After a mid season slump of five losses in a row, the Knights have found some form and recorded five wins in their last seven outings, their two losses coming at the hands of competition front-runners Canterbury and South Sydney.

They now find themselves only two points outside of the eight but with a run home that includes Manly, North Queensland and South Sydney, a win here is imperative to keep their faint hopes of semi finals alive.

The Knights have had the better of the Cronulla in recent times, winning their last four encounters including an 18-6 win in Round 2 earlier this year.

The Sharks sit in fifth position on the ladder on 27 points and a loss here could see them slip to seventh should the Broncos (v Canterbury) and Cowboys (v Warriors) secure wins.

The Sharks returned to form last week after three losses with a dominant win of the Warriors by 41 points. There’s no coincidence that the return to form coincided with several key players including Paul Gallen and Todd Carney coming back from injury enforced layoffs.

Sporstbet Head to Head – Newcastle $1.80, Cronulla $2.05.

Cronulla might have a further improvement in them as more players return come off the injury list and get game time under their belt. Their efforts have been consistent throughout the year and at black figures, they deserve close inspection.