Manly have maintained their perfect record at Gosford's Bluetongue Stadium with a come-from-behind 44-20 NRL victory over Newcastle on Friday night.

The Sea Eagles overcame a 14-0 deficit with six tries in 21 minutes, going on to defeat the understrength Knights in front of 15,837 fans and make it four wins from four visits to NSW's Central Coast.

Newcastle, who lost skipper Kurt Gidley to a rib cartilage injury before kick-off, had prop Richard Fa'aoso to thank for their bright opening.

Fa'aoso started the scoring in the fourth minute before turning provider for fellow prop Mark Taufua in the eighth with a smart one-handed offload.

But after Scott Dureau's penalty stretched the lead beyond two converted tries the Sea Eagles launched a relentless comeback.

Tries to Ben Farrar, Tony Williams and teenager Kieran Foran, all in the final ten minutes of the first half, had them ahead 16-14 by the break.

And the rout continued when a speculative kick by Michael Robertson in the 45th minute sent Dureau and the ball crashing into the post, hooker Matt Ballin on the spot to fall on the loose ball for Manly.

Two more four-pointers to forwards George Rose and Anthony Watmough stretched the lead further before Gidley's replacement, Shannon McDonnell, got one back for the Knights in the 59th minute.

But giant winger Williams and Farrar then each scored their second tries to seal the Knights' fourth away defeat on the trot, and move the Sea Eagles in the top eight.

Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler said the team's final 60 minutes had been some of their best football this season.

"It's up there, we've probably still got a bit to go, they're pretty hard judges these players," Hasler said in a warning for Manly's premiership rivals.

"I was just really pleased that we went on with the game, and went on to score points. My math's not really good but I think they only scored six in the second half and we piled on a lot more than that.

"I'm particularly pleased with that aspect of the game."

Knights coach Brian Smith said he wasn't sure if last weekend's revelation he was leaving the club at the end of the year to join the Sydney Roosters had affected his players.

"You'd have to speak to every individual player there to work out whether that was a factor or not," Smith said.

"I would have said our build-up to the game was extremely good and that was evidenced by the way we started."

Smith went on to praise Manly and suggest they're looming as the team to beat in this year's finals series.

"I think they have been for a long time," he said.

"You can see just what a difference Brett Stewart makes to them but, gee, if they get him back and they continue to play like they did tonight, they're going to be tough to beat again."

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