KNIGHTS V BULLDOGS
Friday 12 March, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, 6pm (AEDT)
Knights: Newcastle start with a number of players on the
injury list with Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder), Blake Green (ACL), Edrick Lee (foot), Jirah Momoisea (Achilles) and Kalyn Ponga (shoulder) all unavailable. Kurt Mann and Mitch Barnett both missed the final trial due to personal reasons and will come into the squad with Mann partnering Mitchell Pearce in the halves and Barnett starting on the left edge. Hymel Hunt also missed the trial due to a hamstring injury but did train with the squad during the week and should be fit for Round 1, with Gehamat Shibasaki set to get the left wing position ahead of Starford T’oa.
Predicted team: 1 Tex Hoy, 2 Hymel Hunt (d), 3 Bradman Best, 4 Enari Tuala, 5 Gehamat Shibasaki, 6 Kurt Mann (d), 7 Mitchell Pearce, 13 Connor Watson, 12 Mitch Barnett (d), 11 Tyson Frizell, 10 David Klemmer, 9 Jayden Brailey, 8 Daniel Saifiti Bench: 14. Sauaso Sue 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Josh King 17. Brodie Jones
Rest of Squad: Phoenix Crossland, Lachlan Fitzgibbon (inj), Blake Green (inj), Bailey Hodgson (inj), Jack Johns (D), Jacob Kiraz (D), Edrick Lee (inj), Christian Ma’anaima (D), Jirah Momoisea (inj), Brayden Musgrove, Kalyn Ponga (inj), Chris Randall (D), Nathaneal Sasagi, Pasami Saulo, Garrett Smith (D), Starford T’oa, Dominic Young (20’s)
Players who haven’t trialled: Mitch Barnett (personal leave), Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder), Blake Green (ACL), Bailey Hodgson (knee), Hymel Hunt (hamstring), Edrick Lee (foot), Kurt Mann (personal leave), Jirah Momoisea (Achilles), Kalyn Ponga (shoulder)
Players ruled out: Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder – Indefinite), Blake Green (ACL – Rd 4), Jirah Momoisea (Achilles – Indefinite), Kalyn Ponga (shoulder – Rd 5)
1st choice Goal Kicker – Tex Hoy
Back Up Goal Kicker – Mitch Barnett
Bulldogs: Have a number of players in doubt leading into Round 1. Nick Cotric suffered an ankle injury in the weekend trial and will need to prove his fitness. Jake Averillo suffered an elbow injury a couple of weeks ago but should be fit to play. If Cotric isn’t fit, coach Trent Barrett could be forced to play Averillo at left centre with Brandon Wakeham holding the five-eighth position. Dylan Napa (knee) and Raymond Faitala-Mariner (ankle) both had interrupted pre-seasons and didn’t play in the trial but both have returned to training with view of being fit for Round 1 though both will be eased back into it. With Jeremy Marshall-King suffering a lisfranc injury in the All Stars game, hooking depth has come into question with only two hookers in the Top 30. If Marshall-King is ruled out, someone like Lachlan Lewis may come onto the bench as back-up hooker to Sione Katoa, who would be hard pressed to play 80 minutes in the NRL. Josh Jackson will move to lock in 2021 with Adam Elliott on the left edge next to either Averillo or Wakeham, and Corey Waddell partnering Kyle Flanagan on the right edge.
Predicted team: 1 Corey Allan, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Nick Cotric (d), 4 Will Hopoate, 5 Nick Meaney, 6 Jake Averillo (d), 7 Kyle Flanagan, 13 Josh Jackson ©, 12 Corey Waddell, 11 Adam Elliott, 10 Dylan Napa (d), 9 Jeremy Marshall-King (d), 8 Jack Hetherington Bench: 14. Sione Katoa 15. Raymond Faitala-Mariner (d) 16. Ofahiki Ogden 17. Renouf Atoni
Rest of Squad: Dean Britt, Christian Crichton (inj), Matthew Doorey, Tyrone Harding, Paul Karaitiana (D), Tui Katoa, Lachlan Lewis, Jayden Okunbor (inj), Chris Patolo (D) (inj), Kurt Picken (D), James Roumanos, Chris Smith, Joe Stimson, Luke Thompson (susp), Jackson Topine (D), Brandon Wakeham
Players who haven’t trialled: Jake Averillo (elbow), Christian Crichton (ACL), Raymond Faitala-Mariner (ankle), Tyrone Harding (unknown), Dylan Napa (knee/shoulder), Jayden Okunbor (ACL), Chris Patolo (knee), James Roumanos (unknown), Luke Thompson (suspended/hamstring)
Players ruled out: Christian Crichton (ACL – Season), Jayden Okunbor (ACL – Indefinite), Luke Thompson (suspended – Rd 5)
1st choice Goal Kicker – Kyle Flanagan
Back Up Goal Kicker – Nick Meaney
KEY
(d) – in doubt
(D) – NRL development contract
(inj) – injured
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