Newcastle Knights surge into top eight contention with 36-6 win over Canberra

NEWCASTLE have kept their finals hopes alive by belting Canberra 36-6 on a bleak afternoon in the nation's capital.

IT was not that long ago Wayne Bennett stopped to wonder how bad things would get for the Knights. They had just lost five games in a row and been booed off the field by their own fans after a heavy loss to Canberra.

Fast forward six weeks, the Knights have gone on to win five of their next six games, including yesterday's 36-6 pounding of Canberra in the nation's capital, and suddenly find themselves right back in the finals hunt.

More importantly, with supercoach Bennett in their corner, opposition teams will be fearing how far the Knights, now perched in ninth place on the ladder, can go.

Match centre: Game details and stats, plus vote for man of the match

"I'm on the ride, I've go to sit and wait, and I've got no better insight than anybody else," said Bennett, when asked about his rejuvenated Newcastle. "Of course I'm pleased, it's been a tremendous effort by them.

"To be 0-5 and wondering where your season is going ... they've been tremendous since then. They've got a bit of confidence about themselves.

"They've got an idea of how it works, and they're all buying into that now. All the mistakes they were making, they've eliminated those, and they're playing some great football as well.

"The Melbourne Storm have lost five in a row, and who'd have thought that the way they had started. Who'd have thought we'd have done what we've done the way we were playing seven or eight weeks ago.

"It's a crazy competition. But that's the way the league is designed, that's what they want, and it makes it great for everyone involved if you're a fan. If you're a coach it's a nightmare."

Gallery: Best action snaps from the match

Proof it's a crazy competition, Bennett had never beaten Canberra opposite David Furner. He had also left Canberra without victory in recent years while in charge of the Dragons.

Maybe that's why Bennett was soaking it all in, and not given thought to Saturday's blockbuster against the Bulldogs.

Bennett, however, is sure to be confident going forward over the next five weeks, especially the way his team is defending, not to mention what the introduction of winger Kevin Naqiama has done in attack.

The lightning-quick Naiqama bagged a try-scoring double, including the opener in the sixth minute. Then they broke the Raiders' spirit when halfback Tyrone Roberts darted 65m to make it 12-0 just before half-time, but only after Canberra winger Sandor Earl was sin-binned for a professional foul.

Canberra, who are fast earning an unwanted reputation of being unable to win at home, started the second half in the worst fashion, losing prop Tom Learoyd-Lahrs to a hamstring injury, then watching Naiqama zip 40m down the sideline to score his second.

From there it got pretty ugly, with Boyd scoring his first try for the club, followed by Uate and Robbie Rochow.

The 10,260 Raiders fans wondered how many more losses, if any, would spell the end of the current campaign.

And to make matter worse, Canberra forward Joe Picker was placed on report for a slamming tackle on Jarrod Mullen, which prompted an angry Willie Mason to liken the tackle to Manly's Tony Williams on Isaac De Gois, which earned him seven weeks. sBoth clubs played down the incident afterwards with Furner expecting the matter to be taken no further.

Furner said the abysmal home record was a "tough one to swallow", while he commended the Knights and what Bennett had brought to the Hunter club. "If they keep playing like that, they'll certainly put themselves into games," he said.

NEWCASTLE 36 (K Naiqama 2 D Boyd T Roberts R Rochow A Uate tries T Roberts 6 goals) RAIDERS 6 (B Ferguson try J Croker goal) at Canberra Stadium. Referees: Matt Cecchin, Gavin Morris. Crowd: 10,260.