After 15 years of misery in Sydney's west, this was a feel-good Sunday at Campbelltown as the Tigers rolled in eight tries to completely dominate the Knights.
The victory means they are now level on points with Penrith at the top of the ladder, having finally claimed three straight wins for the first time since April 2018.
An injury-ravaged Brisbane await next week, with Jarome Luai set to return for the Tigers and the chance of four straight wins for the first since 2012 beckoning.
Sunia Turuva bagged a hat-trick on Sunday and Jahream Bula a double, while Adam Doueihi was superb and Patrick Herbert completed the comeback story of the year.
Terrell May was immense up front with 224 metres and a try against a Knights side who entered the round in the top four.
Tigers fans have endured several false dawns since they last played finals football in 2011, but on Sunday it felt real again as they were cheered off the field after their first victory at Campbelltown in 603 days.
But perhaps nothing summed up the Tigers' improvement  more than coach Benji Marshall strolling into the press conference and labelling his side's end to the game as "unacceptable".
Upset his side let in three late tries, Marshall also warned the season was a marathon and not a sprint, and declared he did not care about ladder position.
"I think it goes to show we're not the same team we've been before," captain Apisai Koroisau said of Marshall's comments.
"We're a new team this year and we have standards we want to hold. We can win games, but there is also work to do behind the scenes.
"It's been hard times in the past and obviously we started the season off well."
Few would have enjoyed Sunday more than Herbert, who played his last NRL game at Gold Coast in 2022 before injury cost him a deal in the English Super League.
Offered a lifeline when he received a call from Marshall while sitting on an excavator in Wollongong late last year, he starred with his first chance at centre.
The 29-year-old provided the play of the game with a basketball-style pass for a Turuva try, offloading just as he was crunched by Wilson De Courcey.
He then celebrated with a try of his own soon afterwards, cutting through and dummying from 30 metres out.
Inside him, Doueihi put Turuva over for two of his tries, the first from an underarm cut-out ball and the second a perfectly-timed pass out in front of the winger.
Doueihi also provided fine lead-up play before Bula's first, skirting across the field and dummying before helping put the fullback into a small gap on the Knights' fragile left.
Such was the Tigers' torment of that edge, Newcastle centre De Courcey was replaced at halftime and winger Greg Marzhew finished with zero tackles and three misses.
The Tigers' only concern from Sunday was second-rower Samuela Fainu, who will need scans on an injured knee.
Tyson Frizell suffered a rib injury, but Newcastle will at least get Dylan Brown back next week against the Sydney Roosters.
Regardless, not even he or the injured Kalyn Ponga would have likely helped Newcastle on Sunday as they had very little good ball to play with.
"I didn't think we needed (Brown and Ponga) before the game, but I'll say yes (they'd help) now," coach Justin Holbrook said.
"Obviously they're going to improve our footy side and the leadership, but that's no excuse for how we played now."
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