Knights back-rower Lachlan Fitzgibbon has been dumped for the club's clash with Canberra in the only major change to the side that lost to Penrith on Sunday.
Fitzgibbon, at this stage, is the only player to have paid a price for the 42-6 loss to the Panthers, left out of the side entirely on Tuesday for the trip to the nation's capital.
Kurt Mann is back in the starting team at lock after returning from injury against Penrith via the bench.
Young prop Pasami Saulo comes in as a reserve.
Captain Kalyn Ponga has been named at fullback but will need to pass tests following a head knock on Sunday.
Outside back Hymel Hunt and halfback Adam Clune have been included in an extended match squad, indicating their availability following injury spells.
Hunt played in the NSW Cup side's 38-12 loss to Newtown on Sunday. The 28-year-old is yet to play NRL this year due to a pre-season knee injury and then a fractured cheekbone in April.
Clune has not played since Newcastle's 36-12 loss to Brisbane in round 11 after battling a knee problem.
Jake Clifford has played halfback in the side's past two games alongside mid-season recruit Anthony Milford.
Fitzgibbon, 28, played 80 minutes against the Panthers, making 108 metres from 16 runs including two tackle-breaks. He made 39 tackles but missed four.
Before being dropped, the whole-hearted back-rower claimed the club's season was still well and truly alive, calling on the playing group to take ownership this week to turn things around.
"It's not on Adam to find the answers, it's us as a playing group and players to have those conversations and see where it's going wrong," he told Triple M on Tuesday.
"There's 10 games left in the season, it's not over by any means.
"It's there if we want it.
"This week, there will be a lot of the players coming up with the answers and questions that need to be asked."
Winger Jordan Rapana returns from suspension in the only real change for the Raiders, who sit 11th - two points above the Knights - after six wins and eight losses.
The Raiders' recent form has been mixed, losing to the Broncos 24-18 after a 22-16 win over the Roosters and 28-20 loss to the Eels. They beat the Sharks (30-10) and Rabbitohs (32-12) prior to those results.
After nine losses from their past 11 games, Newcastle face an increasingly difficult task to make the finals but remain only four points outside the top eight. Five of their next seven games are against teams placed in the lower half of the ladder.
The Knights have won their past three games against Canberra, but haven't won at GIO Stadium since 2018.
