Match day guide and preview for the Canberra Raiders NRL round four game against the Newcastle Knights.
Match details
- Who: Newcastle Knights vs Canberra Raiders
- When: Sunday 26 March 4.05pm AEDT
- Where: McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Weather: min 19 max 26. Chance of rain 60%, 0 to 2mm
- Click here to buy tickets
- Head-to-head record: Played 54. Raiders 29 wins. Knights 23 wins. 2 draws.
Raiders and Knights team lists
UPDATE: The Raiders have made a couple of changes prior to kick off. Jamal Fogarty is out with a virus and Matt Frawley replaces him at halfback. Josh Papalii and Zac Woolford move to the bench with Emre Guler and Tom Starling to start.
Tyson Frizell has moved into the starting back row for the Knights with Brodie Jones shifting to the bench and Jack Johns dropping out.
Veteran Josh Papali’i returns in the starting front row for the Raiders, with Pasami Saulo shifting to the bench and Trey Mooney drops out of the 17. Zac Woolford comes in at hooker for his first game of the season, replacing Danny Levi who is set to miss 8-10 weeks with a broken jaw.
For the Knights, captain Jayden Brailey has been named to return from concussion, while Kurt Mann also makes his way back from injury at lock. Jack Johns returns on the bench, while Greg Marzhew replaces Dom Young on the wing. Tyson Frizell has been named as a reserve and is a chance of playing.
Season so far
Raiders 11th | 56 points for | 59 points against | 1 win & 2 losses
After close losses in the opening two rounds, the Raiders got on the board last week with a gritty 24-20 victory over the Sharks at home.
Canberra jumped out to a 24-10 lead in the second half and looked to have all the momentum when Royce Hunt was sin binned. However, some poor discipline let the Sharks back into the contest and Raiders fans had to endure yet another tense finish.
Tom Starling did a terrific job after Levi’s injury, recording two try assists and making 54 tackles in 78 minutes, while Corey Horsburgh scored two tries and was involved in some outstanding back and forth with Hunt in the days after the game.
With the Panthers and Broncos to come after this game, this is a clash the Raiders must win.
Newcastle Knights 15th | 46 points for | 68 points against | 1 win & 2 losses
It’s a bit tricky to get a good gauge on the Knights so far this season given they’ve been hit pretty hard by injuries already.
They were competitive in their round one loss to the Warriors in New Zealand before claiming a gutsy win over the Tigers at Leichardt. The Knights did concede 36 points to the Dolphins last week, but they had valid excuses given they were missing key players and were coming off a five-day break after a brutal match the week before.
Honourable losses can only get you so far though, and with Newcastle having lost six matches in a row at home, it’s about time they delivered a win in front of some of the best fans in the NRL.
Last 5 meetings and McDonald Jones Stadium history
- 2022 round 23: Knights 22 – 28 Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium
- 2022 round 15: Raiders 20 – 18 Knights at GIO Stadium, Canberra
- 2021 round 20: Knights 34 – 24 Raiders at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
- 2021 Round 9: Raiders 16 – 24 Knights at McDonalds Park, Wagga Wagga
- 2020 Round 4: Raiders 18 – 34 Knights at Campbelltown Stadium
The Knights have won three of the last five clashes, but Canberra got the better of them twice last year.
Both matches in 2022 went down to the wire, with some Hudson Young individual brilliance in the dying stages winning the first game for Canberra. The Knights jumped out to a 22-8 half-time lead in the second match, but the Raiders managed to reel them back in to seal a comeback victory in Newcastle.
Of the last five matches between the sides in Newcastle, the Raiders have won three, the Knights have won one and they had a 24-24 draw in 2016.
Pre match predictions
Sunday Best: Bradman Best to run for over 100m and score a try. Raiders by 12.
Heart and Saulo: Pasami Saulo to carry for over 100m as part of a Raiders engine room that will roll his old side. Raiders by 10. – Denholm Samaras
Have any predictions of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
Other match details
Gates open at 11.15am.
Jersey Flegg – Raiders vs Knights at 11.30am.
NSW Cup – Raiders vs Knights at 1.35pm
The match will be broadcast live on Channel 9 and Fox League and is also available to stream on Kayo. Overseas fans can watch via Watch NRL.
You can listen to the match on Raiders on Mix (Mix106.3 FM), Radio 2CC (1206 AM) and ABC Grandstand (666 AM)
