Newcastle claimed top spot on the NRL ladder after overcoming the tenacious Canberra Raiders 22-12 at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

Knights winger Brian Carney scored a hat-trick of tries while Andrew Johns put on a goalkicking clinic, landing three conversions from the sideline and having his fourth attempt hit the post in pouring rain.

The 10-point win allowed the Knights to slip ahead of Melbourne and North Queensland on points difference at the top of the table.

But it did come with some controversy after Newcastle scored its first try following a Kurt Gidley cut-out pass to Carney which looked to have been at least two metres forward.

The 27th minute try allowed Newcastle to level the scores at 6-6 and then claim a 12-6 lead four minutes later despite being outplayed by the Raiders, who had lost playmaker Jason Smith (thumb) and prop Andrew Lomu (neck) to injury before kickoff.

Raiders coach Matthew Elliott was clearly disappointed referee Jason Robinson and his two sideline officials failed to pick up the forward pass.

"The only three people that missed it in the stadium were the people who counted," Elliott said.

"It wasn't a marginal call. The ball came out of the hands forward and it continued forward, not a little way, a long way.

"The crowd around there was laughing. And they got the ball back and scored the next set. It was a 12-point play."

Despite the blow, the Raiders regrouped at halftime and after weathering a five-minute Knights attacking blitz, levelled the scores when centre Phil Graham crossed in the 50th.

By that stage the Knights were down to a two-man bench following first-half injuries to fullback David Seage (hamstring) and centre George Carmont (achilles), and the Raiders looked to have all the running.

But Carney's third score in the 58th minute resurrected Newcastle's advantage.

And when rookie centre Chris Bailey superbly flicked-on a pass to Brad Tighe for the winger to score in driving rain in the 64th, Newcastle had its fourth straight win in the bag.

After being belted 70-32 by the Knights early in the season, the Raiders defended superbly and with a bit more luck could have easily upset their more fancied opponents.

Elliott praised his side's effort, but said the difference was the Knights' kicking game which allowed them to have 13 more sets of six.

Newcastle coach Michael Hagan was pleased to claim the two premiership points with hooker Danny Buderus and backrower Steve Simpson absent due to State of Origin duties.

"It was a great effort on the back of the week that we had, and a couple of injuries in the game made it a bit more difficult, but I think the players responded and toughed it out real well," he said.

Hagan said Carmont's injury was only a cork, but was less optimistic about Seage's hamstring.

"I'm not sure how serious that is. He just felt it go, so I guess we'll get the necessary scans done," Hagan said.

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