End of season reviews: Canberra Raiders and Newcastle Knights

Canberra Raiders

Ladder: 9th
Record: 12-12 (-127)

It was a strange year for the Canberra Raiders who despite having more top eight wins (five) than the Bulldogs (four), Roosters (three) and Knights (one) still missed the finals. The clincher was their poor points differential which was the fifth worst in the competition. The Raiders have consistently ground out small victories against strong opponents but when they lose, they lose badly and by an average of 19.5 points.

The loss of Jack Wighton was always going to hurt but plenty of young Raiders emerged in 2024 including playmaker Ethan Strange as well as utility Kaeo Weekes and Xavier Savage. Canberra were able to punch above their weight several times this season but their poor defence in their losses is ultimately what did them in.

Highlight: Back-to-back wins v Penrith and Roosters

With their slim finals hopes still on the line, Canberra put together two stellar performances that their fans would’ve been incredibly proud about. The first was a remarkable four-point win against the Penrith Panthers in front of their home crowd at GIO Stadium. Trailing 18-10 at which 20 minutes remaining, the Raiders dug deep to trim the margin back to two points and Xavier Savage sealed the win with a famous intercept to ensure skipper Elliot Whitehead’s final home game was a win.

One week later, the Raiders played a classic at Allianz Stadium to down the Sydney Roosters in a defensive masterclass. Despite two late tries, the Raiders broke the Roosters’ spirit and gave the rest of the competition the blueprint on how to defeat the Chooks.

Honourable Mentions: Round 9 comeback win v Manly

Lowlight: Cowboys capitulation

Ricky Stuart’s men entered their Round 24 match up against the Cowboys in Townsville sitting in 11th and needing a strong win to stay in touch with the finals hunt. What followed was nothing short of embarassing and led Stuart to label his side’s effort as a “boys’ performance” that was “precious and spoilt.” He questioned the desire and work rate of his players which is never a good sign. The Raiders conceded seven tries which included nine line breaks and 38 missed tackles. The Raiders dipped to 12th and effectively put an end to their finals hopes.

Honourable Mentions: Round 16 loss v Tigers, Round 8 loss v Sharks

Best Player: Joseph Tapine

The model of consistency should be included in the conversation for the best forwards in the game. The 30-year-old broke his tackling record with 772 at 94.38% efficiency. Tapine also eclipsed his 2022 average running metres record and finished with 166 in 2024. When the Kiwi international came up against opposition teams with lauded forward packs, he more often than not beat them including performances against the Panthers and Roosters at the back end of the season. A worth selection for club captain following the departure of Elliot Whitehead.

Honourable Mentions: Ethan Strange and Morgan Smithies

What they need for 2025: Stop the rot

There is no shame in losing but losing by massive margins hurt not just your fans but also your points differential. This problem isn’t isolated to 2024 as the Raiders have had negative points differential of -82 or more in three of the last four seasons. It is the reason why they failed to make finals. The Raiders let in 40 or more points five times in this season and if they want to return to September action, they must limit the amount of points scored against them.

Early 2025 prediction: 9th

Grade: C

A middle of the road year for a team many thought would be no chance of making finals given their player losses and the lack of star power on the roster. Should be thereabouts next season but need a few of their younger players to have breakout campaigns in 2025 if they are any hope of contending.

Newcastle Knights

Ladder: 8th
Record: 12-12 (-40)

Lost elimination final 28-16 v North Queensland Cowboys

The Knights were unable to replicate their dream 2023 season which saw them finish 5th on the back of a 10-game winning streak. The Knights spent just three weeks in the top eight but thankfully for them, one of those weeks was in the final round of the home and away season. The losses of Dom Young and Kurt Mann, the injury to Kalyn Ponga and the constant swapping of playmakers resulted in Newcastle's attack regressing to the second worst in the competition behind the Wests Tigers.

However, when other teams began to slip in the race for the final top eight spot, the Knights stood tall and were able to clinch their spot in September with a sudden-death Round 27 win over the Dolphins at home. They were highly competitive in their elimination final against the Cowboys but ultimately failed to take their chances and bowed out in week one of the finals.

Highlight: The final month

The Knights had no right to make finals in 2024 given how they played for the majority of the season but with the Dragons, Raiders and Dolphins all floundering, the Knights seized their opportunity with their three best performances of the year to secure a finals berth.

A comprehensive 36-16 win over the Rabbitohs reminded everyone how lethal this team could be in attack when switched on. They backed it up with a 36-14 dismantling of the Titans at home to set up a sudden-death showdown with the Dolphins. It was Newcastle’s defence that got them over the line with a 14-6 win. The final month left Knights fans scratching their heads and wondering where those efforts had been for the first half of the season.

Lowlight: The playmaker carousel

Across 25 games in 2024, the Knights changed their playmaking combinations a staggering 11 times which included Jackson Hastings, Tyson Gamble, Jack Cogger, Will Pryce and also Phoenix Crossland towards the last portion of the year. Eventually, the Knights settled on Cogger and Crossland as their six and seven. It is no wonder Newcaslte struggled in attack as the lack of continuity with the playmakers would cause mass confusion on the field.

The priority for Adam O’Brien in 2025 is to settle on his best playmaker duo well ahead of Round 1.

Honourable Mentions: Losing David Armstrong to the Super League, rumours of a roster cleanout

Best Player: Dane Gagai

Gagai wound back the clock in 2024 and produced one his best seasons in his decorated career. The 33-year-old scored eight tries with 16 line breaks, six try assists and averaged 147 running metres per game. A worthy recipient of the Danny Buderus Medal at the Knights’ recent awards night as well as the Players’ Player and Gladiator of the Year.

Honourable Mentions: Fletcher Sharpe

What they need for 2024: A settled line-up

When the five-eighth and halfback are constantly changing, it’s going to impact the attack and that is exactly what eventuated this season. It’s evident that the Knights have the attacking weapons with Kalyn Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe and the incoming James Schiller but if the chief playmakers are on constant rotation, it is borderline impossible to build any relationship or trust in your teammate.

Early 2025 prediction: 8th

Grade: C

When the Knights needed to step up, they did and they proved they could match with strong opponents. However, the constant changing of halves and rumours surrounding their salary cap mismanagement meant their season never really clicked into gear.