THE Newcastle Knights crashed back to earth on Sunday night when they copped a 38-8 hammering from Sydney Roosters at Allianz Stadium and lost five-eighth Connor Watson to injury in the process.
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It was Newcastle's first loss of the season after encouraging wins against Manly and Canberra in the first two rounds.
Watson, one of five Knights playing against his former club, left the field in the 19th minute with what was reported to be a dislocated shoulder.
He was unable to return.
There was also concern for Newcastle earlier in the first half when centre Sione Mata'utia, who has a history of concussions, was replaced after a head knock.
Mata'utia underwent a head-injury assessment before rejoining the game.
The Roosters, premiership favourites after the off-season acquisition of Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco, produced a dominant performance that showcased their all-round class.
A spectacular try seconds before half-time gave the home side a 24-8 lead at the break.
Cronk produced a brave chip kick from wthin his own 40 metres, which sat up perfectly for speedster Luke Keary.
Keary raced downfield and flung a desperate flick pass when caught in cover defence by Kalyn Ponga. The ball landed in the grateful arms of Roosters substitute Victor Radley, who raced away to score.
It capped off a dazzling opening stanza from Keary and Cronk, despite at-times torrential rain.
Keary, the former South Sydney five-eighth, also scored in the 35th minute, after spearing through a gap in Newcastle's defensive line. He combined with Cronk to create their team's opening try, when centre Latrell Mitchell dived over in the seventh minute.
The Roosters' other try in the first half came when prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves cleaned up the crumbs after a Cronk bomb bounced fortuitously.
Newcastle gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the 32nd minute when skipper Mitchell Pearce grubber-kicked and fellow ex-Rooster Aidan Guerra won the race to ground the ball in-goal.
The Knights twice came close to scoring early in the second half, but back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon was held up over the line and winger Shaun Kenny-Dowall was bundled over the sideline.
The Roosters made Newcastle pay in the 50th minute when they pounced on a handling error and winger Blake Ferguson scored a runaway try.
Ferguson made it a double in the 67th minute.
Cronk scored in the 55th minute after regathering his own grubber kick and had a hand in the six other tries the Roosters scored.
The sin-binning of centre Tautau Moga in the 78th minute for a professional foul capped off a frustrating night for Newcastle.
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