'He just doesn't get the recognition': Stuart backs Fogarty after kicking masterclass

He also questioned Hudson Young's first-half sin-binning, although hoped if that was the standard then it would be consistent throughout the NRL season.

Fogarty's right boot might get noticed a bit more now after the way he guided the Green Machine to victory over the Knights in Newcastle.

His kicks led to two tries, but there were another two disallowed as well.

The 30-year-old has emerged as one of the Raiders' most important players this season, not only vice-captaining the side, but also being the senior member in the halves alongside 19-year-old Ethan Strange.

"He's a great kicker of the footy, he just doesn't get the recognition," Stuart said.

"When all his foot soldiers complete [their sets], I think we were at 85 and 95 [per cent], you're going to get more opportunity to kick.

"When you give a good kicker the opportunity to kick you're going to be in better field position."

Young was sin binned in the first half for what was classed as high contact on Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga, but was little more than a push.

The Raiders scored a try short-handed and also conceded one while he was off the field.

Stuart questioned whether it was worth a sin bin, but if it was he hoped there would be consistency.

"If we're going to start sin-binning people for that we're going to be playing a lot of games with 12," he said.

"But if that's a sin-binning offence and that is then a week off it's got to be consistent every week and every game - but it won't be.

"That's not having a crack at anyone. The referees have got a very, very difficult job. But I don't believe it's a sin-binning offence."

It was just Strange's second NRL game and his first in the No.6 jersey, having made his debut in the centres last year.

Stuart was happy with the 19-year-old's performance and said there'd only be better ones to come.

Strange got first crack at replacing Jack Wighton after a pre-season-long battle with Kaeo Weekes to partner Fogarty in the halves.

"It's only going to get better. I think people see out there we've got something to work with," Stuart said.

Raiders acting captain Joe Tapine then backed that up by saying how impressed he'd been with Strange's leadership.

"Watching him through pre-season, his confidence [has grown and he's] matured really quickly," he said.

"At the start of pre-season he was pretty quiet and now he's leading half the pack with Jamal.

"I'm very proud of him and it's only up from here."

Knights coach Adam O'Brien was left bemoaning his team's lack of fight.

"Our game lacked any sort of grit. We were impatient, it felt like we wanted the highlight real, where the other mob - you score four tries on the last play and they were scrappy tries, but that's what they wanted," he said.

"They wanted to come here and get into a scrap and I don't reckon we did."

In his first game with the Green Machine's keys well and truly in his pocket, Jamal Fogarty kicked the Knights to death.

The Canberra Raiders halfback's kicking game steered his team to a season-opening, 28-12 victory in Newcastle on Thursday night.

The Raiders made the finals off the back of gritty wins last year and, while there might be a lot of young green shoots this season, they proved they've still got that competitive spirit.

While it might've been Fogarty's guidance that got them the win, it was certainly helped by Tom Starling's spark off the bench.

Not only was the hooker lively out of dummy half, but he produced a massive defensive play off a Fogarty kick - driving Greg Marzhew back in-goal with the help of Josh Papali'i.

Papali'i, Joe Tapine and Morgan Smithies were massive in the middle, while the entire Raiders back five worked tirelessly - so much so Rapana ended up on the wing after the fullback started to cramp with almost 30 minutes remaining.

Zac Hosking looked good on an edge as the Green Machine got a modicum of revenge for last year's finals exit at the hands of the Knights.

He scored the opening try off a Fogarty kick.

Both teams will nervously await the match review committee with Knights prop Leo Thompson put on report for a crusher tackle on Joe Tapine and Emre Guler for a hip-drop tackle on Dylan Lucas.

The Knights lost Enari Tuala with a quad strain, while Danny Levi had a corked quad but was expected to be right for round two.

Off the back of Guler's report, Knights five-eight Tyson Gamble put Tyson Frizell through a hole to make it 8-6 at half-time.

The Raiders overcame some early Newcastle dominance in the second half before Levi darted out of dummy half to put the visitors in control.

Another try off a Fogarty kick, this time for Xavier Savage, gave them breathing space and then Rapana, now on the wing, secured the two points.

Jackson Hastings scored a consolation try for Newcastle, before Canberra's second-rowers combined with Hudson Young crossing in the dying seconds.

AT A GLANCE

CANBERRA RAIDERS 28 (Zac Hosking, Danny Levi, Xavier Savage, Jordan Rapana, Hudson Young tries; Jamal Fogarty 4 goals) bt NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 12 (Tyson Frizell, Jackson Hastings tries; Kalyn Ponga 2 goals) at Newcastle. Referee: Todd Smith.