Huge Origin drama as Kalyn Ponga suffers an injury against Canberra
Knights and Maroons star Kalyn Ponga is in grave doubt for the State of Origin decider after injuring his foot in Newcastle's 22-18 loss to Canberra.
Ponga is now in huge doubt for Game 3, with Queensland coach Billy Slater to announce his squad on Monday morning.
'Kalyn Ponga won't be back tonight with a foot injury. He'll have scans tomorrow,' James Hooper reported on Fox League.
Despite sitting in second for the majority of the season, Canterbury's 8-6 loss to Penrith on Thursday night left the door ajar for Ricky Stuart's side to climb their way into pole position.
The Knights on the other hand have won two of their last three clashes, both thanks to tries on the last play, yet neither displays convinced fans that the club had turned a corner.
Though there was no points in the opening 15 minutes, the Raiders were dominant from the outset, busts from Matt Timoko and Kaeo Weekes leaving the Green Machine in Newcastle's red zone.
Jackson Hastings, recalled from NSW Cup after Fletcher Sharpe ruptured his spleen in Perth, nearly set up the opener on the back of a pinpoint chip for Dom Young in the corner, only for Weekes to plant the ball in-goal.
It would be a former Knight that would dot down for the eventual first try, Simi Sasagi leaping through the air to pinch the ball from Ponga's hands and plant it down for a 4-0 lead.
Identical plays on either side of the field extended the Raiders' lead to 16, thanks to miracle balls from both Canberra back-rowers.
Tom Starling's last-tackle short-ball to Zac Hosking saw the Newcastle junior hit-and-spin before somehow popping the ball to Weekes for a stunning four-pointer.
A pinpoint 40/20 from Jamal Fogarty landed Canberra back in Newcastle's 20 metre zone, with Starling reusing the same play that handed Weekes a try minutes earlier.
This time the former Knight darted out of dummy-half on the left, hitting Sasagi short before the forward popped the ball back to Starling, finding Strange on the short side for Canberra's third in quick succession.
The 16-0 lead at halftime signified the eighth time this season Newcastle have gone into the break with a duck egg on the scoreboard, earning scattered boos as the players ran off.
The zero was quickly erased in the second stanza, however, Ponga finding James Schiller on the short side for an easy four-pointer.
While it seemed to breathe some life into Newcastle, sending Schiller down the touchline again moments later, Strange put the dagger into the side after scooping up a loose ball, racing away before finding Jed Stuart in support.
Two tries in as many games for Jed Stuart after a terrific run from Ethan Strange!
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Newcastle forward Jermaine McEwen would crash over from dummy-half for his first NRL try late in the piece, only narrowly keeping the door ajar for the home side.
That ajar door copped a double blow in Newcastle's favour soon after, Owen Pattie penalised for an obstruction in the act of scoring before Schiller bagged his double at the other end.
A slick backline movement through fill-in fullback Dane Gagai on the left found Schiller in the corner, running around to improve the position, and cut the deficit to a narrow 22-18 lead for the Raiders.
Despite coming home with a wet sail, Newcastle couldn't find the killer blow, knocking it on in the final play to seal yet another loss at home as focus turns to Ponga's scans.
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