He may have been on the losing side last Sunday but Enari Tuala earned himself a slice of history that's been 34 years in the making in Newcastle's 28-20 loss to Parramatta in Rockhampton. In crossing for three tries against the Eels in his side's sudden-death play-offs defeat, the Knights winger became the first player in the club's history to score a hat-trick in a finals game. It's a feat that eluded even the likes of Newcastle's most prolific try-scorers Aku Uate, Timana Tahu and Adam MacDougall. It finished off an outstanding end to the season for Tuala with the Cairns-born 22-year-old now on the verge of re-signing with the Knights for another two years. One of only two players [Connor Watson was the other] to feature in all 25 games for the Knights this season, Tuala is the only member of Newcastle's finals squad still unsigned for 2022. But club officials are confident he won't be going anywhere else with a new deal expected to be finalised over the next week to keep him at the club. After only showing average form for a large chunk of the season, it took a positional change to turn Tuala's fortunes around. After spending all bar one of the opening 18 games as a right centre, scoring just two tries, Tuala was switched to the left wing by coach Adam O'Brien for the Knights' round 20 clash against the Canberra Raiders. The move proved to be a masterstroke. He score a hat-trick in that Raiders game and didn't look back. In the final seven games to end the season, he crossed for 11 tries and finished as the club's leading try-scorer with 13. Fullback Kalyn Ponga was next best with eight. Knights coach Adam O'Brien said Tuala is a highly valued member of the squad. "Enari didn't miss a game for us, was really consistent and at the back end of the season, he showed us just how good a finisher he is after we pushed him out to the wing," O'Brien said. "He showed great athleticism for some of those tries and from my point of view, he is a pleasure to coach. I certainly don't lie awake at night wondering what Enari is going to bring to the table each week." Tuala's re-signing will be among the final pieces sorted in the Knights' roster puzzle for next season. The club is still in the market for a backrower while young playmaker Phoenix Crossland is also set to be offered a new one-year deal. The futures of Text Hoy and Jack Johns are yet to be determined but both could still be squeezed into the squad. # Meanwhile, the NRL says it is still reviewing the circumstances behind the decision to allowed Knights backrower Tyson Frizell to return to the field against Parramatta last Sunday after he appeared unsteady on his feet from concussion.
