Knights Vs Raiders: Stuart backs old-school resolve as Canberra chase a reset
knights vs raiders has arrived with the Canberra Raiders carrying three straight losses, but Ricky Stuart insists the noise around the club is louder than the mood inside it. The coach says the group is not backing away from the hard work, even as the ladder position and the travel schedule add to the pressure.
Why does this trip feel bigger than one game?
The Raiders head to Newcastle after Saturday’s captain’s run, then fly back straight after Sunday night’s match before turning around again on Tuesday for the trip to Perth to face South Sydney. It is a compressed stretch that leaves little room for reflection. In that setting, Stuart is leaning on familiarity, resilience and the belief that the response can come from within the group rather than from the outside noise.
The match also carries a memory that still seems to hang around the club. Earlier in 2024, Canberra went into Newcastle widely dismissed and then upset the Knights to kick-start that campaign. Cameras caught the now-infamous “F— em” sign used to good effect in the sheds. Stuart has pointed to that moment as a reminder that the same opponent can become the right stage for a turnaround.
What is Stuart asking of his players now?
Stuart’s message is simple: stay together, keep working and wait for the next win to restore confidence. He said the players are unhappy with losing three in a row, but added that their focus and work ethic have not changed. He also stressed that the squad must keep its heads down and continue trying to turn the situation around.
That approach matters because the current run has not only tested results, it has tested patience. Canberra sit 15th on the NRL ladder, yet Stuart has framed the moment as one that can be managed through discipline rather than panic. For a young team, that kind of language becomes part of the job itself. The challenge is to stay steady when the table says one thing and the dressing room needs to say another.
Who returns, and why does that matter?
The Raiders welcome back Josh Papali’i after suspension, bringing 331 games of experience back into the side. Stuart called him an important part of the team, saying that his experience is especially valuable through a difficult period like the one they are in now. That return gives Canberra something they have lacked during the loss streak: a seasoned presence to steady the moments that can decide a tight game.
There is also a personal edge to the contest. Trey Mooney and Pasami Saulo are in the Knights 17, giving the Raiders added motivation against former teammates. Corey Horsburgh, meanwhile, will be looking to atone for last week’s costly sin-binning. Those storylines do not change the standings, but they do sharpen the meaning of the night for players who know each other well.
Can a familiar Newcastle setting shift the mood?
That question sits at the heart of knights vs raiders this weekend. Canberra have won their past two games in Newcastle and their past two against the Knights, a record that offers a narrow but real strand of confidence. Stuart has backed his young group to respond, and the memory of a previous upset in the same city gives the match a sense of unfinished business.
For now, the Raiders are not pretending the losses have not hurt. They are simply choosing the same answer Stuart has repeated throughout the week: keep working, stick together and trust that one win can change the temperature around the club. If Newcastle once helped them find that spark, the same trip may again become the place where tension starts to turn.
