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The Sydney Roosters will look to break out of some inconsistent form and make a statement when they host the struggling< Newcastle Knights. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 6pm (AEST).
The Roosters might be sitting inside the top four, but they don’t look like they are a team set for premiership glory.
Despite already having 12 wins for the season to go with a pair of byes, leaving them on 28 points and potentially already qualified for the finals, their form throughout 2017 has been inconsistent at best.
They continually find ways to win, but Trent Robinson has plenty of work to do before September rolls around. Coming into this game off a bye, the side will be refreshed, and it’s what they needed after being thumped by the Cronulla Sharks and scraping past the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The Roosters appear to drift in and out of games at times, and that’s down to their execution on attack. It seems their decision making is at times, poor and execution lacking. When they have played well, it’s been Luke Keary and Mitchell Pearce dominating on the back of a forward pack rolling up field with ease.
More often than not, the Roosters pack do their job and then some, but it’s down to the kicking game of Keary and Pearce, and the ability of the outside backs to finish off those plays.
In a big blow for the hosts, hooker Jake Friend will miss this match. His form has been superb in 2017, and there is enormous pressure on Mitchell Cornish to fill the role. Joining Friend on the sideline is Michael Gordon, with Connor Watson to play at the back.
Maybe the biggest talking point of this match is Shaun Kenny-Dowall making his Knights debut against his old club. The veteran centre was in solid form at the Roosters, despite his tendency for errors before off-field dramas brought his season to a halt.
Now in the Hunter, he will look to rediscover his touch and take the Knights off the bottom. Jacob Saifiti is out for the Knights as well, with Brock Lamb to retain his spot in the halves alongside Trent Hodkinson.
It’s been another difficult season for the Knights, but there are some positive signs. They have fought hard and aren’t getting blown out as they were countless times last year.
It hasn’t translated into success yet, and they look destined to pick up another wooden spoon after a loss to the Tigers a few weeks ago, but with the side building nicely for next year, the pressure for spots are on so expect there to be some strong individual performances.
Prediction
The Roosters are up and down, but need to make a statement here. They have a brilliant record against the Knights and should win easily, skipping away in the second half.
Roosters by 20.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores and coverage of this Round 20 match from 6pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.