Newcastle Knights came from behind to earn their second win of the season despite two tries from England international Elliot Whitehead.
The match was the first home game for Canberra since their former player Kato Ottio passed away so tributes to the Papua New Guinean star were paid before the game began.
When it did begin, Newcastle were quickest out of the blocks when Aidan Guerra dotted down for his new club.
Try-machine Jordan Rapana replied for the hosts before Lachlan Fitzgibbon restored Newcastle’s advantage.
Canberra levelled up the scores through Whitehead before a Jarrod Croker penalty levelled the game up at 14-14 at the break.
Whitehead’s second stretched the Raiders’ lead but another new face at the Knights, Tautau Moga brought Newcastle back into the game.
Jarrod Croker’s try and conversion gave Canberra a 28-20 lead but two tries from Connor Watson and Sione Mata’utia and a Kayln Ponga conversion won the game for Newcastle.
Raiders: Wighton, Cotric, Croker, Leilua, Rapana, Austin, Williams, Soliola, Havili, Boyd, Papalii, Whitehead, Bateman; Interchanges: Sezer, Paulo, Lui, Gubb
Tries: Rapana, Whitehead 2, Croker; Goals: Croker 6
Knights: Ponga, Kenny-Dowall, Mata’utia, Moga, Ross, Watson, Pearce, Ese’ese, Griffin, Lillyman, Fitzgibbon, Guerra, Barnett; Interchanges: Lamb, Heighington, Daniel Saifiti, Jacob Saifiti
Tries: Guerra, Fitzgibbon, Moga, Watson, Mata’utia; Goals Ponga 5
Full match reports of all this weekend’s NRL games will feature in Monday’s League Express
