Kalyn Ponga’s Fitness in Doubt Before Origin Decider as Raiders Celebrate Rare Achievement After 22 Years

The Canberra Raiders have climbed to the summit of the NRL ladder following a 22-18 triumph over the Newcastle Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday evening.

This achievement marks the first instance in 22 years that Canberra has led the league at this stage of the season, following an impressive run of six consecutive victories and 11 wins out of their last 12 matches.

To compound the troubles for Newcastle and raise alarm bells for Queensland fans, Kalyn Ponga was forced off the field due to a foot injury and did not return to the game.

The fullback for the Maroons had his left knee heavily strapped during the game, but Nine’s sideline reporter Marlee Silva confirmed that Ponga sustained a foot injury during a tackle.

“The Knights staff have reassured us that it’s not the same foot where he suffered his Lisfranc injury last year, which kept him sidelined for a few months,” she mentioned.

“He will be undergoing scans soon.”

Post-match, Ponga was seen wearing a moon boot, and cameras from Nine captured the 27-year-old sharing an emotional hug with his mother in the sheds.

“Mum’s here, so that’s probably not a good sign,” remarked Maroons coach Billy Slater during Nine’s post-match coverage.

Despite James Schiller scoring twice in the second half against his former side, his efforts ultimately fell short for the Knights.

The Raiders executed their strategy flawlessly, marching up the field with ease while the Knights struggled to counter Canberra’s effective offloading game.

Newcastle found themselves scoreless in the first half, as the Raiders took advantage of second-phase play to score two of their three first-half tries.

Kaeo Weekes was instrumental for the visitors, wrapping up the match with a try, 264 run metres, and three line breaks.

The Raiders kicked off the scoring in the 15th minute, with Simi Sasagi, stepping in for Origin star Hudson Young on the left edge, crossing the line first.

Ethan Strange’s chip kick was perfectly timed, allowing Sasagi to soar for the ball and touch down for the opening try of the night.

Following that, Zac Hosking created an opportunity for Weekes, who set up Strange for a brilliantly executed team try.

Newcastle legend Andrew Johns suggested that coach Adam O’Brien needed to make adjustments at halftime.

“They need to modify their attack because this approach is simply not effective,” he expressed on Nine’s broadcast.

“They can’t keep employing this style of play when they aren’t putting any real pressure on the defence.”

Johns emphasised the need for a more robust game plan centered around a power play with support around the ruck, as the set patterns were continuously being neutralised by Canberra.

At half-time, the Raiders were comfortably leading the Knights 16-0.

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The Knights finally got on the scoreboard in the 49th minute due to Schiller’s effort.

He latched onto a precise pass from Ponga to cross for the Knights.

However, an error from Jackson Hastings proved costly as Jed Stuart capitalised to score his second try in consecutive games.

Even though the Knights struggled for most of the match, Jermaine McEwen managed to get on the scoresheet before Schiller added another, bringing Newcastle within four points of Canberra with just six minutes left on the clock.

After the Panthers’ narrow 8-6 victory over the Bulldogs on Thursday night, the Raiders only needed this win over the Knights to seize the lead in the competition.

Currently, the Raiders are level with the Bulldogs on competition points but boast a superior points differential.

With six of their final eight fixtures against lower-ranked teams, the minor premiership is now well within reach.