the chance.
