NRL round 17: Knights v Raiders live scores, updates, SuperCoach analysis
Hello and welcome to our coverage of a very important edition of Friday Night Footy.
Two games with big implications for the top-eight greet us tonight.
It all starts with Manly hosting the Wests Tigers, before the Knights go head-to-head with the Raiders.
Follow all the Friday coverage in our live blog below
Originally published as NRL round 17: Knights v Raiders live scores, updates, SuperCoach analysis
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News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
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! ðŸ'° Watch #NRLKnightsRaiders LIVE on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: âœ�ï¸� BLOG ðŸ'¢ MATCH CENTRE — Fox League (@FOXNRL) June 27, 2025 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.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Unstoppable': Bulldog Sam Darcy continues to set AFL on fire
Sam Darcy is yet to play two full seasons worth of games for the Bulldogs in his young AFL career. But that hasn't stopped fans and experts alike making some enormous predictions about his future after the 21-year-old starred in the Dogs' nine-point win over the Swans on Friday night. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. In a high quality match, Sydney was left to rue some horrendous kicking on goal in the 16.9 (105) to 14.12 (96) defeat, with Darcy producing some of the night's best highlights. The son of Bulldogs great Luke Darcy, Sam only played game number 37 in his fledgling career at the SCG since making his debut back in 2022. He is doing things out on the footy field, however, that leaves those watching on struggling to find the right words to describe them. A giant of a man at 208cm, Darcy possesses the touch and guile of some of the most skilled midfielders and small forwards in the sport. He kicked three goals in the first half against Sydney and all came in a variety of ways. Darcy gave an indication of what was coming when he created space and took a strong mark inside 50 on the opening play of the game, slotting his set shot with ease. Just minutes later, he had his second after he was somehow left alone in the forward arc, kicking truly on the run from a slight angle to give his side a fast start. He saved his best for last in the first half, reading a speculative long ball beautifully to secure possession on a tight angle. Darcy had a brief look to see if a teammate was open before opting to take on the challenge himself, slotting another brilliant goal that would make the game's best forwards proud. 'Darcy got moving at the back, nimble as ever, has a look, backs his talent and it's prodigious,' Gerard Whateley said during his call on Fox Footy. 'The unstoppable Sam Darcy, he'll beat you in the air, he'll beat you on the ground.' Jason Dunstall, one of the best key forwards in league history, seemed to be struggling to accept what his eyes were telling him. 'He is such a highly skilled player. He's kicked three and he's not tearing it apart with big marks yet,' he said. 'This is the quality of the man, he can beat you in so many different ways. I never see him fumble the ball and he moves so well for a big man.' Jonathan Brown could only add: 'We've run out superlatives. Got any left?' Over on Channel 7, James Brayshaw was similarly losing his mind over Darcy's third goal for the night. 'Sam Darcy. Surely not. What is going on?' he asked. 'This is ridiculous.' After a long pause in their stunned commentary box, Matthew Richardson added: 'This is a man, 208cm … that's impossible.' Speaking before the game, Richardson came up with a unique comparison for Darcy, NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain. 'Wilt the Stilt' is one of the most dominant players in basketball history, a four-time MVP who famously once scored 100 points in a single game. 'I was looking at him last week and thought has there ever been an athlete who's had this much advantage over his direct opponents?' Richo said. 'I thought of Wilt Chamberlain. He was 12 centimetres taller on average than any other centre at the time, Darcy's got 13. 'That 196cm is the average height for key defenders. (Swans opponent) Lewis Melican is 194 tonight. 'He has got just about as much game as 'Wilt the Stilt'.' People on social media were falling over themselves to capture their feelings towards the son of a gun. Sam Kindlen tweeted: 'Sam Darcy is the best player in the comp. It's not close. If you think different, you aren't watching.' @AndyChatsFPL wrote: 'Sam Darcy is the best forward in the AFL. UNSTOPPABLE.' @justin1flynn offered: 'Sam Darcy wow. I can't describe how good he already is and how good he will be. Absolutely frightening.' Matt Nicholls tweeted simply: 'Sam Darcy should be illegal.' Others were speculating on the future of the father/son rule after the Doggies were able to snap up the young star in the 2021 AFL Draft. Cynical66 wrote: 'Sam Darcy easily beating the Daicos brothers as best father/son. He plays in a key position, not running around getting fed kicks.' @CeBeGeBess declared: 'Sam Darcy might be so good he's going to personally end the father/son rule.' Some fans couldn't help pondering how good Darcy is now and just how much better he could be in the future. @Golden_Paddy said excitedly: 'To think we've got another 10-15yrs of Sam Darcy. Wow!' Nic Jones said: 'Sam Darcy is truly the best player I'll ever see.' @SellerPanic wrote: 'Sam Darcy's the best since Carey isn't he.' Daniel Pellicci then stated: 'Pretty sure Sam Darcy is going to goat!'
