NRL: Depleted Knights embarrass Roosters

Joel Edwards of the Knights is tackled by Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Mitchell Pearce of the Roosters. Photo / Getty Images

Knights 18
Roosters 10
Depleted Newcastle have sent the Sydney Roosters' season back into crisis with a gutsy 18-10 victory in the NRL clash at Ausgrid Stadium.

Already without chief playmaker Jarrod Mullen, the Knights lost captain Kurt Gidley with a hamstring injury before kickoff today, fielding rookie halves Ryan Stig and Tyrone Roberts.

They proved more than a match for the Roosters' representative duo Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce, the home side out-enthusing Brian Smith's struggling outfit and scoring three tries to two.

Junior Sa'u, Peter Mata'utia and Akuila Uate scored tries for Newcastle, with stand-in skipper Wes Naiqama booting three from three.

Roosters centre Justin Carney and fullback Anthony Minichiello scored their side's four-pointers, as they struggled to get their attack together and lacked sting in defence.

Minichiello's 105th try for the Roosters set a new record for the club and means the NSW custodian has scored in his past seven games against the Knights, but that was the only bright note.

As well as losing Gidley and winger James McManus from the side they named this week, the Knights suffered a further blow with former Queensland forward Neville Costigan to undergo scans on a knee injury believed to be a cartilage problem.

The Roosters' 2010 grand final hangover shows no signs of improving and, on Sunday's showing, they have little hope of improving from their position two wins outside the top eight.

They looked like they would take advantage of Newcastle's injury woes when centre Carney beat NSW winger Uate to score a soft try in just the eighth minute.

But after Roosters' prop Jason Ryles made a meal of the first play-the-ball after the kick-off, Sa'u was able to crash over in the 12th.

The Knights took full toll of three sets on the Roosters' line in the 30th minute when winger Mata'utia strolled through a gaping hole which would have had Smith questioning the attitude of his side as they went to the break 12-4 down.

Uate all but sealed the win in the 62nd minute when he carried three over the line, before Minichiello gave the Roosters some hope in the 75th.

NEWCASTLE 18 (P Mata'utia J Sau A Uate tries W Naiqama 3 goals) bt SYDNEY ROOSTERS 10 (J Carney A Minichiello tries T Carney goal) at Ausgrid Stadium. Referee: Ben Cummins, Adam Devcich. Crowd: 22,326.

- AAP