NRL: Knights beat Cowboys in spiteful contest

The Knights' Joseph Leilua is tackled by Ethan Lowe of the Cowboys. Photo / Getty Images

Newcastle emerged the victors from an ugly, spiteful NRL slugfest on Saturday night, beating the North Queensland Cowboys 16-14 in Townsville.

The match will carry a heavy cost for both sides.

For Newcastle, Origin star Beau Scott is facing a length suspension for his battle with Johnathan Thurston.

Already on report for ironing out the Maroons ace in the 18th minute, Scott was lucky to stay on the field after slamming Thurston's head into the deck in an ugly, lifting tackle in the second half which left the halfback badly bruised.

Cowboys recruit Justin O'Neill was stretchered from the field after a heavy slam by Knights prop Kane Snowden, also in the 18th minute.

Thurston himself was put on report for a high shot on winger Akuila Uate who appeared to slip and fall into the tackle.

The former test flyer was taken from the field for medical assessment but returned to score a second-half try.

Ethan Lowe had earlier wrestled his way through to find the line, Matthew Scott cleaned up the crumbs of a Kurt Gidley bomb and Thurston slotted a penalty goal to push the Cowboys 14-0 ahead.

But the Knights unveiled a trick shot in the shadow of halftime.

Behind his own 30m line, five-eighth Jarrod Mullen punched the ball downfield for a flying Uate who was only denied by a try-saving tackle from Morgan.

But as the Cowboys defence struggled to get back on side Leilua crossed in the left corner to make it 4-4.

Uate returned to the field to cross in the 62nd minute.

Then Leilua strolled through a yawning hole in the Cowboys defensive line to level the scores in the 73rd minute.

Tyrone Roberts kicked the match-winning conversion and Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt's penalty attempt, from 57 metres out on fulltime, sailed just wide.

- AAP