Late penalty try gives Knights NRLW win over Raiders

Newcastle have kept their long NRLW winning streak alive, but only after being awarded a last-minute penalty try in a 26-20 win over Canberra.

The two-time reigning premiers twice came from behind to deny the Raiders a gutsy win at GIO Stadium on Saturday, in an early contender for game of the season.

After two tight wins to start their title defense, the benchmark Knights remain unbeaten in their last 11 games with a streak that dates back to early last season.

“We’ve talked about we’re going to be hunted every week,” Knights coach Ben Jeffries said after Saturday’s dramatic win.

“That’s how it is, we can’t shy away from that sort of thing.”

The Knights were stunned by two quick tries from the home side in the opening seven minutes, and fought their way back into the game.

But with scores level in the final minute, Newcastle fullback Tamika Upton was judged to have been tackled without the ball by opposite number Apii Nicholls while chasing a grubber kick

The bunker ruled that action denied her a certain try and awarded the penalty try that sealed the win.

The visitors had dominated territory, spending more than two-thirds of the game in Canberra’s half, but it took until the 54th minute to take the lead when prop Caitlan Johnston-Green crashed over next to the posts.

The Raiders hit back again through Shakiah Tungai but the experienced Knights once again leveled the scores.

Winger Lilly-Ann White, on her NRLW debut, plucked a bomb out of the air deep in Newcastle territory and almost ran the length of the field to score.

The Knights wouldn’t be denied in the next play, with a sweeping move to the right ending up in the hands of Sheridan Gallagher on the wing to score and set up a grandstand finish.

It was an impressive introduction to first grade for White, who scored her maiden try in the first half and also made three line-breaks.

In the day’s other game, Jaime Chapman used his speed and power to lead Gold Coast to a 28-12 win over the winless Wests Tigers.

The win moved the Titans ahead of the Knights to the top of the table on for-and-against, with last year’s two grand finalists appearing to again be the teams to beat in 2024.

After the Tigers held a 12-6 lead earlier, Chapman took charge of the game for the Titans on their left edge.

She bust through several Tigers defenders for the first try when Lauren Brown turned a ball back inside for her.

Another try came when fullback Evania Pelite found space from a kick return and put Chapman into space.

And the NSW State of Origin flyer’s third try again came from inside her own end, when she dummied once and brushed through the Tigers’ defense with apparent ease.