SCOREBOARD
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 28 (Adam Cuthbertson 2, Anthony Quinn, Tyrone Roberts, Akuila Uate tries; Tyrone Roberts 3, Kurt Gidley goals) bt CANBERRA RAIDERS 12 (Josh Papalii, Joel Thompson tries; Jarrod Croker 2 goals) at Hunter Stadium. Referees: Gerard Sutton, Brett Suttor. Crowd: 18,689.
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BEST PLAYERS
3 Kade Snowden (Knights)
2 Tyrone Roberts (Knights)
1 Shaun Fensom (Raiders)
TALE OF TWO HALVES
Notoriously slow starters, the Raiders took a 12-10 lead into the break despite conceding the opening try of the game for the fourth straight time this year. From there it all went horribly wrong, as the Knights wrestled back control of the match to score 18 unanswered points on their way to their third win of the season. The Raiders made far too many simple errors in the opening 20 minutes, and repeated the dose in the back-end of the second half. They had few chances after the break as the Knights ground them out of the game with an effective display of controlling field position.
CLOSE CALLS
It was a case of what might have been as the Raiders missed out on a couple of four-pointers, either through the officiating or their own near misses. Blake Ferguson appeared to get the Raiders on the board early in the first half, only for the referee to rule an obstruction against five-eighth Josh McCrone in the lead-up to the try. It was touch-and-go, but consistent with the confusing rulings delivered in other games during the season. Joel Thompson could have got the Raiders back to within two points late in the game, but the video replay showed he had lost control of the ball in attempting to score.
FORWARD DOMINANCE
Both the Knights and the Raiders boast massive forward packs, but it was the Novacastrians who dominated the middle of the park. Boosted by a heap of possession in the first 20 minutes, the Knights' forwards got the ascendancy and didn’t give it up. Kade Snowden showed the form which got him in the NSW Origin team a few years ago, charging for 192 metres off 16 carries. He was well-supported by David Fa’alogo (101m) and Adam Cuthbertson, who barged over for two tries among his 99m off the bench, his first four-pointers since 2011. Lock Shaun Fensom was again a shining light for the Raiders, racking up 59 tackles and more than 100m.
WHAT EASY DRAW?
A predicted soft start to the season for the Raiders has turned into a nightmare. With their first six games against sides who missed out on the finals last year, the Raiders had the perfect opportunity to turn around their renowned tag as slow starters. However, three losses in their opening four games has heaped on the pressure ahead of back-to-back home matches with the Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors. Wins in both of those games are crucial given the Raiders then hit the road to take on the North Queensland Cowboys and the Melbourne Storm in consecutive rounds, two of the harder venues to secure the two competition points in the NRL.
INJURY CONCERNS
Winger Jack Wighton failed to finish the game with a hand injury and could be in doubt for Sunday’s game with the Roosters. Wighton’s exit in the middle of the second half forced a back-line reshuffle, with Joel Thompson to the centres and Jarrod Croker shifting to the wing. Croker could be an option on the wing for next week if Wighton is ruled out, but the more likely scenario is for Edrick Lee to earn a recall after the past couple weeks in the NSW Cup with Mounties. On the plus side, Thompson looked untroubled in his return from a shoulder injury and provided plenty of punch on the edge, either in the forwards or in the centres.
