Newcastle Knights v St George Illawarra Dragons
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Knights v Dragons preview
Kelly looks at Friday evening's meeting between the Newcastle Knights and the St George Illawarra Dragons.
Big changes for both sides as the Dragons head to Newcastle for the first time since Round 4, 2021.
Both games these teams played during Round 4 saw a 20 - 12 scoreline; however, only the Dragons were in the winner's circle. The Dragons handed Manly their second loss of the year at Kogarah, while the Knights went down to the Warriors in Auckland.
In a game marred by 15 errors from both sides, the Dragons crossed the line four times, including a second double to Tyrell Sloan in the 2024 season. Hunt provided the goods with the boot, tormenting the Manly side with a range of pin-point cross-field kicks and bombs that gave their wingers grief. The skipper had a hand in three of the Dragon's four tries, with three try assists, a line break assist and almost 580 kick metres.
Coach Flannagan was impressed by the team's resilience despite the limited possession and poor completion rate. He backed the team's talent and ability to defend against a quality side like Manly and now is imploring his side to find consistency and bring this into future games.
The Newcastle Knights crossed the Tasman to play the New Zealand Warriors in Auckland, with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck returning to his favoured number 1 jersey. The Warriors got off to a fast start, leading the Knights by 8 before Tyson Frizell crossed for their first points in the 35th minute. Bradman Best was the only other Novacastrian to get over the line, scoring a late try to bring the difference to 8 rather than 14.
Once again, there was a lack of cohesion within the halves for the Knights team as they continued to work towards finding the best combination. They didn't have much to work with as the forward pack failed to fire to provide their spine with the platform they needed to be effective in attack.
This weekend, the Knights return to McDonald Jones Stadium, where they beat the Storm in Round 2 after a short turnaround from the trip home from Auckland. The Dragons will make the trip up the M1 for the first time since Round 4, 2021.
Both sides have considerably changed the lineups that started their Round 4 clashes, and Adam Brown has made the most significant changes. Jackson Hastings will return in the number 7 jersey, with Tyson Gamble being left right out of the 17 and Jack Cogger taking on the five-eighth duties. Dane Gagai is expected to return from illness, and Jayden Brailey moves into the hooker spot, pushing Phoenix Crossland to the bench. The changes don't end there, with Daniel Saifiti being demoted from the starting front row and replaced by Leo Thompson. The changes Shane Flannagan has made are primarily to the middle, with Jack De Belin and Tom Eisenhuth being promoted from the bench, seeing Blake Lawrie and Raymond Faitala-Mariner demoted to accommodate them.
Last meeting: Round 27 2023 - Dragons 12 Knights 32
Who to watch: Jackson Hastings will have a point to prove after being dropped by the Knights after just two games. In both games, he partnered with Tyson Gamble in the halves, but this weekend, he will run out alongside Jack Cogger, who has retained his spot. The Knights' forward pack will have to be better than they were in Auckland to help lay the platform for their halves pairing to fire, though.
There's lots of noise in the media around the fact that Zac Lomax has been granted a release to leave the Dragons at the end of the 2024 season. This kind of attention can either help or hinder a player, so it will be interesting to see how he responds. He will have the number 2 jersey on his back again as Flannagan continues to deny him his favoured centre position.
Favourite: Despite coming into this game with only one win, the Knights are firm favourites at the moment.
My tip: The Knights will be looking to use the home-ground advantage to help get them over the line for just their second win of the season. And although they have only won 1 game in 2024, they have met much stronger opponents than the Dragons. Knights by 8.
1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Thomas Jenkins 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Enari Tuala 6. Jack Cogger 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Jayden Brailey 10. Leo Thompson 18. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mathew Croker 22. Thomas Cant
1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Zac Lomax 3. Moses Suli 4. Jack Bird 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Jack de Belin 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su'A 15. Blake Lawrie 13. Tom Eisenhuth 14. Jesse Marschke 16. Michael Molo 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 21. Toby Couchman
Referees: Belinda Sharpe; Sideline Officials: Peter Gough, Drew Oultram; Video Referees: Adam Gee;