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
New series to revive Aussie racing's golden age
The golden age of Australian motorsport will return in 2026 as Ford turns back the clock to the kind of racing that made Peter Brock and Allan Moffat superstars. Back then, racing heroes would take a car from the showroom, make a few minor modifications and hit the track. These days, modern Supercars racing sees multimillion-dollar, purpose-built racing machines fretted over by teams of mechanics and engineers. But a new series from Ford will turn back the clock and make racing a V8-powered Mustang cheaper and easier than before. The Mustang Challenge is a new series in the US that will reach Australia next year.. Andrew, Birkic, President and chief executive of Ford Australia, says the Mustang 'holds a special place in the hearts of Australians, and a dedicated one-make series featuring the Dark Horse R is a natural and incredibly exciting fit for our market'. 'This new championship provides a clear pathway for aspiring drivers and adds another thrilling dimension to the Mustang's legendary racing heritage down under,' he said. 'We can't wait for 2026 to see these incredible cars battling it out on tracks all over Australia.' The series will be run by Driving Solutions, a firm with decades of experience in motorsport and automotive events. We are incredibly proud and excited to partner with Ford Performance to bring Mustang Cup Australia to life,' Driving Solutions director James Stewart said. 'The Mustang Dark Horse R is a spectacular race car, and we believe a one-make series featuring this machine will be a huge drawcard for Australian drivers and fans. 'Our aim is to build a professional, competitive, and accessible series that provides a fantastic opportunity for young drivers to hone their skills, and for experience drivers to enjoy racing a high-performance and market-relevant race car. 'We look forward to working hard to make this series a roaring success.' The series puts drivers in identical Mustang Dark Horse R racing cars, which are purpose-built by Ford Performance in the US but are nearly-identical to the road-legal Mustang except for the added safety features - just like what Brock, Moffat and co. raced in the 1970s. One example of the Mustang Dark Horse R is already in the country to help drum up interest for the category, and six Australian drivers have signed up for June's special race at Le Mans, France. Chris Ward, Ford's global one-make category manager, is overseeing Mustang Challenge and is confident that the series will hit Aussie tracks next year. While there are still a few fine details to get resolved, Ward is confidently planning for an Australian series and said he would be 'thrilled' with a 20 car grid for the first season. Australia already has plenty of racing categories, including the Porsche Carrera Cup and Toyota GR 86 Series, but Ward believes the unique appeal of the Mustang will make it a worthy addition to the local racing scene. 'We are not coming to the market to disrupt what's already there,' he said. 'We want to supplement that, if that's the right word. We want to be supportive. We readily realise that there's a finite number of people in the Australian market that have the wherewithal to go sports car racing. So we're not looking to disrupt that.' Ford's goal, Ward explained, is to help introduce both young and older amateur drivers into the world of racing and hopefully have them progress up through its established pathway of other track-ready Mustangs that includes the GT4 and GT3 class cars. 'We're looking to further the sports car market in Australia where people that are track day enthusiasts, not have such a giant leap to go from the track day warrior, let's call them, to let's say GT4 racing or GT3 racing. We want to fill that little niche in between people that have taken their street cars onto the racetrack to go GT4 racing,' he said. One example of this is reigning Mustang Challenge champion Robert Noaker. The 21-year-old is a throwback to the likes of a young Peter Brock, racing for his own family-run team with only his dad and a few friends to help work on his car. His success in the inaugural season has seen him signed up to be part of Ford's 'junior team' of young drivers that it will groom for future sports car drives across its various activities. This allows him to dream of becoming a professional racing driver, something that was otherwise out of reach for him before Mustang Challenge. 'I'm still keeping the mindset of 'it's not going to happen', so I'm gonna just keep focusing on the business side, with the team. But I'm still doing whatever I can to try to make something out of the program and to try to step up the ladder [into GT4 or GT3].' Not surprisingly, like any racing driver, he has dreams of racing at Australia's greatest track - Mt Panorama, Bathurst - having previously run a race there in a different category. 'Personally, my favourite track is Bathurst. After I ran it, my first lap I'm like 'this has ruined everything else'. So I'd love to do the 12 hour or the 1000. And you know, being Ford is involved in the cars that race in that, I have the experience at the track already and maybe something could happen at some point. And that's the beauty of the program. You know, if you're the right fit for something, you're already in the program and you're able to go up their ladder.'
