Sea Eagles 28 Knights 12

If Jamie Lyon snubbed a Blues jersey to remain out of the spotlight, the plan backfired spectacularly.

All week, Lyon's motives have remained a mystery; they will remain so. The man who won the English Super League's Man of Steel award has been a man of silence.

Last night he finally made a statement, albeit on the football field. In what Knights coach Brian Smith described as his best game at five-eighth, the former Test centre produced a performance which NSW selectors would have preferred to see in Origin decider at ANZ Stadium rather than a "home" club game in Gosford.

Lyon scored a solo try and was a threat to an overmatched Knights defence, his passing, running and kicking game ensuring the Sea Eagles retained the competition lead.

The centre-cum-pivot again created more heartache for Knights coach Brian Smith, his mentor at Parramatta before he walked out on the club.

"I liked his no-look pass - he did about 10 of them," Smith said. "It was a very effective little play. He's a smart player."

The big beneficiaries of Lyon's Origin stance were Joel Monaghan and the Sea Eagles. They were stretched in the first half and even trailed by two points at the half-hour mark. But it all went pear-shaped for the Knights in the second half. When Lyon steamed onto a Matt Orford pass to score in the 57th minute the game was effectively over.

Prop Brent Kite caught Jarrod Mullen with what referee Shayne Hayne described as a "reflex" high shot in the 25th minute, but was placed on report nonetheless. Lock Luke Williamson will have scans on a suspected fractured cheekbone.

MANLY 28 (S Bell J Lyon S Matai A Watmough D Williams tries M Orford 4 goals) bt NEWCASTLE 12 (J McManus 2 C Vuna tries) at Bluetongue Stadium. Referee: S Hayne. Crowd: 13,798.