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A new-look Newcastle Knights side will look to start the season on a high when they host an unpredictable Manly Sea Eagles in Round 1. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 6pm (AEDT).
The Knights have recruited heavily over the off-season as they attempt to reverse a run of three straight wooden spoons.
It’s an entirely new spine for the club, although last year’s stand out Brock Lamb still buys himself a bench spot.
Mitchell Pearce headlines the road forward, joined by former Roosters teammate Connor Watson in the halves, while exciting youngster Kalyn Ponga will line-up at fullback.
Slade Griffin has been named to play at hooker, with Danny Levi on an extended bench. Add to that the addition of Aidan Guerra, Jacob Lillyman and Herman Ese’ese up front and it’s not hard to see why Newcastle fans think this year will be positive.
In Nathan Brown’s 200th match in charge of an NRL club, his charges will look to overthrow a Manly side who made the top eight in 2017, but were bundled out of the finals at the first hurdle.
The Sea Eagles played a strong style of footy in 2017, led around by Daly Cherry-Evans and Blake Green. The duo complemented each other wonderfully in the halves and alongside Jake and Tom Trbojevic, the team flourished.
Green has left the club for 2018 though, with Lachlan Croker expected to fill his boots. It’s not going to be an easy role and the extra responsibility, which at times has stumped Cherry-Evans over the years, will need to be picked up by the Queensland half.
Joel Thompson also joins the club, in the second row, creating selection headaches for coach Trent Barrett. Frank Winterstein, who has been benched, and Curtis Sironen were two of the Sea Eagles’ best last year.
Still, their defence was good for a vast majority of 2017 and they were solid in attack. If they can maintain those levels, there is no reason they won’t be aiming for the same or higher in this campaign.
The Knights present a banana skin-type game though. It’s hard to predict what to get from them first up with so many new combinations, but if Pearce and Ponga can combine, then this is going to go to the wire.
Prediction
I can’t bring myself to tip the Knights. They have plenty of new recruits and the season won’t be nearly as painful, but starting with a win might be a stretch against a Manly side who still have Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers.
Sea Eagles by 8.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this Round 1 clash from 6pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.