Live: Birthday boy’s Magic Round double sparks Knights blitz before rain arrives

Can the Rabbitohs find their feet in the next 40 minutes? Or will the Knights get their first win since round two?

Davvy Moale is held up under the posts and the Knights break through Jack Cogger, who chips over for Fletcher Sharpe. Jye Gray gets their first, but Sharpe gets a hold of him and drives him back 10 metres into the in-goal.

The rain has turned this game into something of a bludger since it arrived midway through that first half.

The corners and the 10m zones at each end weren’t resurfaced and they look it. The surface water is gathering and accumulated rapidly.

But the Knights can’t be too upset after scoring three tries in the opening 15 minutes. They haven’t scored this many points in a game since round two, which was also their last win.

The Knights five-eighth flies onto an offload from Mat Croker and looks destined for a Peter Siddle-esque hat-trick on his birthday, but he’s eventually brought down by Jye Gray.

And he’s knocked on in the play-the-ball, somehow launching the ball out at some pace.

Some birthdays do be like that, though.

After a hot start by the Knights, the game has settled into more of what we expected in the past 15 minutes.

And that’s not a good thing.

Both teams are looking shocking with ball in hand, battling to complete at 70 per cent.

There was a sprinkle forecast and it’s arrived.

It’s accompanied by a fair breeze and there are more than a few punters who thought they were under cover that are forced to get their raincoats out.

This might stifle Newcastle’s attack just as it’s getting going, and could impact the ragged corners of the field, which are starting to show the effects of three games in two nights.

The Rabbitohs once again go on the attack and Jye Gray’s pass hits the ground on the left and James Schiller goes up the other end. Jack Cogger throws a blatant forward pass to cost them a great chance on the Souths line.

The Knights get the ball back deep in their own half and Bradman Best knocks on in a tough low tackle by Isaiah Tass.

Then Jye Gray and Euan Aitken both go within a metre of the tryline, but Aitken’s knocked on.

The Rabbitohs finally put together a couple of sets that get them into Knights territory, but can’t come up with any points.

First Jayden Sullivan knocks on in a tackle as they try to get into shape, and now Jai Arrow is penalised for forcing a clearly already down Kalyn Ponga back into the in-goal.

Free metres for Newcastle.

It looks for all money like Tevita Tatola has rammed his shoulder into Kalyn Ponga’s face in a ball-and-all tackle, but referee Liam Kennedy keeps the whistle holstered.

Kennedy is back in the NRL after a week in the lower grades and there’s been a reminder and a recalibration about high shots in the intervening days, so you can forgive him for being a little confused.

Kai Pearce-Paul storms down the right wing and steamrolls Jye Gray.

The Knights spin it left to the open side and Dylan Lucas pops a ball back inside to halfback Jack Cogger, who brushes off a tackle attempt by Sean Keppie to dive in.

The Knights are finding space all over the park. The Rabbitohs defence looks very much like a team full of fresh faces.

James Schiller has broken down the right and through the middle of a line that somehow already looks exhausted.

And, on the goal-line, Fletcher Sharpe steps back off his left and just wanders past props Sean Keppie and Junior Tatola.

He gets body-slammed onto his back but reaches out to score his second on his 21st birthday.

Greg Marzhew threatens and attracts four or five defenders on the left, including fullback Jye Gray.

The Knights go back in-field on the last and Kalyn Ponga pokes a grubber in under the posts and Fletcher Sharpe gets through first.

He bobbles as he reaches the ball, but regathers to ground it under the posts.

Ponga let out a mighty roar and punched the air as the rest of the team rushed to celebrate with Sharpe. A bit of feeling in that one.

Dane Gagai streaks down the right and get the ball back inside. Phoenix Crossland is eventually run down by Tallis Duncan.

They reset and spin it left  but can’t strip them for numbers as Kalyn Ponga shovels the ball on to Dylan Lucas and he’s brought down.

Bud Sullivan boots it long and the Knights get first use of the ball on day two of Magic Round.

They get through their first set and Jack Cogger bombs high to little Jye Gray, back in the cardinal and myrtle number one.

These fans may be a little disappointed.

Latrell Mitchell is missing today’s match for a high shot in last week’s loss to Melbourne.

Newcastle has scored 36 points in it past five games (all losses) and just 72 in total this season.

It leaves the Knights 15th on the ladder but, thanks to a dismal -74 points differential, they could end up last if they lose today and the Panthers beat the Broncos tomorrow.

You may have to rub your eyes when you see Rabbitohs are underdogs against the Knights, who have scored just 36 points in a five-match losing streak coming into today’s game.

But it makes sense when you check out the casualty ward in Redfern. Just some of the unavailable players include:

• Latrell Mitchell (suspension)
• Cameron Murray
• Cody Walker
• Jack Wighton
• Jamie Humphreys
• Alex Johnston
• Mikaele Ravalawa

It means prop Tevita Tatola has been named captain in a reshuffled Rabbitohs line-up.

There was some speculation that the 19s for both the Rabbitohs and Knights might get late call-ups, but Josh Schuster and Tyson Gamble have both dropped out of the gameday squad.

It means English off-season signing Lewis Dodd, known by coach Wayne Bennett only as “the Pommy”, gets his first start in the NRL. And Newcastle coach Adam O’Brien is sticking with the spine of Kalyn Ponga, Fletcher Sharpe, Jack Cogger and Phoenix Crossland that has struggled so mightily to score points this season.