Friday 4^th September, 6:00 PM, NRL Round 17, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Newcastle Knights versus Cronulla Sharks NRL Match Preview

A surprise 36-6 defeat to New Zealand Warriors last week ended a three-match winning streak for the Knights, leaving them in seventh on the ladder. For Cronulla, a 28-12 victory over North Queensland consolidated the Sharks’ place in the top eight.

The Newcastle Knights

Newcastle Knights 2020 squad list excluding above changes below;

 
1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Starford To’a 3. Enari Tuala 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Hymel Hunt 6. Mason Lino 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. David Klemmer 9. Kurt Mann 10. Jacob Saifiti 11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 12. Aidan Guerra 13. Mitchell Barnett

Reserves: 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Herman Ese’ese 16. Josh King 17. Brodie Jones 18. Tex Hoy 19. Jirah Momoisea 20. Tautau Moga 21. Chris Randall

Coach: Adam O’Brien

The Cronulla Sharks

Cronulla Sharks 2020 squad list excluding above changes below;

 
1. Will Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Josh Dugan 4. Jesse Ramien 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Chad Townsend 8. Braden Hamlin-Uele 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Aaron Woods 11. Briton Nikora 12. Wade Graham 13. Toby Rudolf

Reserves: 14. Connor Tracey 15. Scott Sorensen 16. Siosifa Talakai 17. Royce Hunt 18. Jack Williams 19. Bryson Goodwin 20. Teig Wilton 21. Andrew Fifita

Coach: John Morris

LAST TIME THEY MET

These two sides haven’t played each other since March 2019, a fixture which ended in a 14-8 victory for Newcastle. That ended an eight-match winning streak for Cronulla against the Knights, stretching back to 2014.

WHO WINS THIS ONE

THE ERL PREDICTION

Cronulla Sharks by 12