Check out the match preview and prediction for the round 6 clash between the Newcastle Knights and the Sydney Roosters.
MATCHDAY NEWS
MATCHDAY SCHEDULE
Newcastle Knights Vs Sydney Roosters
Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium
Date: Thursday April 11, 7:50pm
MATCHDAY TEAM NEWS
Knights: 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 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Kai Pearce-Paul 13. Adam Elliott 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mathew Croker 18. Jed Cartwright 19. Brodie Jones 20. Tyson Gamble 21. Will Pryce 22. Greg Marzhew
Roosters: 1. Joseph Manu 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Michael Jennings 4. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii 5. Fetalaiga Pauga 6. Connor Watson 7. Luke Keary 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Brandon Smith 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Nat Butcher 12. Angus Crichton 13. Victor Radley 14. Zach Dockar-Clay 15. Naufahu Whyte 16. Sitili Tupouniua 17. Terrell May 18. Egan Butcher 19. Lewis Murphy 20. Benaiah Ioelu 21. Hugo Savala 22. Siua Wong
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Embed from Getty ImagesMATCHDAY PREVIEW
At 26-0 down at half time to the Canterbury Bulldogs last week, you’ve got to wonder what on earth Trent Robinson said to his Sydney Roosters side.
It was a game I previewed last week, and I highlighted its importance in showing where the Roosters actually are this season. I described it as the kind of game that the Roosters of 2022 and 2023 would really struggle in, but eventually win the arm wrestle. I wrote that I expected better from them in 2024.
That first half was so much worse. That second half was so much better. What did Trent Robinson say?
The Chooks had to shuffle the decks more times than a blackjack dealer at the Bellagio – reduced to eleven men at one point and still almost winning the game. I have something to say about everything in Rugby League – but that game left me completely lost for words.
That factor gets extended into this week, with James Tedesco, Sam Walker, and Dominic Young all unavailable for this Thursday’s game. They’ve got a centre at fullback, a utility at five-eighth and a 35-year-old at centre… and yet I still can’t bring myself to count them out.
In stark contrast you’ve got a Newcastle team who have named the exact same 1-17 as last week, and who are at full strength except for Tyson Frizell. Despite having chopped and changed their halves through the start of this season, the Cogger/Hastings combination seemed to work very well in awful weather conditions last week, so it’s no surprise to see those two get the nod again.
Newcastle seems to have gained back a little bit of that momentum they had towards the back end of last year, and the expectation from their fans is absolutely that they continue it forward. If they want to improve on last season and beat the top teams in the competition, beating a depleted Roosters side at home is absolutely the expectation.
Keep an eye out as well for Greg Marzhew in jersey number 22, who is a chance of returning this week from his wrist injury, in what would be a big boost for the Newcastle outside backs.
Head-to-head stats can be found at Round 6 Number Crunch.
MATCHDAY PREDICTION
Knights by 10 points.
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