Saturday’s NRL match for Round 12 which is between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Newcastle Knights. The game is to be played at ANZ Stadium with home team the South Sydney Rabbitohs holding favouritism. The opening kick will commence at 7:30pm local time. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Newcastle Knights.
WHERE AND WHEN: ANZ Stadium, Saturday 1st June, 7.30pm
Preview:
The Rabbitohs play the Knights on Saturday, 7.30pm at ANZ Stadium. South Sydney are sitting pretty on top of the table at the moment, although Newcastle are not far behind them in fifth position. While the Rabbitohs had a set-back last week against Cronulla, they will still be very difficult to beat this weekend. Look for a team extra keen to prove themselves in this match, as Souths come out firing against the Knights.
Newcastle lost to the Warriors last week, after a good win the week before against the Bulldogs. While the last two weeks may have brought up some questions regarding their consistency, their defence is still hard to break and Souths will have to work hard if they want victory. The Knights will be without Darius Boyd for this encounter, who suffered a leg injury against the Warriors last week.
Teams:
South Sydney Rabbitohs:
Nathan Merritt, Andrew Everingham, Beau Champion, Dylan Walker, Bryson Goodwin, John Sutton, Adam Reynolds, Dave Tyrrell, Issac Luke, Roy Asotasi, Ben Lowe, Sam Burgess, Nathan Peats. Interchange: Justin Hunt, Jason Clark, Jeff Lima, George Burgess
Newcastle Knights:
Kevin Naiqama, James McManus, Dane Gagai, Joey Leilua, Peter Mata’uti, Jarrod Mullen, Tyrone Roberts, Kade Snowden, Travis Waddell, Willie Mason, Robbie Rochow, Alex McKinnon, Jeremy Smith. Interchange: Adam Clydsdale, David Fa’alogo, Adam Cuthbertson, Korbin Sims
Warriors beat Knights in form reversal
A tough week in Matthew Elliott’s coaching career finished with a smile of relief after he watched the Warriors bounce back from humiliation to beat Newcastle 28-12.
The victory in Auckland on Saturday came eight days after the biggest defeat in the club’s history when they were thrashed 62-6 by Penrith.
Elliott pointed to a lift in attitude and application as the foundation for the Warriors’ third win of the season, which took them off the bottom of the NRL table.
“That’s what I was most delighted about,” he said.
“Obviously it’s been a reasonably challenging week for the players and I’m just happy we get to finish in this fashion. We need to back it up now.”
One of the features of the Warriors’ performance was keeping the Knights scoreless in the second spell.
In the process, they reversed a trend of theirs this season of giving up late leads.
It still meant some familiar fears remained as the clocked ticked over 70 minutes with the Warriors holding a 22-12 advantage.
“If I told you I wasn’t slightly anxious a bit, I would be lying,” Elliott said.
“I thought the way we finished was a real credit to the boys.”
Newcastle remain fifth despite the defeat, which was compounded by injuries to fullback Darius Boyd (ankle) and winger Akuila Uate (ribs) early in the second half.
At the time of the injuries, the Knights, with winger James McManus bagging two tries, were leading 12-10.
Coach Wayne Bennett said it was always going to be a battle for his team when two key players went off.
But Bennett wasn’t surprised that the Warriors were able to produce such a huge form turnaround.
Other clubs had been able to bounce back from big losses, including Canterbury-Bankstown and the Wests Tigers this weekend.
“I continually say this competition is that close with the quality of players that every team has got,” Bennett said.
“That’s what the salary cap has done. It’s brought the ability of the players within the teams really close.
“It’s not as hard as it used to be in the old days to bounce back.”
With Boyd and Uate injured, the Warriors hit the front when a short ball from hooker Nathan Friend put prop Steve Rapira over.
Skipper Simon Mannering, moved to centre to shore up an area the Knights had been targeting, then scored a converted try to make it a 10-point game.
The Warriors sealed victory eight minutes from time when a Shaun Johnson pass put lock Elijah Taylor into a hole for his side’s fifth try.
Earlier, the Warriors made a flying start in front of 9257 fans thanks to back-to-back penalties which led to a try to winger Manu Vatuvei.
In a seesawing first half, McManus replied for Newcastle, hauling in a pinpoint Jarrod Mullen kick.
Five-eighth Thomas Leuluai put the home side back in front by diving over a pile of bodies to dot down, but McManus’s second touchdown had the Knights ahead at half-time.
