SUNDAY, MAY 5th, 2024 McDonald JONES STADIUM, NEWCASTLE
The Newcastle Knights vs New Zealand Warriors matchup promises to be a close contest!
Sunday afternoon in Newcastle is set to witness an intense battle between the 14th-placed Knights and the 13th-placed Warriors. Let me summarize and predict what these teams might bring based on their recent performances.
KNIGHTS’ Situation
Last week, the Knights had a nail-biting clash against the Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium, securing a remarkable 18-14 victory. Many had predicted a win for the Dolphins, but something was lacking in their performance.
The Knights will aim to carry the energy from last week’s game into this one and secure a win in front of their home crowd. They have a strong home record, winning 8 out of their last 10 games there.
The Knights’ line-up remains unchanged from last week. Despite concerns about injuries to Jacob Saifiti, Jed Cartwright, and Greg Marzhew in Round 8, all three seem ready to play this weekend.
However, captain Kalyn Ponga and Tyson Frizell will be absent due to hamstring injuries.
It seems like rookie David Armstrong is becoming a key player for the team. He remained in the fullback position during last week’s game against the Dolphins and scored a try just 9 minutes into his debut. He’s a promising rookie to watch out for in the future.
Interim captain Dane Gagai will play at center, while Greg Marzhew will operate on the outside edge. Marzhew has scored 5 tries in 4 games against the Warriors, so it’s fair to say he carries a lot of expectations.
Jackson Hastings and Tyson Gamble, along with the robust and durable forward pack of Jacob Saifiti and Adam Elliot, will likely form the right combination to lead the team to victory this weekend.
LATE MAIL.
Jack Hetherington has replaced Jacob Saifiti in the front row with the latter unable to recover from a foot injury he suffered last week.
Warriors’ Situation
The New Zealand Warriors put up a tough fight against the Titans last week but lost momentum in the second half, eventually losing 24-27.
They’ll need to refocus their energy and regain confidence to compete against the Knights this weekend.
While they have won 3 out of their last 4 games against the Knights, they haven’t won in Newcastle since 2019. Now, could this past experience be overturned?!
The Warriors could look to exploit the Knights’ weakened left edge, which left them vulnerable against the Dolphins last weekend. With a few Knights players returning from injury, the Warriors may look to exploit another weakness.
They have the advantage of being a quick group of players who can identify the opposition’s weak points, however, they seem to lack defensive prowess, and improvement in that area is urgently needed.
Team Line-Ups
Knights.
1. David Armstrong 2. Greg Marzhew 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Enari Tuala 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott, 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jed Cartwright 17. Brodie Jones, 18. Mathew Croker 19. Jack Hetherington 20. Jack Cogger 21. Thomas Cant 22. Thomas Jenkins
Warriors
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Jackson Ford 12. Kurt Capewell 13. Tohu Harris , 14. Dylan Walker 15. Tom Ale 16. Jacob Laban 17. Bunty Afoa , 18. Adam Pompey 20. Zyon Maiu’u 21. Edward Kosi 22. Taine Tuaupiki 23. Tanner Stowers-Smith
Referee. Chris Butler, Touch Judges, Clayton Wills, Nick Pelgrave, Bunker, Liam Kennedy
I hope the Bunker doesn’t get involved, because Kennedy is hopeless as a ref and an official.
Prediction
This weekend’s game will be a test of strength and endurance as both teams vie for victory and ladder positions. Despite the Warriors being favored to win, I’m leaning towards the Knights. The Warriors’ inconsistency concerns me, as they tend to switch off mentally during games. They play brilliant for 20 minutes per half then fall asleep.
For this reason I am going with the Knights with a 9.5 points start @ $1.50
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