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Can the Newcastle Knights become the first New South Wales team to win the NRL State Championship or will the Ipswich Jets show they are the best reserve-grade team in Australia? Join The Roar from 3:30pm (AEST) for live coverage.
Last week the Knights became the first team in Australian rugby league history to finish on the bottom of the first-grade table and win reserve grade, after they defeated their closest neighbours the Wyong Roos at Parramatta Stadium 20-10.
Led by winger Honeti Tuha, the Knights put in one of the best performances we have seen in either of the New South Wales or Queensland Cups this season.
The Matt Lantry-coached team features first graders Jake Mamo, Joseph Tapine, Carlos Tuimavave, Sam Mataora and Clint Newton, as well as young stars Ken Tofilau, Jaelen Feeney, Damian Sironen, Danny Levi, Lachlan Fitzgibbon and Jacob Saifiti.
Newcastle will likely struggle against the Jets but will no doubt put in their best effort and hope to end their season on a high note.
The star-studded Jets play a unique brand of football, mainly because they have two head coaches – brothers Ben and Shane Walker – both of whom have equal power with neither being the dominant figure.
However Ipswich’s first premiership since they were admitted to the Brisbane Rugby League in 1986 is as much the work of their players than, featuring young stars Carlin Anderson, Marmin Barba, Matt Parcell and Kurt Capewell, as well as Papua New Guinea rugby league legend Rod Griffin.
Ipswich’s victory last week over the Townsville Blackhawks will go down as one of the greatest upsets in Queensland rugby league history, as a team full of no names dismantled a line-up featuring several first-grade players and former Queensland Maroons representative Neville Costigan.
Prediction
Ipswich will win in a blowout.
Jets by 14.
Join The Roar from 3:30pm (AEST) for score updates and debate in our live blog.
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