Benji Marshall is like a box of chocolates you never know what you're going to get.
The Wests Tigers superstar turned a horror first-half performance into a match-winning display by orchestrating three tries in 12 minutes and then booting a side-line conversion to give his side a stunning 26-24 NRL victory over Newcastle.
Marshall wowed the 17,898 fans at Campbelltown Sports Stadium with his final 20 minutes, conjuring a victory after the Tigers appeared dead and buried when Jarrod Mullen gave Newcastle a 24-10 lead in the 55th minute.
The Kiwi Test star was named man of the match for his efforts, but he was among the worst on the field in the opening 40 minutes when he kicked out on the full three times twice from the kick off.
It was a rocks-and-diamonds day for Marshall, but his final 20 minutes were inspiring, made even more special by a bout of flu and badly-corked left thigh.
''I made a few mistakes and went in to half-time feeling down,'' Marshall said. ''The boys lifted me and said it could only go one way from here and thank God it did.
''I missed a couple [of conversions] from there earlier so I slowed things down and tried to get my rhythm back. Thank god it went over.''
Marshall jinked his way across the field and evaded five defenders for Beau Ryan's 62nd minute try, then provided a cross-field bomb for Dean Collis to score in the 69th minute.
Collis then scored his third try of the day in the 74th minute after creative play involving several players ended with Marshall's over-the-top pass to the try scorer.
Coach Tim Sheens sung Marshall's praises.
''It wasn't easy for him but he showed enough class,'' said Sheens, adding praise for Marshall's side-line conversion into a strong head wind.
''Clutch play, they are the plays the boys get paid to make.''
It was the Tigers' fourth win of the year, and the third time they've come back from an early deficit.
''We made it a bit of habit this year to start off slow and come good in the second half,'' skipper Robbie Farah said.
''It showed good character but hopefully we don't make a habit of it.''
It was a bitter defeat for the Knights and in particular halfback Mullen, who defied an early shoulder injury to put forward another compelling case for a NSW recall.
Mullen was superb despite obvious shoulder troubles from a 24th minute tackle and looked to have secured the Knights' fourth successive win when he stepped over in the 55th minute.
The Knights almost stole victory in the final minute, but Richard Fa'aoso's pass was ruled forward denying an almost certain try.
Coach Brian Smith didn't see the final play that could have given his side the win he was already too furious they had thrown the game away.
''I was halfway down the stairs and if I thought the traffic wasn't congested I would have gone and got in my car and gone home,'' Smith said. ''You don't walk away with honour when you get on top like that [and lose]. We just got sloppy, lazy and on the back end of a mountain of possession we just invited them back into the game.'' AAP
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