The Knights’ late-season charge shows no sign of slowing as they prepare to take on a Sharks side who look to be hitting top form at just the right time.
A 22-10 win over a Rabbitohs side with everything to play for last week made it seven in a row for the Knights, something that hasn’t been achieved in the Hunter since the Andrew Johns-led premiership-winning side did it in 2001.
With Kalyn Ponga pulling all the right strings from fullback and their powerful outside backs in strong form, Newcastle showed in Round 25 that they can get the job done even without their chief playmaker Jackson Hastings, and they head into this week having scored the equal-most tries in the whole competition.
They’ll meet another attacking juggernaut on Sunday, with the Sharks averaging more points than any other side so far and having scored over 30 points in each of their last two games.
Cronulla are getting great value from their bench right now, with both Jack Williams and Thomas Hazelton running for more than 100 metres against the Cowboys.
On the back of strong performances from their middles the Sharks’ spine is firing too.
At McDonald Jones Stadium the Knights have won eight of eleven this season, but they haven’t beaten the Sharks in any of their past three games.
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Team News
Knights: Big changes confirmed again on Sunday with Jackson Hastings (ankle) failing to recover in time. Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder) and Kurt Mann are also out. Adam Clune again takes over at halfback while former Bulldog Fa'amanu Brown joins the bench for a club debut. Brodie Jones will be 18th man.
Sharks: There are no further changes for the visitors after coach Craig Fitzgibbon confirmed on Saturday that star playmaker Nicho Hynes will be rested due to a quad injury that flared up after training. "At this stage of the season it's a risky ball game to throw him out there so we'll take the safe step there," Fitzgibbon said. Matt Moylan will come into the halves. Jesse Colquhoun comes onto the bench.
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Stat Attack
- Led by Greg Marzhew, whose 154 tackle breaks are 20 more than the next best player in the NRL, the Knights lead the competition in that metric, averaging 42.5 per game.
- Nicho Hynes engages the line the most of any player this year at an average of 10.6 per game.
- Greg Marzhew has failed to score just once during the Knights’ current seven-game winning streak. He has eight tries in that period.
- The Knights have defeated the Sharks in three of their past four clashes at McDonald Jones Stadium.
- Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has won all five games against the Knights.
- Sharks left winger Ronaldo Mulitalo has scored 19 tries in his past 19 games.
- Knights right winger Dominic Young requires one try to equal the club’s record of 21 tries in a season.
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Stats supplied by David Middleton, League Information Services, author of the official annual of the NRL.