Titans v Knights preview

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Gold Coast Titans v Newcastle Knights Saturday 7:35pm at Cbus Super Stadium, Robina / Yugambeh

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.

1. Keano Kini 2. Tony Francis 3. Brian Kelly 4. Phillip Sami 5. Jojo Fifita 6. AJ Brimson 7. Jayden Campbell 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Reagan Campbell-Gillard 11. Klese Haas 12. Beau Fermor 13. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 14. Chris Randall 15. David Fifita 16. Iszac Fa'asumaleaui 17. Brock Gray 18. Jaylan De Groot 19. Arama Hau 20. Jacob Alick-Wiencke 21. Tom Weaver 22. Ken Maumalo

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. James Schiller 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Jack Cogger 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Brodie Jones 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Tyson Frizell 13. Adam Elliott 14. Jayden Brailey 15. Jack Hetherington 16. Thomas Cant 17. Mathew Croker 18. Kyle McCarthy 19. Jermaine McEwen 20. Will Pryce 21. Matthew Arthur 22. Tyrone Thompson

Referees: Liam Kennedy; Sideline Officials: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Nick Pelgrave; Video Referees: Matt Noyen;