2024 R1 Thu - Newcastle 12-28 Canberra @ McDonald Jones

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NRL 2024 - Round 1
Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders
McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal (TICKETS)

Thursday 7 March 2024
NRL kickoff 8pm AEDT
Broadcast live in Australia on Nine Network, 9Now, Fox League & Kayo Sports.

MATCH PREVIEW

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Enari Tuala 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Dylan Lucas 13. Adam Elliott 14. Jack Cogger 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Kai Pearce-Paul 18. Jed Cartwright 19. Thomas Jenkins 20. Will Pryce 21. Brodie Jones 22. Thomas Cant

1. Jordan Rapana 2. Nick Cotric 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Albert Hopoate 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Josh Papali'i 9. Danny Levi 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Morgan Smithies 14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Ata Mariota 17. Pasami Saulo 18. Kaeo Weekes 19. Simi Sasagi 20. Zac Woolford 21. James Schiller 22. Trey Mooney

Referee: Todd Smith
Sideline Officials: Kasey Badger, Jon Stone
Video Referee: Chris Butler

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H2H since 1988: 57 matches, Canberra 29 Newcastle 26, drawn 2
McDonald Jones: 24 matches, Newcastle 16 Canberra 8
Last met: 2023 Elim Final - Newcastle 30-28, McDonald Jones

Biggest wins:
Canberra 52-16 (1994, R8 at Marathon)
Newcastle 52-6 (2002, R4 at EnergyAustralia)

Next game:
Newcastle: (A) v North Qld R2 (QLD Country Bank)
Canberra: (H) v Wests Tigers R2 (GIO)​

 

[gerg]

If ever there is a thread of the round thread, then it's this thread for sure? Skeepe says he's not going to lose it this year and the boofheads who threw the draw together are spitting in his face.

 

[Woody90]

Finally the little pre season tournament over in Vegas is finished so we can get onto the main event…Bite-gate 2.0.

 

[mozza91]

Expecting Skeepe to take all decisions in good grace and place no blame on the officials whatsoever.

 

[GongPanther]

Canberra 41+ start. Newcastle will put on a clinic.

 

[Valheru]

I expect both teams to slide this year but Raiders way more than Knights

Knights by 20

 

[JamesRustle]

Knights 13+

 

[This Year?]

The traditional LU gameday thread of the year and we get treated to it in round 1.
Thank you footy gods ❤

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Mighty Knightys 13+

 

[skeepe]

I just can’t see any conceivable way that we lose this game.

Every single Canberra player, from 1-17, is objectively better than their Knights counterpart. It’s not even close.

Canberra. By as many as they want.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Good to see almost half of Canberra's squad are just ex Knights players

 

[Chief_Chujo]

Good to see almost half of Canberra's squad are just ex Knights players View attachment 84784

Just a shame only one of them is any good.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

Tough one to pick, but I'm gonna back Newy in just because it's Sticky coaching on the other side

 

[hineyrulz]

The anticipation of this game day thread are making my nipples quite hard, it’s causing me to get a few weird looks from my fellow bus passengers ffs!!

 

[Apey]

Just a shame only one of them is any good.

Why is Levi still a thing though surely there's someone better down there?

 

[chrisD]

Those are some hope smothering team lists.

 

[perverse]

If Canberra are smart they'll give everyone the blueprint of how to beat us right from round 1, and that will be bash us out of it in the middle of the field. An Origin Saifiti is a very different player to a clubland Saifiti. If this isn't one of the games where they turn up then i think we'll get humbled by a bunch of our leftovers that Canberra seems to enjoy lapping up.

 

[Woody90]

Good value for the Raiders in the betting. Pretty sure the Knights will end up above them by the end of the year, but the Knights’ game is pretty dependent on throwing the ball around and were pretty clunky in the last trial (expected being pre-season but might take a while to click). Could see Raiders winning through the middle if Knights drop a lot of ball and they get momentum.

 

[WaznTheGreat]

This game

 

[Marshall_magic]

Canberra by the amount of textas Ricky gets after a missed forward pass.