Newcastle's NRL woes have been compounded by a fresh injury scare for star fullback Kalyn Ponga in a limp 36-12 loss to Canterbury.
The Knights were thumped in Sydney on Sunday, with Bulldog Bronson Xerri scoring his first try since 2019 in his comeback from a four-year drug ban and Ponga adding a potential foot injury to an ongoing hip issue.
The result improved the new-look Bulldogs to 3-4 while the Knights - fifth after the regular season last year - fell to 2-5 after another late selection call failed to spark them.
Ponga, hoping to return to the State of Origin fray for Queensland this season, has battled through a hip injury this season and was in obvious pain when returning for the second half.
He eventually limped off for good and stepped into a moon boot after Bulldogs utility Bailey Hayward raced from nowhere to plant an in-goal grubber under the Newcastle co-captain's nose.
That made it 24-6, before Josh Addo-Carr flew expertly to score in the right corner and seal the contest with more than 20 minutes left.
Newcastle made a late personnel move by demoting five-eighth Jack Cogger to the NSW Cup and bringing Tyson Gamble back into the starting side to partner halfback Jackson Hastings.
Their fourth halves change in seven games - that pair began the season together - amounted to little though, the Knights' kicking game easily trumped by the boot of Bulldogs playmaker Matt Burton.
The left-footer managed a 40-20 that led to Jacob Kiraz's early try, with the Bulldogs defusing every Newcastle kick and the Knights making just three line breaks.
Dylan Lucas scored for Newcastle off a flat Gamble pass but Greg Marzhew knocked on from the restart and Xerri, back in the NRL this year after a positive test for testosterone in November 2019, had the instant reply.
Key off-season signing Stephen Crichton added some flourish to the occasion when he completed a wonderful team try down the right flank before tempers flared in the final minutes.
Prolonged niggling eventually led to Jack Hetherington being sin-binned, with Bulldog Reed Mahoney joining him after he cheekily waved the Knights forward goodbye.