By Alex Mitchell in Canberra

NEWCASTLE’S charge towards the NRL finals has continued with the Knights taking down Canberra 28-6 behind a scintillating performance from Kalyn Ponga.

In their fourth straight win, the Knights led 26-0 on 50 minutes having capitalised on a deplorable first half from the Raiders to move within a point of the NRL’s top eight.

Star No.1 Ponga looked his unstoppable best from the outset at GIO Stadium, busting through the Canberra line in the first set of the game to establish the tempo for a majestic display that included a try, eight tackle busts, 165m and three line break assists.

He sent a scare through Newcastle fans when sent for a head injury assessment on 60 minutes following a stray knee from Canberra winger Jordan Rapana, but the fullback passed his test and returned to the field.

The fourth time this season they have been beaten by 22 points or more at home, an insipid Raiders side missed 17 tackles in the first half alone to go with five errors and a lack of creativity in attack.

They also couldn’t find any points despite a stack of possession inside the opposition’s 20m.

At least temporarily, the win moves Newcastle to ninth on the ladder and they will be eyeing off a top-eight spot in the next fortnight, with games against the Dolphins (12th) and Canterbury (16th).

Ponga scored on seven minutes and assisted winger Dominic Young’s effort later in the first half, those moments sandwiching a Greg Marzhew try that capitalised on an acre of space left by Canberra’s poor defence.

Any thought of a trademark Raiders comeback was seemingly snuffed just two minutes into the second half, Ponga again creating a line break that ended with five-eighth Tyson Gamble making it 26-0.

Rapana scored Canberra’s only try on 52 minutes, a rare piece of cohesive attacking football from the Raiders as they fell to a second straight defeat.

Teams are queuing up to replace them in the top eight, four sides within three points of the fifth-ranked Raiders with their top-four hopes virtually extinguished in the last fortnight.

Along with Ponga, Newcastle’s outside backs put in huge displays with Dane Gagai (197m), Marzhew (189m) and Young (132m) all carving up Canberra.