Ultimate Guide: Eels 1-17 on Old Boys Day

The nib Newcastle Knights will look to build on their recent performance when they take on the Parramatta Eels in a blockbuster showdown this Sunday afternoon at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Club will celebrate Old Boys Day and the 20 year anniversary of the 2001 Grand Final winning team against the blue and gold.

Newcastle achieved a breakthrough 18-10 victory over rivals, Manly, last round to sit 11th on the ladder while the Eels went down 38-20 to the Rabbitohs, but remain in third.

The two teams have players within the respective Origin camps although the coaches have named strong teams ahead of Sunday.

This is your Ultimate Guide to the Newcastle Knights Round 13 clash with the Parramatta Eels, brought to you by Mine Super.

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS V PARRAMATTA EELS

Date: Sunday June 6, 2021

Kick-off: 4:05pm

NSW Cup: 1:30pm

Gates Open: 1:15pm

Venue: McDonald Jones Stadium

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Since: 1988

Played: 54

Knights: 30

Eels: 23

Draws: 1

TEAMS

Knights

1. Tex Hoy, 2. Starford To'a, 3. Enari Tuala, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Brayden Musgrove, 18. Jake Clifford, 14. Kurt Mann, 8. Sauaso Sue, 9. Jayden Brailey (c), 10. Jacob Saifiti, 11. Brodie Jones, 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13. Mitch Barnett. Interchange: 6. Connor Watson, 15. Josh King, 16. Jack Johns,  20. Mat Croker. 18th Man: 17. Simi Sasagi. 

Coach: Adam O'Brien

Eels

1. Clint Gutherson, 2. Maika Sivo, 3. Tom Opacic, 4. Waqa Blake, 5. Haze Dunster, 6. Dylan Brown, 7. Mitchell Moses, 8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard, 9. Reed Mahoney, 10. Marata Niukore, 11. Isaiah Papali'i, 12. Ryan Matterson, 13. Nathan Brown. Interchange: 14. Will Smith, 15. Shaun Lane, 16. Oregon Kaufusi, 17. Bryce Cartwright. 18th Man: 19. Makahesi Makatoa.

Coach: Brad Arthur

TEAM NEWS

LATE MAIL: Kurt Mann and Jake Clifford will start in the halves for the Knights, with Connor Watson shifting back to the bench and Phoenix Crossland ruled out.

Mat Croker, Jack Johns and Clifford will make their Knights debuts.

Meanwhile, Parramatta are 1-17 as per Tuesday's program.

EARLIER: In exciting news for supporters ahead of Old Boys Day, Jack Johns is set to become Newcastle Knight #326 after being named on the bench in jersey 16.

The son and nephew of Knights legends, Matthew and Andrew Johns, Jack will become the next Johns to don the red and blue.

Simi Sasagi is also set to play his second game for the Club off the bench.

New recruit Jake Clifford has also been named on the extended bench, alongside rookies Jirah Momoisea and Mat Croker.

With Kalyn Ponga and Daniel Saifiti in Origin camp, coach Adam O'Brien has named Tex Hoy and Jacob Saifiti to each start in the 17 this week.

Tyson Frizell and David Klemmer are also unavailable, giving the chance to Brodie Jones and Sauaso Sue to shift to the starting side.

For the Eels, winger Blake Ferguson has been dropped from the team and replaced by Haze Dunster.

Reed Mahoney has been selected pending his selection the Queensland Maroons 18.

Junior Paulo has been selected for NSW and replaced by Marata Niukore, while Will Smith has returned from injury.

FORM GUIDE

The Knights snapped a two game losing streak with the win over Manly with Adam O'Brien describing the victory as 'much-needed'.

Newcastle sit equal on points with the eighth placed Dragons, with five wins and seven losses, while a win against Parramatta could see the team return to the finals spots.

On the other side, the Eels flew out of the gates in the early rounds of the competition winning nine out of their first 10 games but have hit a hurdle with two losses on the bounce.

A home defeat to Manly and an 18-point loss to the Rabbitohs has given the blue and gold a setback.

Eight points separate the two sides on the table.

REMEMBERING THE 01' GRAND FINAL

Many Knights fans will have fond memories of playing the team from Parramatta as the fixture will serve as the 20th anniversary of the 2001 Grand Final.

Newcastle downed the Eels 30-24 on the biggest stage of all to claim the Club's second premiership in the space of five years.

A first half onslaught from the Knights took the side out to a 24-nil and all but wrap up the premiership.

The red and blue went on with the job to secure the title in front of over 90,000 fans at Stadium Australia.

Members of the Grand Final winning team will be in attendance on Sunday as the Club celebrates the memorable occasion.

STAT ATTACK

Since 2010, the Knights have won 11 out of the last 15 games against Parramatta, but have lost the last two.

The Knights will need to stop Clint Gutherson's impact from the back with the Parramatta No.1 boasting the most kick return metres, with 916, in the NRL.

The two sides have strong kicking games and sit in the top four in the NRL for most amount of kicks with Parramatta, 266 and sitting second, and the Knights fourth with 254.

Parramatta have conceded 56 points in the past two weeks.

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