Knights ignoring dark past
BY BRETT KEEBLE
14 Jul, 2010 04:00 AM
THE Knights are studying recent history rather than the deep, dark past as they prepare for their annual pilgrimage to the Canberra Stadium graveyard.
Newcastle have beaten the Raiders on the road just twice in 22 years of trying but coach Rick Stone said he and his players were disregarding previous results in the build-up to the game in the national capital on Sunday.
A record 70-32 rout in 2006 is Newcastle's last win against the Raiders in Canberra, but that has been their only success in the past eight games there. In 17 games all-time, the Raiders have won 14 to Newcastle's two and there has been one draw - 21-all in 1999.
Though he respects the Raiders and their penchant for fast starts and piling on the points, Stone said the Knights had taken heart from Canberra's record of just two wins from seven home games this year and Newcastle's improved away form of four wins from eight matches.
After three straight wins and a bye, the Knights (18 points) are 11th.
The Raiders, who broke a four-game losing streak by beating Manly 24-22 at Brookvale last Saturday, are two points and two places behind Newcastle on the ladder.
"It's a good challenge for us actually, considering we've won our last couple of games and we're still looking for some overall improvement," Stone said.
"Canberra are a similar side to us, I suppose, as far as where they are on the table and how they play, to be honest. Their form at home this year probably hasn't been as good as they would have liked either."
Stone said playing the game in the afternoon was preferable to a potentially freezing cold mid-July night.
Newcastle's past four losses in Canberra have been by a combined score of 155-64, and three of those games were played under lights.
The weather forecast for Canberra on Sunday is cloudy skies, late showers, and a temperature ranging from a minimum of zero degrees to a maximum of 11.
"The conditions and the mental toughness that you need to go down there are important, and we'll touch on that during the week," Stone said.
"I think playing a day game is possibly a little bit better than playing a night game."
Stone retained the same 17-man squad that defeated Cronulla 21-10 at EnergyAustralia Stadium last Sunday. In the only change to that run-on side, Isaac De Gois was named to start at hooker and Matt Hilder was listed on the bench but Stone could again reverse those roles in Canberra. Halfback Jarrod Mullen (hip flexor) trained lightly yesterday but is considered a certain starter against the Raiders. Captain Kurt Gidley was excused from the session to freshen up after a torrid Origin campaign.
