Newcastle will square off against Brisbane on Thursday night desperate to make amends in front of their home crowd after three heavy defeats at McDonald Jones Stadium in recent matches.
Adam O'Brien's men secured a relieving win over the Bulldogs in Magic Round but they face an uphill challenge in the form of the Broncos, who have hit form and are beginning to show signs of the club they once were in the glory years.
It will be an intriguing occasion for Knights recruit Anthony Milford, who is expected to line up against the Broncos after departing the club last season.
Milford, who played 151 games for Brisbane, became much maligned towards the end of his Broncos stint and will have a point to prove in his first match in the NRL since September last year.
Both sides enjoyed even spoils in 2021 with Newcastle winning 28-20 early in the year before the Broncos avoided the wooden spoon with a 35-22 win in the final round of the regular season.
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The Rundown
Team news
Knights: No further changes for the home side after Dane Gagai was a huge inclusion to the run-on team having recovered from a cheekbone injury. Tyson Frizell is also back and Anthony Milford will play five-eighth in his first game since September. Milford replaces Tex Hoy who drops out of the side along with Enari Tuala.
Broncos: Skipper Adam Reynolds is out after failing a fitness test on a groin strain on Thursday. He is replaced by Ezra Mam, who makes his NRL debut. Kurt Capewell will lead the side in Reynolds' absence. Te Maire Martin will play despite concerns over a hip injury last week.
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Key match-up
Daniel Saifiti v Payne Haas: Two NSW Origin bookends go head-to-head in a battle that will help dictate who wins the middle and allows their outside backs some early ball. Saifiti has been well-below his best form this season after only 12 months ago was rated one of the best in the game. He showed glimpses against the Bulldogs last week but will need a big one against Haas, who continues in leaps and bounds as one of, if not, the most dominant forwards in the game.
Stat Attack
Brisbane's attack has clicked in their four-game winning streak, piling on more than 30 points in a game three times in the past month. Whilst they're only averaging 19 points per game for the season, defensively they've gone from a side who conceded 29 per outing in 2021 to just 16 this year. Adam Reynolds' brilliance has helped the side pile on the points but it's their defensive resolve that has really aimed up this season.
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