The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs faced their first loss of the 2026 season, falling 24-16 to the Newcastle Knights.
The atmosphere at Accor Stadium was electric for the Club's Junior League Appreciation Round, marking their first home game of the year.
A promising start almost saw the Bulldogs score when Fletcher Hunt dropped a Matt Burton kick, allowing Lachlan Galvin to recover the ball.
Max King seemed ready to score, but the bunker ruled he lost possession just before crossing the line.
Newcastle quickly capitalized on a 20-metre restart, with Dom Young sprinting down the sideline to score.
Shortly after, the Knights faced a setback as second-rower Dylan Lucas was sin-binned for a foul on Connor Tracey.
In a prime position to score, Marcelo Montoya pushed towards the line but was thwarted by strong Knights defense.
Despite a valiant late effort in the second half, the Bulldogs conceded two more tries, ending halftime down 16-0.
The Bulldogs returned after the break determined to rally, but Josh Curran was sidelined due to a rib injury from the first half.