FULL-TIME: Canberra 28 def Knights 12
Fogarty adds the extras. 28-12.
Hudson Young gets some redemption for his earlier sin bin. Emre Guler refused to let the play die, linking up with Hosking, who in turn found Young to crash over to put an exclamation mark on this one.
Crossland is crushed!
Ponga converts.
Hastings gets one back for the 23,000 in attendance. A show and go in between Hosking and Fogarty saw the English international race away to score.
SIX AGAIN NEW: Inside 10m
Captain's Challenge CAN
PEN KNIGHTS: Gamble taken illegally off the ball.
Smithies loses it 1 on 1.
Elliott puts it down (was a hospital ball from Leo Thompson).
Fogarty tackled on 5. Change-over.
Ponga's short kick off goes out on the full but will be a play the ball.
Fogarty is unsuccessful.
GAME SET MATCH! Tom Starling poked his nose through. Got an incredibly quick play the ball. A spread across the backline sees Ethan Strange, Hopoate combine before finding Jordan Rapana to cement Canberra's margin.
Adam Elliott spills the footy. The Knights look flatter than Dora the Explorer's map.
Lucas (HIA) won't return. Cat 2 but will run out of time.
NO GOAL! 18-6 Raiders.
AMBUSH CITY LIMITS: Fogarty's kick was taken brilliantly in traffic by Hopoate who found Young to quickly get it onto Savage who showed great speed to get it down in the left corner.
Young's grubber showed more flare than Newcastle's kicking game has all night.
CANBERRA recover the short dropout.
Marzhew getting treated in the in-goal. Levi getting treated for a cork.
Newcastle trapped in the in-goal. Goal line dropout to come.
Canberra backing their field position.
NO TRY UPHELD! Knights last tackle options have been pretty lethargic.
VIDEO REF KNIGHTS: Todd has NO TRY! Marzhew looked short to me
6 more Newy!
PEN KNIGHTS: Second effort against Fogarty.
Rapana juggling it and everyone thought he knocked on but he's allowed to play on.
KP has gotta come alive here for the Knights you feel.
Tuala with ice on his quad. He won't be back tonight.
Jamal Fogarty adds the extras.
Levi burrows his way between Daniel Saifiti and Jack Hetherington (two defenders who should've done better) to cross and make the SuperCoach owners happy.
PEN CAN: Crossland goes back through the ruck.
PENALTY CAN: High tackle on Jackson Hastings.
Ponga put it down.
PEN NEW: Hand on ball
Both sides completing their opening sets. Knights turn to muscle up!
GAME ON! Canberra with first use of it here in the second half!
Half-Time: Canberra 8 lead Newcastle 6.
Ponga's tip on is forward.
Strange is CRUNCHED! Dane Gagai destroyed him there.
SIX AGAIN CAN: Slow peel
VIDEO REF KNIGHTS: Todd Smith has NO TRY! Looking at a potential knock on .Decision upheld.
Tuala breaks down the right!
NO TRY DECISION STANDS!
VIDEO REF CAN: Todd has NO TRY - looking for a Raiders knock on.
Morgan Smithies has passed his HIA.
Newcastle do nothing with the field position. They make a mistake.
Short drop-out is partially successful. Savage caught it, was getting taken towards the sideline. Gagai stopped it and the ball spills out. Newcastle ball!
Gamble and Saifiti have stuffed the kickoff routine up. That's a big boo boo !
Ponga adds the extras.
Tyson Gamble in game 50 soon joined in on the fun with a clever short pass to Frizell who fools the left edge of the Raiders to charge across.
Emre Guler ON REPORT for a Hip Drop.
Crossland OFF - Cogger ON.
Fogarty dominating the kicking game at the moment. Strange has been a little quiet in this one.
Newcastle just looking flat at the moment.
Fogarty adds the extras. Bit of a surprise. 8-0 in Newcastle to Canberra.
After a lull period. A clever crossfield kick from Fogarty is well weighted. Zac Hosking flew through between the crowd of bodies to get to the ball first to score for the Raiders.
Young in the bin for an off-the-ball shoulder charge to the head of KP.
Morgan Smithies is off for a HIA - replaced by Ata Mariota.
NO TRY - PEN CAN: Obstruction
VIDEO REF: Todd has NO TRY - confirming obstruction
Marzhew put it down trying to catch it. Good call from Todd and co.
PEN NEW: Second effort as Bradman Best tries to get up quickly.
SAIFITI CRUNCHES SAVAGE
Rapana does his weekly acting, but the referee doesn't give him the Oscar. He plays the ball.
PEN CAN: KP's kick goes out on the full.
Fogarty knocks it over from in front and Canberra lead by 2-0.
TIME OFF: Tapine goes down claiming a crusher and Leo Thompson goes into the bad books. Canberra will take the two.
SIX AGAIN CAN: Left edge for Newcastle jump early.
Crossland kicks out of acting half and the ball lands out on the full
Canberra try to dink it in behind but the Knights are one step ahead here.
Fresh off the 6 again, Newcastle put it down on play 0
SIX AGAIN KNIGHTS: Ruck Infringement.
Tapine puts it down for the Raiders. Knights will get to work it out of their own end.
PEN RAIDERS: Leg pull after contact against Bradman Best.
Great little cross-field kick from Hastings but was spilled by Frizell. Raiders get a seven tackle set of their own.
Ball has deflected off Albert Hopoate into KP. NO TRY RAIDERS. Seven tackle set to come for the Raiders.
VIDEO REF RAIDERS: Todd has NO TRY - first knock on from KP he says. Let's go to the MenuLog Bunker.
Ponga spills the ball in the tackle of Danny Levi. Newcastle's set up was INCREDIBLY FLAT there... some rusty signs here.
PEN KNIGHTS: Danny Levi caught inside the 10m.
Marzhew has the first line break of the evening. On the ensuing set, Gagai bumps off 1 but is taken short. Turnover and the Raiders will work away from their own end.
KP catches Fogarty's kick in the in-goal on the full. 7 tackle set to come, both sides getting through their sets well so far.
KICKOFF! Regular transmission with Thursday Night Football begins as we get ourselves underway from Newcastle. Todd Smith's crisp whistle tone sounds and it'll be Newcastle with first use.
Both sides are 1-17 tonight. Referee in charge is Todd Smith. Kasey Badger and Jon Stone have the flags. Chris Butler will man the controls in the Bunker. Kickoff at the top of the hour.
Round 1 continues 5 days after it began as we take a trip to McDonaldJones Stadium for the clash between the Newcastle Knights and the Canberra Raiders. These sides played a 90 minute epic in the finals last season, so all eyes will be on these sides for differing reasons. Will the Knights improve on their hot end to 2023? Will the Raiders decline without Jack Wighton? Only one way to find out, put the ball on the tee and hear the ref's whistle get us underway!!
Referees & scorers:
Referee: Todd Smith
Touch Judges: Kasey Badger, Jon Stone
Video Referee: Chris Butler
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS (12)
Tries: Tyson Frizell, Jackson Hastings
Conversions: Kalyn Ponga (2/2)
CANBERRA RAIDERS (28)
Tries: Hudson Young, Zac Hosking, Danny Levi, Xavier Savage, Jordan Rapana
Conversions: Jamal Fogarty (3/5)
Penalty Goals: Jamal Fogarty (1/1)