The Knights return to the festival of footy that is Magic Round this weekend, booked in to take on the Gold Coast Titans.
Fresh off three straight wins, the red and blue will look to keep up their momentum ahead of their first bye of the season.
The two squads are in for the first match on Saturday at Suncorp stadium.
GOLD COAST TITANS v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Date: Saturday 18 May
NRL kick-off: 3:00pm
Venue: Suncorp Stadium
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Since: 2007
Knights: 15
Titans: 13
TEAMS
Match: Titans v Knights
Round 11 -
home Team
Titans
away Team
Knights
Team Lists
Backs
-
Fullback for Titans is number 1 Keano KiniFullback for Knights is number 1 David Armstrong
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Winger for Titans is number 2 Alofiana Khan-PereiraWinger for Knights is number 2 Enari Tuala
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Centre for Titans is number 3 Brian KellyCentre for Knights is number 3 Dane Gagai
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Centre for Titans is number 4 Aaron SchouppCentre for Knights is number 4 Bradman Best
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Winger for Titans is number 5 Jojo FifitaWinger for Knights is number 5 Greg Marzhew
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Five-Eighth for Titans is number 6 Chris RandallFive-Eighth for Knights is number 6 Jack Cogger
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Halfback for Titans is number 18 Tom WeaverHalfback for Knights is number 7 Jackson Hastings
Forwards
-
Prop for Titans is number 8 Moeaki FotuaikaProp for Knights is number 8 Jacob Saifiti
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Hooker for Titans is number 7 Sam VerrillsHooker for Knights is number 9 Jayden Brailey
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Prop for Titans is number 10 Jaimin JolliffeProp for Knights is number 10 Leo Thompson
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2nd Row for Titans is number 11 David Fifita2nd Row for Knights is number 12 Dylan Lucas
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2nd Row for Titans is number 12 Beau Fermor2nd Row for Knights is number 15 Kai Pearce-Paul
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Lock for Titans is number 13 Klese HaasLock for Knights is number 13 Adam Elliott
Interchange
-
Interchange for Titans is number 9 Erin ClarkInterchange for Knights is number 11 Tyson Frizell
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Interchange for Titans is number 14 Keenan PalasiaInterchange for Knights is number 14 Phoenix Crossland
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Interchange for Titans is number 15 Isaac LiuInterchange for Knights is number 16 Brodie Jones
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Interchange for Titans is number 16 Josiah PahuluInterchange for Knights is number 17 Jack Hetherington
Reserves
-
Replacement for Titans is number 19 Tony FrancisReplacement for Knights is number 18 Mat Croker
Match Officials
- Referee: Gerard Sutton
- Touch Judge: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
- Touch Judge: Phil Henderson
- Senior Review Official: Wyatt Raymond
Last updated:
TEAM NEWS
In team news, Jack Cogger replaces Tyson Gamble at five-eighth.
Gamble will have surgery on a fractured right foot after sustaining the injury in the Round 10 clash with the Tigers.
Furthermore, Jacob Saifiti comes back into the line-up replacing Daniel Saifiti in the front-row.
Daniel was charged with a Grade 2 Careless High Tackle and took the early guilty plea, resulting in a one match suspension.
For the Titans, Chris Randall and Sam Verrills are the new halves pairing with AJ Brimson (groin) and Kieran Foran (hamstring) both sidelined.
Phil Sami (hamstring) and Harley Smith-Shields (pectoral) are also out so Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Aaron Schoupp join the backline.
Erin Clark moves to hooker and Keenan Palasia and Joe Stimson join the bench. Palasia has been sidelined since Round 4 with a quad injury.
Tuala: 'I'm really stoked to achieve this'
FORM GUIDE
The Knights achieved three wins on the trot following their Round 10 victory over the Tigers last start.
The side downed the Tigers 20-14 in Tamworth last Saturday to move up to 10th on the ladder.
Gold Coast also won last round with a 20-18 win over the Cowboys and have claimed two victories from their last five.
KEY MATCH-UP
Tyson Frizell v David Fifita: A huge battle on the edge will take place on Saturday.
Frizell returned to the side last week in the clash with the Tigers posting 152 run metres and two offloads.
The Knights will look to limit Fifita's ability with the forward registering 45 tackle breaks so far this campaign.
STAT ATTACK
Enari Tuala will bring up game 100 in the NRL.
The Knights have won two out of three from their Magic Round appearances while the Titans have won two from four.
Both sides have scored 28 tries all so far this season.
