Live: Kalyn Ponga looking slick in NRL return as Knights use clash with Raiders as Origin III audition

Kalyn Pongas short ball meant for Kai Pearce-Paul is read brilliantly by Elliott Whitehead, who juggles and regathers, then finds rapid fullback Kaeo Weekes and he flies 80 metres to score completely against the run of play.

It’s a total flip of the script after Greg Marzhew went about 60 metres off a kick return and had the Knights pressing the Raiders’ tryline.

Enari Tuala is hobbling up the tunnel with an ankle injury. So Dane Gagai moves to left wing and Dylan Lucas shuffles over to left centre.

A typical kick return from the Knights fullback, who jogs to the line and just swerves past Emre Guler, Ata Mariota and Jordan Rapana like they’re standing still.

He makes it up to the 50m line, but he’s too fast for the support and slips over as he tries to get around the cover from Adam Cook.

And Bradman Best knocks on in the following tackle. Momentum gone.

The Knights attack on the left and Jackson Hastings pops a brilliant ball seemingly into no man’s land, but right centre Dane Gagai is sweeping around the back, makes a good catch around his knees and dives in untouched.

That’s the sort of roaming license we normally see from Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell, or with a fullback like Billy Slater sweeping out the back. A lovely play well executed.

All the talk around Bradman Best and Kalyn Ponga, but they forgot about Dane.

Hi Margaret,

I’m not certain it will happen, but considering Billy Slater’s propensity to have a utility back on the bench for Game I, I imagine he’ll want it again for Game III.

And with Xavier Coates out injured, Selwyn Cobbo will surely head straight back into the centres, likely leaving a space on the bench to replace Kurt Capewell with better backline cover.

That’s where Kalyn Ponga or Game II 18th man Dane Gagai could come in.

The Raiders look to have the Knights shot in the last minute as Ethan Strange breaks through and runs around Kalyn Ponga, but Strange looks off his support outside and the Knights fullback somehow slows him down enough while just backing into him, and Strange is brought down a metre out from the line.

So the Knights go up the other end and Jackson Hastings tries a two-point field goal, and Newcastle is pinged for a blocker penalty.

The Raiders have one last chance, Adam Cook launches a spiral bomb, but Kalyn Ponga settle under it and marks cleanly to end the half.

Dane Gagai forces an error with a heavy tackle on Kaeo Weekes, but off the scrum Will Pryce flings a shocking forward pass to Bradman Best.

Best has a word for him, and coach Adam O’Brien shouts “F*** ME!” up in the sheds.

The Canberra halfback belts a ball from inside his 40 on the last and it takes just one bounce too many, trickling over the dead-ball line to give the Knights a seven-tackle set.

I don’t want to jinx him, but Kalyn Ponga is looking like he hasn’t missed a beat in this, his first game since round seven.

It’s especially stark considering how far off the pace Tom Trbojevic looked in his return last night. It goes to show the difference between structural vs soft tissue injuries.

Ponga is jinking and sprinting and changing direction on that recently injured foot like it’s at 110 per cent.

Will Pryce makes a raid down the right for the Knights and looks out to the right and flings a pass, but winger Enari Tuala is miles off the pace.

I’m not sure why he was so far back, but Pryce signals it was his bad for throwing the pass anyway.

Quick, slick hands from Kalyn Ponga and Bradman Best sum up the overlap on the left and winger Greg Marzhew is the beneficiary.

The halfback-turned-fullback is yet to have much of an impact with ball in hand, but he’s catching everything that’s been thrown at him by the Knights kickers.

What a try by the Newcastle centre.

The Knights spin it right and there’s no numerical advantage, but Dane Gagai just goes hard into the body of Albert Hopoate and throws him off to slam the ball down.

All eyes are on Bradman Best and Kalyn Ponga for Origin III selection, but that’s a message to Billy Slater from the Maroons’ 18th man in Game II.

He marks at the back and takes a charge through the middle, drawing a penalty for a (frankly, pretty soft) high shot from Joe Tapine.

The big men up front go one after the other — Joe Tapine scattering defenders and Josh Papali’i capitalising with a crash-ball run next to the posts.

He’s flipped onto his back, but manages to get the ball down behind his head in amongst the crowd of three defending Knights.

They were going nowhere in that set, but Kai Pearce-Paul runs through the ruck and gives away a penalty that piggybacks Canberra up the field.

Josh Papali’i takes the first hit-up and we’re off and running.

He started at the Sharks, moved to the Dragons, and now is at the Knights.

Another milestone moment for the day.