Round 3: Titans v Knights preview
The Knights have a chance to extend their unbeaten run to start the season to 3-0 when they travel to the Gold Coast to face the Titans on Saturday night.
The Titans were unable to overcome a slow start against the Bulldogs last weekend in their first game of 2025, with a gallant fightback not enough as they fell 40-24.
It was reminiscent of past Titans teams, who have had more than enough firepower in attack to challenge the best teams in the NRL but lacked the defensive mettle and consistency to compete over 80 minutes.
The Knights, meanwhile, made it two wins on the trot as they cruised to a 26-12 victory over the Dolphins to build on a gritty, first-up 10-8 triumph over the Tigers.
In some ways it is hard to get a read on Newcastle given the level of opposition played. Both the Dolphins and Tigers weren't expected to be challenging for the top eight this year, and the same goes for the Titans.
But considering the upsets we saw in round two, including the way the Roosters and Warriors bounced back from heavy losses, the Knights do deserve some credit for their clinical display against the Dolphins.
While Kalyn Ponga, who currently sits on top of the Dally M Leaderboard, has been central to Newcastle's early success this has been a far more balanced Knights attack in 2025 with Fletcher Sharpe adding an extra element of speed in the halves to complement the steady Jack Cogger.
In terms of team news, the Titans will be without speedster Alofiana Khan-Pereira (hamstring), with Tony Francis into the side for his third NRL game while Iszac Faasuamaleaui joins the bench after Jaimin Jolliffe picked up a calf injury.
As for Newcastle, prop Leo Thompson (knee) and second rower Kai Pearce-Paul (suspension) are both unavailable, seeing Brodie Jones enter the front row and Adam Elliott start at lock, while Thomas Cant joins the bench.
Last meeting: Round 26 2024 - Knights 36 Titans 14
Who to watch: David Fifita was a notable bench warmer to start last week's game, not getting onto the field until around the 50th minute when the contest was already effectively decided. An injury-interrupted offseason meant Titans coach Des Hasler was hesitant to give him too many minutes, while the flow of the game also made it hard to deploy Fifita at the right moment. But a genuine game-changer like Fifita, even if he has his deficiencies in defence, is exactly what the Titans need to break down one of the league's better defensive units, at least early in the season.
As for the Knights, this could be a big game for former Titan Greg Marzhew. The hulking winger was at his devastating best with the ball in hand last week, running for 211 metres, including 81 post-contact, while breaking 10 tackles and he may be able to top those figures against a porous Titans defence that is particularly vulnerable in broken play.
Favourite: The Knights are well-backed to open the season 3-0 for the first time since 2015.
My tip: All signs point to a Knights victory and based on Newcastle's superior defence in the opening fortnight of the season, it is hard to argue with that logic. With that in mind, this tip is based more than anything else on what we saw in round two - that rugby league is rarely logical. Back at home, look for the Titans to have enough points to squeak home in a relatively high-scoring game. Titans by 4.
