Unfortunately, it did not last long with two NPL Northern NSW football matches abandoned after play had got underway on Saturday afternoon due to ridiculous amounts of water on the pitch.

The round-15 Adamstown v Maitland and Lambton Jaffas v Charlestown games were called off in the first half as torrential rain made grounds unplayable.

It is not yet known how those games will be completed.

On Sunday, Eagles veteran Josh Rose played a vital role as Edgeworth produced an important victory over Weston.

In NPLW NNSW, top-four side Charlestown Azzurri were handed a harsh reality check in the form of a nine-goal humiliation at the hands of league leaders Warners Bay.

The Newcastle Northstars responded to their first loss of the AIHL season with a brave win over ladder leaders Canberra.

The result kept Newcastle second on the competition standings as the season midpoint approaches.

Coach Scott Coleman has been left scratching his head as the Hunter Wildfires again paid the price for a slow start in Shute Shield rugby union.

Meanwhile, the Wildfires women are tracking well at the midpoint of Jack Scott Cup despite sustaining their season loss of the campaign. Coach Joey de Dassel is looking forward to a run of home games in the second half of the draw after playing four of their first five on the road.

In NHRU, Maitland have paid the price for a big win over the weekend.

Another weekend of Newcastle netball was washed out - that's four rounds this season.

In Hunter Central Coast AFL, Newcastle City showed no mercy against Singleton in a 184-point demolition on Saturday. It was the latter's heaviest defeat of the year.

It was a much tighter affair between Terrigal Avoca and Cardiff Hawks at Pasterfield Sports Complex.

The much-anticipated NBL1 East men's game between the Newcastle Falcons and Maitland Mustangs turned out to be anticlimactic. But in the women's duel, American import Nicole Munger scored an equal game-high 22 points on debut to help Newcastle end a three-game losing skid.

In Newcastle Rugby League, Central Newcastle held on to take an important win over Souths while Wests have not given up on making the finals.

In Hunter Coast Premier Hockey League, Souths coach Glenn Bisson declared their was plenty of room for improvement despite their six-goal win on Sunday.

It was heartbreak in Canberra as the Newcastle Knights were left to the rue the one that got away against the Raiders.

Former Knights and Greta-Branxton Colts junior Hudson Young broke Newcastle's hearts with a last-minute try in a performance at GIO Stadium that was rated as arguably the best of his career.

Although disappointed, Knights coach Adam O'Brien praised his troops' "never-say-die attitude" and was keen to see more of the resilience shown against the Raiders as Newcastle eye the rest of their season.

The Knights will have the weekend off now - aside from their Origin stars - before returning to McDonald Jones Stadium and trying to break a five-game losing streak at home when they host the Gold Coast Titans on July 1.

Newcastle are 12^th on 10 points after four wins and six losses to be six points adrift of the top eight. Despite the poor start, Wests Group chairman Owen Kilpatrick last week torpedoed suggestions O'Brien would become the next NRL coach with his head on the chopping block.

Meanwhile on Sunday, off the field one of the Knights' unsung heroes signed off after almost three decades associated with the club when head trainer Jamie Williams blew full-time.

In good news for the club, hooker Jayden Brailey can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel with a likely comeback date after lengthy injury setbacks. Will that date be too late for the Knights though?

IN THE NEWS:

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: