YOU get perfection, now and again.

But for Kurt Gidley, according to Rugby League Week magazine, there's no such thing as a perfect 10.

Gidley manhandled the Panthers on Friday night in arguably the single most dominant individual performance of the year.

The only possible downsides were one missed conversion (between five kicks that split the posts), one downfield punt that went straight down Rhys Wesser's throat, and a couple of hairs out of place at the end. It was a masterful 80 minutes, but not enough for full marks in the magazine's prestigious weekly polls.

There have been only seven 10s in the past 17 years: Brad Clyde for Canberra against Wests in 1991; Brad Fittler in a Test against New Zealand in 1995; Greg Florimo for North Sydney against Manly in 1997; Brett Kimmorley for the Sharks against Newcastle in 2002; Andrew Johns versus Melbourne in 2005; Dragons skipper Mark Gasnier against Wests Tigers in 2006 and Parramatta winger Jarryd Hayne against Brisbane in 2007.

The Knights downed Penrith 30-18. Gidley played every position except water boy. Filling in as captain for injured NSW skipper Danny Buderus, he finished with 14 points. He scored a brilliant solo try in the first half when he bolted 30 metres from dummy half and sold Lachlan Coote a textbook dummy. With 15 minutes left, he shrugged off two defenders before giving flick pass for big prop Daniel Tolar to cross for the matchwinner. He made 198 metres. Sixty-one more than Penrith metre-eater Petero Civoniceva. He just ran the entire show.

Rugby League Week's verdict? As of last night, a nine. Tough game, footy.