After the historic double-header in Las Vegas, Newcastle and Canberra will kick the NRL season off on Australian shores on Thursday night in the Hunter.
Kalyn Ponga fired the Knights into the finals off the back of an incredible run of form which resulted in him pipping Shaun Johnson to the Dally M Medal last year.
But now the expectations have been raised for Adam O'Brien's men as they attempt to get off to a far better start this campaign than they did in 2023, when they languished around the bottom of the ladder until Ponga's mid-season return.
MORE: Kalyn Ponga reflects on Dally M Medal-winning season that started in retirement limbo
Meanwhile, it's been a summer of upheaval for the Raiders with club stalwarts Jack Wighton and Jarrod Croker no longer playing for the Green Machine.
Ricky Stuart will put his faith in a host of young guns with Ethan Strange to take the No.6 jersey, while Xavier Savage will try to kickstart his burgeoning career on the wing.
Although Canberra will be without their skipper Elliott Whitehead through injury, while Corey Horsburgh and Seb Kris will also miss the opener due to suspension.
What time is the NRL tonight? Knights vs. Raiders kickoff time
Tonight's game between the Newcastle Knights and the Canberra Raiders will kick off at 8.00pm AEDT on Thursday, March 7.
The game will be played at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.
| City | Sydney/Melbourne | Brisbane | Adelaide | Perth |
| Kickoff time | 8pm | 7pm | 7.30pm | 5pm |
How to watch or live stream Knights vs. Raiders
Thursday's game will be broadcast live on Fox League, with coverage due to begin at 6.30pm.
Additionally, the clash will also be available on free-to-air across the Nine network from 7.30pm, including streaming platform, 9Now.
|
TV channel |
Fox League/Channel 9 |
|
Live stream |
Kayo/9Now |
This match, and every match across the regular season, will be available for live streaming and replay on Kayo Sports.
Knights vs. Raiders betting odds
Per TAB, the Knights are the $1.42 favourite to win this match, while the Raiders are the underdogs at $2.90.
Knights vs. Raiders Round 1 team lists
| Knights team list | Raiders team list |
|
1. Kalyn Ponga 14. Jack Cogger |
1. Jordan Rapana 14. Tom Starling |
