Canberra remain in the hunt for the NRL finals after clinching a 28-22 comeback win against a Newcastle side determined to defy a week of off-field turmoil.
The Raiders were unconvincing on Sunday afternoon and still need to win their remaining games against Manly and Wests Tigers to have any hope of finishing in eighth spot.
A 20-0 second half will give the Raiders confidence heading into the final fortnight of the regular season but in his first game back from suspension, coach Ricky Stuart would have been frustrated by his side's slow start.
The Knights' turbulent week was headlined by an NRL Integrity Unit investigation into co-captain Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann.
But just as they did after David Klemmer's run-in with a club trainer, Newcastle managed to divorce themselves from the dramas off the field to ambush their opposition on it.
On the back of a perfect completion rate and some fruitful kicking from Anthony Milford, the Knights produced their best 40 minutes since the opening month of the season to lead Canberra 22-8 at the break.
Edrick Lee and debutant Krystian Mapapalangi were called into the side after Enari Tuala and Bradman Best were dropped for disciplinary issues and they formed a promising combination on the left.
On the other side, Dom Young bagged a double of his own to affirm his status as one of the Knights' best players in a poor season.
The Raiders were stymied by handling errors and ill discipline in the first half but remained in the contest thanks to some wayward conversion attempts from Milford.
The Knights' goal-line defence has been vulnerable all season and was twice penetrated by tries from kicks in the opening exchanges of the second half.
The game no longer on their terms, the Knights were unable to fight the Green Machine as it rolled forward.
Raiders prop forwards Josh Papali'i and Joe Tapine combined to gift Jack Wighton the runaway try that sealed victory.
Newcastle are now staring down the possibility of finishing the season with their second-worst home record in club history.
The Knights have won just twice at home this year, fewer than in their 2005, 2015 and 2017 wooden spoon seasons, and face in-form Cronulla in their last home game of the season.
Corey Horsburgh was twice placed on report, most notably for late contact on Knights halfback Adam Clune, while Papali'i was reported for a shoulder charge late in the game.
The Raiders are just one win and 46 points in for-and-against behind the Broncos heading into the last two rounds, with Brisbane finishing the regular season against the Eels and Dragons.
Dragons join point-scoring avalanche with 46-26 win over Titans
St George Illawarra have overcome prop Francis Molo's dismissal to defeat Gold Coast 46-26 and leave the Titans in a battle to avoid the NRL wooden spoon.
On a bizarre Sunday afternoon in Wollongong, Molo was sent off for a high shot on Greg Marzhew with 17 minutes remaining as the Titans were mounting a late charge.
But somehow, Saints managed to score three unanswered tries with Molo off the field and they seemingly played better football a man short than with their full complement.
It came in a 13-try shootout that befitted not only the point-scoring blitz that has been round 23 but a match between two teams with little to play for towards the end of the 2022 regular season.
Winger Tautau Moga claimed the first hat-trick of his career, while Talatau Amone was the Dragons' best with a double while also laying on another try.
Ben Hunt also had a role to play in two tries, putting on a superb cut-out pass for Jack Bird early in the second half while also handing one back to the Titans with a short dropout.
Bird also also set up two tries, playing across four positions as the Saints' lost players at will during the match.
Notably, hooker Andrew McCullough suffered a medial ligament injury as questions continue around his future with a year still to run on his contract.
McCullough indicated on Saturday that he wanted to play on into the final year of his contract, just a week after coach Anthony Griffin said it would be addressed at the end of the season.
Moses Mbye also suffered a hamstring injury, while fullback Cody Ramsey also spent time off the field for a concussion check.
