Sunday’s second NRL Round 11 match is between New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights with the opening kick to commence at 4:00pm local time and 12 mid day AEST. The game is to be played at Mt Smart Stadium with the away team Newcastle Knights hold favouritism in the match. View our preview and teams for the game between New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights.
Mt Smart Stadium
Sunday 4.00pm
Featured Bookmakers:
New Zealand Warriors $2.20 vs Newcastle Knights $1.70 at Sportsbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match
New Zealand Warriors $2.32 vs Newcastle Knights $1.63 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match
Odds Comparison by NRL Odds:
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| New Zealand Warriors | 2.20 | 2.30 | 2.32 | 2.30 | 2.20 | 2.22 |
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Newcastle Knights
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1.70 | 1.65 | 1.63 | 1.65 | 1.70 | 1.70 |
Preview:
These two sides approach this game from very different perspectives.
For the Knights, they leave for New Zealand this weekend coming off their best effort of the season thus far – a 44-8 victory over the Bulldogs at Hunter Stadium.
The Knights played with enthusiasm and a purpose that was lacking in Round 9 when they were on the receiving end of hiding from the Canberra Raiders (44-14).
They’ll need to ensure they play with the same vigour given that their record against the Warriors is a poor one that consists of only two wins in the past ten encounters.
However, they’ll never get a better chance to improve this record than this week as the Warriors, who have only won two games this season, were embarrassed last week 62-6 by Penrith.
After a tough win over the Titans in Round 8 and a competitive effort against Canterbury where they led well into the second half before losing 24-16, the Warriors offered no resistance last week against the Panthers.
That defeat – as it did to Newcastle after their loss to the Raiders – should serve as an inspiration for this week’s clash and the return to Mt. Smart Stadium, where they have a 2-1 record, will provide much needed support.
Newcastle are 1-2 when playing away and 0-1 when playing away as favourites and whilst they should win here despite this record, think NZ will be out to prove that last week was an exception to the rule.
Teams:
New Zealand Warriors:
Kevin Locke, Bill Tupou, Dane Nielsen, Ben Henry, Manu Vatuvei, Thomas Leuluai, Shaun Johnson, Sam Rapira, Nathan Friend, Russell Packer, Feleti Mateo, Simon Mannering (c), Todd Lowrie. Interchange: Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Elijah Taylor, Carlos Tuimavave, Glen Fisiiahi, Ngani Laumape, Pita Godinet
Newcastle Knights:
Darius Boyd, James McManus, Dane Gagai, Joey Leilua, Akuila Uate, Jarrod Mullen, Tyrone Roberts, Kade Snowden, Kurt Gidley (c), Willie Mason, Robbie Rochow, Alex McKinnon, David Fa’alogo. Interchange: Travis Waddell, Neville Costigan, Adam Cuthbertson, Korbin Sims, Kevin Naiqama
Warriors look to rebound against Knights
The Warriors get the chance to soothe a week of hurt and frustration when they run out on home turf against Newcastle on Sunday.
The Auckland-based club are backing up from the worst defeat in their 19 seasons in the NRL – a 62-6 thrashing at the hands of Penrith.
Skipper Simon Mannering says there’s a determination among the players that there’s no repeat.
“It was pretty much a kick in the teeth,” he said.
“There’s nothing too much you can take from it except the hurt and frustration, and making sure what happened against Penrith never happens again.”
The Warriors will go in against the Knights having dropped to the bottom of the table, after Wests Tigers climbed above them by sneaking home 22-20 against North Queensland on Friday night.
They also have injury issues, with two players initially named in their side confirmed as being ruled out.
Young centre Ben Henry’s season was ended by a knee injury in training, while lock Todd Lowrie hasn’t recovered from the rib damage suffered against the Panthers.
However, Warriors fans can perhaps take heart from some other big pendulum swings in the NRL in recent times.
The Tigers’ victory over the Cowboys came after they had been thumped 54-10 by South Sydney.
Newcastle themselves bounced back from a 44-14 defeat to Canberra to down Canterbury-Bankstown 44-8 and finish last weekend in fifth place.
Mannering said the Warriors were focusing on themselves rather than what happened elsewhere.
“It’s all within ourselves,” he said.
“We’ve got to perform like a team and a team that we know can play good football.”
He admitted he still couldn’t put his finger on why the effort against the Panthers had been so poor.
While the Warriors had fallen to four defeats in their previous six matches, they had all come in hard-fought contests.
“It felt like we were building towards a good performance,” Mannering said.
“We were close and it still wasn’t good enough, but to take plenty of steps back against Penrith was frustrating and we have to get back on the horse.”
Newcastle welcome back winger Akuila Uate, who will bring up 100 games for the club.
Uate was sidelined with an ankle injury last weekend and comes in for Kevin Naiqama, who has been named on an extended bench.
The Knights won the corresponding fixture at Mt Smart Stadium last July 24-19, with Uate and Naiqama both scoring tries as the visitors came back from 18-0 down.