It's the Knight-mare second half that Sia Soliola believes is the difference between the Canberra Raiders and the competition's best teams.
It didn't start like the thrillers of last year, but it certainly finished like them as the lowly Newcastle Knights sprung a 34-20 upset on the Canberra Raiders at Hunter Stadium on Sunday.
More Rugby League Videos
- Video duration
- 01:30
Newcastle stun Canberra
Newcastle stun Canberra
The last-placed Newcastle Knights have stunned the Canberra Raiders, 34-20, for their second win of the season
Up Next
'Group here very united': Des Hasler
- Video duration
- 00:59
- Video duration
- 00:59
'Group here very united': Des Hasler
'Group here very united': Des Hasler
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler hoses down speculation that his job is on the line.
Up Next
Sia Soliola cops five weeks
- Video duration
- 00:38
- Video duration
- 00:38
Sia Soliola cops five weeks
Sia Soliola cops five weeks
The judiciary has handed down a five-week suspension to the Canberra Raiders lock for a high shot on Melbourne Storm fullback Billy Slater.
Up Next
Eels sneak home via Norman field goal
- Video duration
- 01:30
- Video duration
- 01:30
Eels sneak home via Norman field goal
Eels sneak home via Norman field goal
Parramatta sealed victory over Wests Tigers in the final minutes.
Up Next
Dragons thump Manly
- Video duration
- 01:30
- Video duration
- 01:30
Dragons thump Manly
Dragons thump Manly
The class of captain Gareth Widdop and an injection of enthusiasm from local product Matt Dufty inspired St George Illawarra to maintain their grip on a top eight spot.
Up Next
Punches, headbutts and elbows
- Video duration
- 00:31
- Video duration
- 00:31
Punches, headbutts and elbows
Punches, headbutts and elbows
Manly were already well behind on the scoreboard and didn't need this early in the second-half.
Up Next
Manly fall asleep as Nightingale strikes
- Video duration
- 00:38
- Video duration
- 00:38
Manly fall asleep as Nightingale strikes
Manly fall asleep as Nightingale strikes
On a sunny day in Wollongong, Jason Nightingale added to his tally of career tries in ridiculously easy fashion.
Up Next
Bowen bolts away in Townsville
- Video duration
- 00:43
- Video duration
- 00:43
Bowen bolts away in Townsville
Bowen bolts away in Townsville
With the game on the line, everything hinged on the final kick for the Warriors hot on attack.
Newcastle stun Canberra
The last-placed Newcastle Knights have stunned the Canberra Raiders, 34-20, for their second win of the season
Canberra's second-half fadeout in front of 10,997 fans leaves the Green Machine ruing a third straight defeat and a disappointing 4-6 win-loss record.
Newcastle's lone win of the season was fast becoming a distant memory with the Knights staring down the barrel of an eighth consecutive loss.
But it was that win that provided Newcastle with the belief they could overrun a rampaging Raiders outfit, and three second-half tries in 10 minutes gave the Knights their third win in 36 games.
By their own admission the Raiders were poor in their last outing and a loss against the competition's bottom side has done nothing to arrest their form slump.
Soliola says it's now time to "get back to the drawing board".
"The scope of things is pretty different for us this year, we can't really creep up on teams now," Soliola said.
"Teams are starting to get a gage on how we're playing. We don't want to reinvent the wheel, we just need to try and react a little bit better. We weren't as clinical as what we could have been."
A spirited defensive effort from the Knights was the catalyst for their drought-breaking victory, with a frustrated Canberra side left searching for answers on the offensive front.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart says Canberra's attack has been identified as "a benchmark" and now they have to learn how to regain momentum when opposition sides take it away.
"It's always a work in progress, but for us, we're working on other things to try and regain a little bit of that momentum that we're trying to get back," Stuart said.Â
"Today, you give any team 19 out of 19 sets, and I think we had six out of 13, it's always going to be a tough afternoon for you - especially in the second half when that occurred."
Captain Jarrod Croker sparked a late flurry of attacks but Canberra was its own worst enemy, with frustration the sentiment running through the Green Machine for the bulk of the 80 minutes.
Soliola was shifted to the bench before kick off but made his way onto the field in the third minute after a concussion brought an early end to Luke Bateman's day.
The Knights drew first blood but Raiders winger Nick Cotric continued a stellar start to his NRL career by planting the ball down untouched, before Jarrod Croker extended the lead to four with two goals.
Newcastle won back the lead through captain Sione Mata'utia but more remarkable was their ability to repel a deluge of Canberra attack leading into the halftime break.
After 29 minutes Canberra had 64 per cent of possession and were completing their sets at 92 per cent, but somehow they still trailed at the break.
Newcastle did it the hard way in the second half without forward Jacob Saifiti, who was stretchered off the field after his head collided with Dunamis Lui's hip in the first.
As frustrated as they were, the Raiders still managed to score first in the second stanza when Elliott Whitehead crashed over to steal the lead in the 45th minute.
The Knights added three of the final four tries to secure the two points and leave captain Mata'utia and plenty of others wondering what it is about the Raiders that brings out the best in Newcastle.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 34 (S Mata'utia 2 B Lamb P Mata'utia N Ross J Wardle tries B Lamb 5 goals) bt CANBERRA RAIDERS 20 (N Cotric 2 E Whitehead tries J Croker 3 A Sezer goals) at McDonald Jones Stadium. Referees: Gavin Badger, Peter Gough. Crowd: 10,997.