The Dragons were unable to chase down the Knights going down 22-6 in Newcastle on Saturday afternoon.
Jack Hetherington was placed on report in the early goings for an ugly high shot on Dragons lock Matthew Alhazim, but the first points of the afternoon belonged to the hosts with Fletcher Hunt going aerial to reel in a cross-field Jackson Hastings kick to make it 6-0.
Alhazim left the clash for a HIA moments later – which he was able to pass – bringing Ryan Hutchinson into the action.
The Dragons threatened on separate occasions down the left flank through both Cody Ramsey and Nathan Lawson, but points still eluded the visiting side.
The clash fell into a sort of stalemate not helped by the heavy nature of the track as the Knights took their six-point edge into the break.
Jonah Glover, with the help of Lyric Craft-Te Moananui, produced a brilliant effort to escape from the in-goal and put his side on the front foot.
Newcastle threatened to add to their lead on a left-side shift play only for winger Taj Annan to spill the ball with an open line ahead of him.
Isaiah Fagalilo produced a miraculous try-saver to deny Hunt his second of the afternoon an hour in as the deficit remained at a half-dozen.
The Knights were able to extend their lead with 15 remaining however through Hastings who slipped his way over to make the situation all the more difficult for the Red V.
Newcastle began to storm home with Wilson De Courcey finding another four-pointer just minutes later to extend their lead out to 16-0.
Lachlan Ilias made his way over late for the Dragons to nab a try, but it proved in vain with Jacob Davis diving over on the stroke of full-time to seal it for Newcastle.
The loss sees the Dragons slip into third on the competition with Parramatta leapfrogging the side having downed the Jets earlier in the day.