The Knights put on an attacking show against the Panthers in Round 8 last season, scoring six tries in a 34-14 win at Hunter Stadium.
Penrith might have dominated possession (55 per cent to 45 per cent), but it was the precision of the Knights that got the home side the competition points.
Newcastle chalked up six line-breaks and conceded three fewer missed tackles – despite being forced to make an additional 45 tackles.
Knights wingers Akuila Uate and James McManus had field days, running for a combined total of 249 metres and breaking eight tackle in the process – as did second-rower Zeb Taia who ran for 143 metres and scored a try.
The boot of Jarrod Mullen proved one of the major factors in the Knights’ victory – the five-eighth kicked for 537 metres, more than double his nearest rival.
The win, however, was soured through injuries to captain Kurt Gidley and hooker Danny Buderus.