Round 22: Raiders v Knights preview
Raiders return home to welcome high-flying Knights
With the regular season beginning to wind down, every game is of the utmost importance for Canberra and Newcastle as they fight their way to the best possible ladder position. The two sides will meet in what will be the first of three NRL games on Saturday - the 5th placed Raiders playing host to Newcastle, who currently sit just one competition point outside of the eight.
Canberra will be heading into this game ruing what could've been, after they went down to the Warriors last week for the second time in just over a month. Golden point was needed to determine the victor last time out, after the Raiders made a late comeback to level the scores in the dying moments of regular time. But Canberra couldn't finish it off, with a Shaun Johnson field goal sealing their defeat.
Corey Hursburgh was in some hot water last weekend, charged with contrary conduct, but he received merely a fine and is free to play. Ricky Stuart has named the same 17 which went down to NZ last week.
Meanwhile, the Knights have snuck their way into some form. Kickstarted back in round 18 with their 66 point thrashing of Canterbury, Newcastle are on a three game winning streak, helped along on the ladder by a bye sandwiched in the middle. They showed plenty of character last week in beating the Melbourne Storm 26-18, demonstrating how the Knights can perform well against top-end teams on their day too.
A Saifiti switch-up is necessary for Newcastle this weekend, with Daniel set to miss the match due to a thigh strain. His brother Jacob replaces him in the starting front row, leaving an empty spot on the bench for Brodie Jones to slot into for his first NRL game since Newcastle's round seven loss to Penrith. Adam Elliott has been cleared to line up against his old club despite being charged with a careless high tackle offence last week.
This is the second meeting between these two sides in NRL 2023, with the Knights taking the chocolates all the way back in round four. Canberra will like their chances of getting back at them many months later.
Last meeting: Round 4 2023 - Knights 24 Raiders 14
Who to watch: Raiders halfback Jamal Fogarty will play a crucial role in the outcome of this game. Since playing his first game for Canberra midway through last season, Fogarty has quickly racked up 32 appearances in the green, rarely missing a game since his knee injury at the beginning of 2022. The 29 year old has won almost double the amount of games he has lost while steering around the Raiders from the halves, and he has played a significant role in Canberra's success so far this season.
Knights winger Dominic Young has had a very solid season coming off his campaign representing England at the World Cup last year. Despite being dropped to NSW Cup back in round four, Young has shown maturity beyond his years to perform consistently and well for Newcastle. The 21 year old is fast approaching fifty NRL appearances, and with 19 tries to his name in just 17 appearances this year, Young is a try-scoring machine who still has plenty of potential to grow as a player.
Favourite: The Raiders are the steady favourites to burst the Knights bubble and go back to their winning ways in front of their home crowd.
My tip: Newcastle have a right to be feared, but Canberra should be too good on their home turf. Raiders by 10.
