Dom Young's leaping effort to send Jermaine McEwan over not only kickstarted the finals, but showcased how the Knights side to face the Warriors in Sunday's semi-final is so different from the one that took last year's wooden spoon.
It was only a season ago Newcastle were a team who rarely contested bombs, taking the conservative approach of swarming rivals once they caught the ball.
But all conservatism has gone out the window since Justin Holbrook's arrival this season, with more time spent training attack than defence.
It took the Knights until round 14 to score a try from a bomb last year, before they managed seven in total.
Newcastle scored three in that fashion in the first game alone this year.
"Every time I'm going to go up and compete," Young, who at 200cm is the NRL's third-tallest player, said.
"I've always tried to do that anyway. But sometimes it's felt like we haven't.
"But when you watch games now, so many opportunities and tries are coming off the kicks on last plays.
"If you're not utilising it, then you're missing out."
Beyond the bombs, plenty of early shifts have Young and fellow winger Greg Marzhew both in the NRL's top four for tries and linebreaks this season.
Newcastle's turnaround has been stark.
The Knights are averaging more than 12 points extra per game on last year, marking the fourth biggest improvement in premiership history.
They have done so with Kalyn Ponga missing one-third of the season through injury, while the NRL's most expensive recruit Dylan Brown is sidelined with an ACL.
"I remember watching them and they didn't score many points last year," Brown said.
"That's why I give the coaches a huge rap ... the way they are putting trust in us with the way we play the game.
"They're giving us confidence to shift the ball from sideline to sideline. We're not going to stop now we're in the finals."
Beyond the shifts that have resulted in Newcastle going from five tries scored from the other side of halfway to 31 this year, their attack is also relentless.
Regular interchanges of passing are helping create fatigue, allowing an undermanned forward pack to still find space and momentum in the middle.
As NRL legend Andrew Johns pointed out this week the Knights also have every right to believe their approach can challenge the Warriors at Eden Park.
Manly, the Dolphins and the Knights themselves have caused the hosts headaches in recent weeks by getting the ball wide to speedy outside backs.
And Newcastle have that in bucketloads with Young, Marzhew Dane Gagai and Bradman Best set to be crucial.
"We don't really have a structure of attack. It's just we have different plays on different parts of the field," hooker Phoenix Crossland said.
"I know a lot of teams have sets where every play is scripted, but we don't have that.
"When you look at our team, it'd be stupid to take one-out hit-ups and then kick the ball.
"We want to move it to Bradman and Gaggs and our backrowers.
"We just play what we see, and it suits our team with Sharpie (Fletcher Sharpe), Kalyn and Sandon (Smith)."
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