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The Sydney Roosters start strong favourites tonight but the Newcastle Knights have shown enough thus far to suggest that they can cause the upset and progress to their first Grand Final since 2001. Join us for live scores and commentary from 7.45pm AEST.
It’s taken the best part of two seasons but the Knights are finally starting to thrive under Wayne Bennett’s tutelage.
Over the past fortnight, Newcastle has managed to eliminate last year’s Grand Final combatants Canterbury and Melbourne, and are well on course to beat this season’s minor premiers Sydney.
The Knights now possess a strong mix of Origin and Grand Final winning players that are in superb form.
Willie Mason, Danny Buderus, Jeremy Smith, Beau Scott, Jarred Mullen, Akuila Uate and Darius Boyd are starting to dictate terms on the field, and as a result, Newcastle have become a force to be reckoned with.
The superb performances of rising stars Tyrone Roberts, Joseph Leilua and Dane Gagai also demonstrates that the Knights have finally matured into a strong football team.
Against Melbourne, Newcastle showed great steel in defence to keep out a Storm attack that usually fires at AAMI Park.
In attack, the likes of Mullen, Boyd and Roberts constantly asked questions of Melbourne’s defence with their slick second phase play, one of which resulted in a try to Uate.
The Knights will certainly have to be at their best with the football tonight if they are to penetrate the best defensive team in the NRL.
The Roosters were absolutely superb against Manly in the opening week of finals, grinding their way to a 4 nil victory against a Sea Eagles side with firepower across the park.
Sydney’s victory against Manly was also the sixth time this season that they have managed to keep a team scoreless for 80 minutes.
Having secured tough wins over the Rabbitohs and Sea Eagles in recent weeks, the Roosters should be primed for whatever Newcastle throws at them.
There are plenty of match-ups to look forward to tonight, particularly upfront where Mason, Smith and Scott clash against Roosters stars Sonny Bill Williams, Jared Waerea – Hargreaves and Sam Moa.
The battle between Mullen and Mitchell Pearce in the halves will also be fascinating to watch. Both players are in fine form and the victor tonight may very well have one hand on a NSW Origin jersey next season.
Off the field, Roosters coach Trent Robinson will be keen to demonstrate his tactical nous against master coach Bennett, who is well accustomed to leading his teams to glory when they find themselves deep into September.
Forging a plan to upset Bennett’s Knights in a do or die Preliminary Final represents Robinson’s greatest challenge in what has been a terrific first year in coaching.
While the Knights will certainly push the home side tonight, if the Roosters continue to showcase the toughness and desperation in defence that served them so well against Manly, then the Bondi-Junction club certainly has what it takes to progress to the decider next week.
Roosters by six.