Raiders v Knights preview

Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights
GIO Stadium - Friday 7:45pm

I bet Channel 9 wishes they could have their time again.

For the first time on a Friday night in nearly 20 years, these two "Fox favourites" face off in the free-to-air network's showpiece timeslot, and it probably couldn't have come at a worse time. Canberra have spent much of the last 6 weeks fading in and out of form - springing the odd result but generally not getting the needed results. They sit 11th.

Meanwhile, their opponents Newcastle blitzed the field at the start of the season before spectacularly crashing back to Earth - the Knights currently sit in 15th, propped up only by the Wests Tigers, who have a much-welcomed bye this weekend. Put simply - any loss for Newcastle, due to their woeful points differential, sees them sink to the bottom of the table.

On the field, you'd have to think that in one sense the Knights might receive some sort of boost from the off-field news that the club has acquired Trent Hodkinson for next season. That said - the news Kurt Gidley would be serving his last season at Hunter Stadium didn't really do much for morale, so who knows how the Knights will react.

But what I'm really wondering is what Rick Stone is thinking. After a competitive last start which saw Jake Mamo shine in a losing side against Brisbane, the young bloke has been dropped in favour of returning the old 1-6-7 in Gidley, Mullen & Roberts. I hope he knows what he's doing...

As for Stuart's charges, they're still reeling from that loss to the Cowboys three weeks ago. An excruciating Thurston field goal kicked the Townsville side home, and the following week Canberra just weren't really ever a chance against the Warriors. The bye probably then came at a good time.

Last meeting: Round 13 2015 - Newcastle Knights 22 Canberra Raiders 44

Just a month ago in Newcastle, the Raiders shot out to an early 18-0 lead before the Knights clawed back to a 24-16 deficit at the break. A Blake Austin masterclass in the second half was only stemmed by a Dane Gagai runaway, but otherwise it was all the Green Machine.

Who to watch: While Blake Austin will dominate the play, Edrick Lee will be an interesting one to observe this weekend. Having spent the entire Origin camp and victorious match day with the Maroons, he'll be better for the experience and will take plenty away from it. The Austin-Williams cross-field kick to Lee has become a pet play for the hosts and given its' success in this fixture in Round 13, it's one the Newcastle outside men will want to have trained for.

One man who did get onto the field for Queensland is Newcastle's Dane Gagai. Easily one of the Knights' best this season, Gagai had a blinder in the maroon jersey on Wednesday night and will be keen to back it up with a solid performance for his club side. Whatever reserves he has left after the emotional Origin win, he'll need to call on them here to help keep his team from the bottom rung of the NRL ladder.

The favourite: Canberra are firm favourites for this one on a chilly night in the Nation's Capital.

My tip: It's hard to see Newcastle turning it around at this stage. Canberra won this game comfortably just five weeks ago and there's no reason they won't repeat the dose - even if the margin is slightly smaller. Raiders by 12.

1. Jack Wighton 2. Edrick Lee 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Sisa Waqa 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Blake Austin 7. Sam Williams 8. Paul Vaughan 9. Josh Hodgson 10. David Shillington 11. Josh Papalii 12. Iosia Soliola 13. Shaun Fensom
Interchange: 14. Kurt Baptiste 15. Jarrad Kennedy 16. Frank Paul Nuuausala 17. Shannon Boyd

1. Kurt Gidley 2. James McManus 3. Sione Mata'utia 4. Dane Gagai 5. Akuila Uate 6. Jarrod Mullen 7. Tyrone Roberts 8. Kade Snowden 9. Tyler Randell 10. Korbin Sims 11. Beau Scott 12. Tariq Sims 13. Jeremy Smith
Interchange: 14. Danny Levi 15. David Fa'alogo 16. Joseph Tapine 17. Sam Mataora 18. Paterika Vaivai 19. Chanel Mata'utia

Referees: Matt Cecchin, Grant Atkins; Sideline Officials: Ricky MacFarlane, Michael Wise; Video Referees: Steve Clark, Ben Galea;

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