He's small in stature and new to the big league but Warrior Kevin Locke has a big and bright future. Even the opposition thinks so.

The young winger stole the show for the second time in his three-game top-level career with the Auckland-based side, this time with a runaway try in the last 10 seconds to secure his team's convincing 13-0 victory over Newcastle at Mt Smart on Friday.

He also kicked the extras for his try and the only other in the game, a burrowing effort by Lance Hohaia five minutes in.

Knights' coach Brian Smith was clearly impressed with the 20-year-old's stellar show, saying he played superbly and had his career mapped out for him.

"He's a very fast and very lucid kid and he played really well. Full credit to him," Smith said.

But it was his own coach Ivan Cleary who heaped the biggest praise, saying Locke's performance was made all the more impressive by a new position and lack of training.

"I can't rap him enough really. In the first game I put him on the left wing ... and today I put him on the right wing. He didn't train because he's been crook all week and you'd have thought he's played there his whole life.

"He's got something, hasn't he?"

Locke, for his part, is unlikely to get ahead of himself, telling journalists that he doesn't want to get a "big head" over his early success.

The round-14 win was vital for the Warriors, who were placed 12th halfway through the competition and were getting ready to wave their finals hopes goodbye.

It may have come at a cost however, with veteran halfback Stacey Jones, who was playing his 250th match for the side, suffering a groin injury but playing on.

"We'll just have to see how he shapes up," the coach said.

Cleary said the uncharacteristically strong start and good defence were "pleasing".

Smith said the away game was always going to be a tough one for the Knights, with injured skipper Kurt Gidley missing, wet conditions, Jones' milestone and a Warriors side hurting after a bashing from Cronulla last Sunday.

It didn't help that they lost winger James McManus in the opening minutes to an ankle injury, with the complaint set to keep him out for an extended period.

He is expected to have a scan on Monday morning and the club is confident it won't be season-sending.

Smith was happy with the effort and said two up-coming byes would give them a much needed "freshen up".

"We'll need to come back hard and consolidate that good start we got to the year," he said.

"If we handle it well and we get some players back to play in the near future there's no reason we can't lift up again and make some wins."

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