Brisbane Times

Newcastle forward Steve Simpson has celebrated his 200th NRL game for the Knights in style with a great try in his team's 25-20 victory over South Sydney.

The back-rower had the 14,204 fans at EnergyAustralia Stadium on their feet by finishing off a 60m fifth tackle play sparked by NSW State of Origin hopeful Jarrod Mullen.

Mullen's bullet-like 20m flat pass sent centre Adam MacDougall clear in the 59th minute, the veteran finding winger Keith Lulia after a short run before Simpson finished off the play.

It was the highlight of a rampaging second-half by the Knights, who turned around a 12-6 halftime deficit to score three tries to two in the second term and inflict the Bunnies' fourth loss in a row.

Early tries to Richie Fa'aoso and Lulia in the second half got the Knights back on top before Simpson's four-pointer appeared to have sealed the points.

Mullen then capped a five-star second-half display by scoring a cool field goal in the 76th minute.

The disappointing Rabbits were fortunate to be leading at the break, with the Knights dominating the opening 20 minutes.

Despite crossing the line three times in that period, only Akulia Uate's effort in the ninth minute counted for the Knights.

That failure to capitalise proved costly when Souths backrower Michael Crocker stepped past Junior Sau in the 23rd minute and muscled his way over to give the visitors a 6-4 lead.

That try came off the back of a penalty and when the Knights infringed again six minutes later, Souths halfback Chris Sandow made them pay when his smart grubber found Jamie Simpson to extend the lead to 12-4.

That was the last time the Rabbits would trouble the scoreboard until the 77th minute, when David Fa'alongo was on the end of Sandow break.

Simpson then scored a consolation try for Souths right on fulltime to make the score a flattering one for the visitors.