RD18-Eels thump Knights 46-12

It was meant to be a night of celebrations for Andrew Johns, but Parramatta ruined the party smacking Newcastle 46-12 in an amazing NRL boilover at Parramatta Stadium.

The scene was set for Johns, who came into the match needing just four points to eclipse Parramatta coach Jason Taylor as the game's all-time point-scorer.

It seemed but a formality, however it took until the 71st minute to break the previous mark of 2,107 when Johns converted a Riley Brown try to set the new mark. Johns acknowledged the warm applause from an appreciative crowd of 13,167, giving them a wave and the thumbs up.

The champion half could have broken the record a minute earlier when Newcastle was given two penalties in front of the uprights, but Johns ignored the jeers of the crowd and ordered a quick tap instead.

The milestone was overshadowed by a brilliant performance from the Eels, who scored nine tries to two - with rising star Jarryd Hayne bagging four. The win also keeps alive the Eels' slim semi-final hopes, while the Knights have lost five of their last six games.

While all eyes were on Johns, opposing halfback Tim Smith stole the spotlight as he guided the Eels to a 10-0 lead after just 15 minutes. He scored the opening try just four minutes in when he regathered his own grubber kick after a fortuitous rebound off Knights lock Reegan Tanner.
And then the 21-year-old showcased his passing skills, laying on a try for NSW winger Eric Grothe with a superb cut-out pass.

The Eels scored two tries in the three minutes before the break to take control of the game.
Five-eighth John Morris scored the first after some quick hands and a clever kick ahead by rising star Hayne, before Luke O'Dwyer touched down after Riley Brown and Nathan Hinton were unable to clean up a Morris grubber.

Any hopes of a second-half comeback were quickly extinguished when Hayne crossed for two tries in the opening nine minutes to take the game out of Newcastle's grasp.

Source: AAP