Roosters 20 Knights 34

Jesse Royal described it as like seeing a pig fly. He was referring to Danny Wicks's 110 kilogram frame charging towards Brisbane Waters before detouring behind the Roosters' line for a stunning late try.

But there he was, charging through a gap, outpacing speedster Amos Roberts. Let's face it, the Newcastle Knights' heritage jersey wasn't exactly flattering (we all know what hoops do to a rotund figure).

Wicks's dashing 60-metre-plus run to the line began with seven seconds remaining and remarkably finished a split second after the clock wound down.

Despite watching his side give up a 20-12 half-time lead to eventually lose 34-20, it even made Roosters coach Brad Fittler crack a smile.

"It's funny, I missed it," Fittler said. "There was always a rumour that Danny Wicks had this super speed, and then when somebody told me, I was sitting there, nearly having a laugh, because they said he was the fastest in Newcastle over 40 metres - he's now the fastest in Newcastle and Roosters."

Wicks may have looked like a pig flying, but he sounded like a pig in the proverbial when gloating about his remarkable effort.

"It seemed like a kilometre away," Wicks said. "It was just pretty much for the fans, and [to] say that we're a force to contend with.

"[But] it was pretty lucky the way it happened. I just flew through the line."

Wicks, you may have heard, is the Knights forward who does backflips at training. He is also the Knights forward who walked away from a collision while on his motorbike a few months back. These facts prove two things - Wicks is tough and acrobatic.

But Knights coach Brian Smith, ever the motivator even under the circumstances, wasn't ready to hand out too many superlatives to the 22-year-old.

"He did what we know he's capable of," Smith said. "I would like to think that's a bit of a benchmark that he can try to find a bit more often."

Wicks seemed to agree, joking: "I thought I'd have a go because I hadn't all game."

As you would expect from a match that featured a long-range try by a prop, this was a strange game. The two tries that bookended the contest were the two main talking points. In between, it was something of a blur as Roosters' comfort suddenly gave way to confusion, and Knights' ineptitude suddenly gave way to invincibility.

Royal was awarded a try by referee Steve Lyons in the 12th minute, however, replays suggested the forward dropped the ball over the line. Royal said he didn't know if he'd scored - code, you'd think, for no try.

"I don't remember it," he said. "My lungs were the size of peas, so I was struggling.

"All I care about is no nudie run. I've done them for the past two years. It'll be good to sit back at the end of the season and watch the other blokes do it now."

The turning point of it all, apart from Mitchell Pearce's crucial missed touch-finder from a penalty after 60 minutes, was a grand Smith spray at half-time, which left the "walls rocking", according to Royal. Danny Buderus and Ben Cross then addressed the team and by the time they left the sheds, "we looked like a football team", Buderus said.

The hooker said the Knights players deserved the "right rocket" delivered by Smith. "It's what we needed," he said. "We just weren't playing for each other in that first half."

Smith told them no team with a 2-4 win-loss record had ever gone on to make the top eight, and so now, after beating one of the best-performing teams of the opening five rounds, the Knights are 3-3.

"I just felt like we weren't putting in the 'requireds'," Smith said. "Everyone's trying, but not doing that little bit extra to help each other. Once we found some of that in the second half, we got there … just."

Buderus, who had ice put on both ankles, his left knee and right thigh after the match, was placed on report for a second-half hit that left Roosters fullback Sam Perrett concussed. The hooker appeared to make contact with his forearm, however, he claimed the tackle looked far worse on endless replays than it did in real time.

"When you slow everything down it always looks worse than it is," Buderus said. "I'm going full speed and he's going full speed. It felt like just a shoulder charge.

"I've apologised to him 10 times out there. Hopefully it's one of those things that stays on the field. There was no malice in it."

The NRL match review committee will study the tackle today.

As for Wicks, his good fortune will only continue today when he picks up his bike after it was written off - "although I haven't told Smithy yet".