Newcastle 6
Parramatta 4
NEWCASTLE - Timana Tahu's return to Newcastle in the wake of the Andrew Johns racism row lasted eight fiery minutes before the Parramatta centre was put on report then sin-binned for consecutive high tackles against his former NRL club last night.
Tahu's return to the NSW side for State of Origin III is now likely to depend on whether he's suspended after his blatant swinging arm on Knights winger James McManus.
The incident overshadowed a sideline conversion from Newcastle and NSW captain Kurt Gidley to seal a last gasp 6-4 win for the Knights.
Tahu's first on-field assignment since his walkout from the Blues Origin camp was just seven minutes old when he was reported for the McManus tackle.
It provoked a scuffle with former Newcastle team-mate Adam MacDougall and Gidley, a good friend of Johns' who'd been left stunned by Tahu's exit 10 days ago.
In the very next tackle, Tahu launched himself with a high shoulder charge on Knights prop Ben Cross, who moments before had appeared to lean a knee into the head of Eels fullback Jarryd Hayne.
The tackle on Cross caused the game to blow up again with Tahu throwing a punch at Isaac De Gois before Tahu was marched for 10 minutes, but not before MacDougall appeared to have consoled him.
The bad blood with Gidley could have boded ill enough for Tahu's return to the Blues for Origin III next month, but suspension will now almost certainly rule him out.
After a 0-0 halftime scoreline, the first try of the match came, fittingly, from a mistake when Eels makeshift centre Justin Horo capitalised on Akuila Uate spilling a high ball after 60 minutes.
But a 78th minute try from Junior Sa'u after Eels replacement Tom Humble had fumbled a grubber gave Gidley his chance to have the last laugh.
- AAP
