Bradman Best has given Newcastle a look at a bright future, putting on a show with Kalyn Ponga to help shock premiership favourites Canberra 34-18.

Best showed on Sunday why he has more than just the NRL’s greatest name. He scored a double and, with Ponga, the pair between them had a hand in all six of the Knights’ tries.

They were virtually unstoppable on Newcastle’s left edge, with Best busting five tackles and finishing with 61 post-contact metres in just his fifth NRL game.

It also came just a week after the 18-year-old was left shattered by Newcastle’s 90-minute draw with Penrith, in which he botched late match-winning opportunities.

“He’s physically and mentally the oldest 18-year-old I’ve ever met,” coach Adam O’Brien said.

“I’m thrilled for this young bloke. He was here last week and almost got himself three tries.

“He was his own harshest critic at the end of the game.

“He trains hard every day and is hungry. He wants to make something of his football life.”

The win puts the Knights second and one of only three undefeated teams alongside top-placed Parramatta and Penrith.

Canberra were their own worst enemies, with coach Ricky Stuart labelling their performance as unacceptable claiming they played like children.

Best and Ponga combined in just the second minute, as the fullback put him over from a scrum play after an early Raiders error.

The teenager also set one up for fellow centre Enari Tuala, grubbering crossfield after a Mitchell Pearce bomb had been batted back to him.

Tuala was taken out by Jack Wighton before he could get a hand to the ball, with the bunker awarding a penalty try to make it 16-6 at halftime.

In the final minute, the centre grubbered through a loose ball for his second.

Ponga was sublime with his hands in his first game back from the lockdown due to suspension last week.

He dummied and sliced his way through Elliott Whitehead and Wighton early, going 40 metres to score.

He put Newcastle on top after the break, throwing the last pass for Edrick Lee’s first try and a bullet cut-out ball to Best in the lead-up to Lee’s second.

“Having him play alongside me helps my game,” Best said.

“His skill set. That was all Kalyn, that first try.

“He is a real leader for us. He has taught me a lot.”

The Knights’ Kurt Mann suffered an ankle injury, battling on to finish the match with swelling.

The Raiders were poor, with the exception of 10-minute period in the second half when Nick Cotric and Josh Papalii gave the game some faint life.

They completed at just 59 per cent in the opening half-hour, coughing the ball up at their own end in the lead-up to two Newcastle tries.

Wightonwas rocks and diamonds, making two errors and putting a ball into touch on the full.

But he also leapt highto score a try as he took a George Williams kick in the first half, before ending the game off the field after copping a late hit.

“Defensively tonight, we were the worst we have defended in two years,” Stuart said.

“It was a very poor showing of commitment in defence. And it’s not just the edges, and I know you will talk about the right edge.

“It all starts in the middle. We played like children tonight.”