Check out the match preview and prediction for the round 14 clash between the Melbourne Storm and Newcastle Knights.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Melbourne Storm Vs Newcastle Knights
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Date: Sunday, June 9, 2:00 pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Storm: 1. Sualauvi Faalogo, 2. Grant Anderson, 3. Reimis Smith, 4. Nick Meaney, 5. Xavier Coates, 6. Tyran Wishart, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. Christian Welch, 9. Harry Grant, 10. Tui Kamikamica, 11. Shawn Blore, 12. Eliesa Katoa, 13. Josh King, 14. Bronson Garlick, 15. Trent Loiero, 16. Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 17. Alec MacDonald, 18. Joe Chan, 19. Jack Howarth, 20. Young Tonumaipea, 21. Kane Bradley, 22. Dean Ieremia
Knights: 1. David Armstrong, 2. Enari Tuala, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Krystian Mapapalangi, 5. Greg Marzhew, 6. Jack Cogger, 7. Jackson Hastings, 8. Jacob Saifiti, 9. Jayden Brailey, 10. Leo Thompson, 11. Kai Pearce-Paul, 12. Dylan Lucas, 13. Adam Elliott, 14. Phoenix Crossland, 15. Daniel Saifiti, 16. Tyson Frizell, 17. Brodie Jones, 18. Thomas Cant, 19. Mathew Croker, 20. Will Pryce, 21. Jack Hetherington, 22. Fletcher Sharpe
Referee: Adam Gee
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
After a close loss at 4 Pines Park in round 12, the Melbourne Storm will look to bounce back when they return home to AAMI Park to take on the Newcastle Knights. As they have at times this season, the Storm let their opponents get out to a lead and tried to run them down. However, it wasn’t to be this time around, and Manly got the much-needed competition points (26-20).
While some players will be refreshed after having the bye last round, Harry Grant and Xavier Coates played for Queensland on Wednesday night. They have been named to back up but will be watched in the lead-up to Sunday. Towering winger Will Warbrick is out with a groin injury. Grant Anderson moves from the bench to the wing. Bronson Garlick is the new face on the bench.
Like the Storm, the Knights didn’t have a happy day out against the Bulldogs last week (losing 32-2). At two stages in the game, the Knights had the advantage when first Connor Tracey was sin-binned and then Toby Sexton in the second half. The Knights’ edge defence let them down as Josh Addo-Carr scored two tries down their right-hand side in the first half, and Jacob Preston scored two on the left-hand edge in the second half. No doubt Adam O’Brien will have addressed that this week at training.
The key match-up for this game is the battle of the halves. Though they showed glimpses of good play, Jackson Hastings and Jack Cogger will want a better showing when they take to AAMI Park this weekend. With Cameron Munster still on the sidelines, the Storm’s ‘Mr Fix It’ Tyran Wishart will again partner Jahrome Hughes. It will be up to Hughes to lead his side around and let Wishart do what he needs to do to help the team. Even though the Knights are below them on the ladder, they must not try and chase down a score again.
The Knights have already beaten the Storm this season (14-12). Can they do it again?
Head-to-head stats can be found at Number Crunch Stats.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Check out all the NRL Predictions here.
Storm by 12 points.
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