Saturday has two NRL matches with the first game for Round 13 being between Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons with the opening kick to commence at 5.30pm local time at Hunter Stadium. The favourite for the match is home team Newcastle Knights. View our NRL live scores, odds and results for the game between Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons.

WHERE AND WHEN: Hunter Stadium, Saturday 8th June, 5.30pm

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Opening odds comparison:

Newcastle Knights	1.37	1.42	1.42	1.42	1.38	1.36
St George Illawarra Dragons	3.05	2.95	2.95	2.95	3.05	3.00

Preview:

It’s the Knights vs the Dragons on Saturday, 5.30pm at Hunter Stadium. Newcastle are another team with a good home record this season, although unlike the Eels, they are more likely to keep it going this weekend. The Dragons are hurting at the moment, with their confidence down after having lost five of their last six games. The Knights will go into this match as favourites, with fans hoping they can play like they did two weeks ago when they beat Canterbury by 40 points.

Teams:

Newcastle Knights:
Darius Boyd, James McManus, Dane Gagai, Joey Leilua, Kevin Naiqama, Jarrod Mullen (c), Tyrone Roberts, Kade Snowden, Travis Waddell, Willie Mason, Robbie Rochow, Chris Houston, Jeremy Smith. Interchange: Adam Clydsdale, David Fa’alogo, Adam Cuthbertson, Korbin Sims, Neville Costigan

St George Illawarra Dragons:
Josh Dugan, Brett Morris, Nathan Green, Matt Prior, Jason Nightingale, Chase Stanley, Nathan Fien, Dan Hunt, Mitch Rein, Michael Weyman, Bronson Harrison, Ben Creagh (c), Trent Merrin. Interchange: Cameron King, Tyson Frizell, Jack de Belin, Jack Stockwell, Daniel Vidot

St George Illawarra insist playing against a Wayne Bennett-coached side is the only motivation they need heading into Saturday’s showdown with Newcastle.

The Knights, in their second season under the seven-time premiership winning coach, entered 2013 with high expectations but have stuttered to a 6-6 record nearing the midway point of the season.

And the Dragons plan on using the weapon which was developed under Bennett – the great wall of defence – as a plan to derail the Knights’ season when they clash at Hunter Stadium.

“Coming up against Wayne, the old coach, there’s no more motivation than that,” halfback Nathan Fien said during the week.

“He did tremendous things for our club.

“Tremendous things for all the players, and myself, individually.

“I guess it’s ultimate respect, you play well against your former coach.”

It’s a factor which has helped drive the Dragons to three straight victories over Bennett’s Knights since his defection at the end of 2011.

“Our record suggests that we don’t do too badly,” Fien added.

The Dragons have suffered back-to-back losses, but conceded just three tries a piece in each defeat.

“We’re defending quite well at the moment but with the side, with so many dangerous players we’re going to have to be on our game,” Fien said.

“It’s a work in progress. We’d like to score a few more points obviously but our defence is keeping us in games.

“It’s what we built our club around the last few years. It’s given us an opportunity (to win games).”

After briefly flirting with the top eight, following a brief run of wins, the Dragons have slipped back into 13th spot – but remain just two wins out of the NRL’s top teams.

Fien says the Dragons don’t feel out of finals contention by any stretch, and that others have proven a string of victories can have a dramatic impact on the ladder.

“That old cliche, you’ve got to take it one week at a time and just concentrate on what we’re doing and what we’re about – then the results generally take care of themselves,” he said.

“We’re sitting in 13th, but we’re still only one or two wins outside the top six.”