Newcastle will square off against Brisbane on Thursday night desperate to make amends in front of their home crowd after three heavy defeats at McDonald Jones Stadium in recent matches.
Adam O'Brien's men secured a relieving win over the Bulldogs in Magic Round but they face an uphill challenge in the form of the Broncos, who have hit form and are beginning to show signs of the club they once were in the glory years.
It will be an intriguing occasion for Knights recruit Anthony Milford, who is expected to line up against the Broncos after departing the club last season.
Milford, who played 151 games for Brisbane, became much maligned towards the end of his Broncos stint and will have a point to prove in his first match in the NRL since September last year.
Both sides enjoyed even spoils in 2021 with Newcastle winning 28-20 early in the year before the Broncos avoided the wooden spoon with a 35-22 win in the final round of the regular season.
The Rundown
Team news
Knights: A huge inclusion on Wednesday with Dane Gagai added to the run-on team having recovered from a cheekbone injury. Tyson Frizell is also back and Anthony Milford will play five-eighth in his first game since September and after 151 games at the Broncos. Milford replaces Tex Hoy who drops out of the side along with Enari Tuala.
Jake Clifford remained in the squad when it was cut to 19 on Wednesday and could be a late inclusion.
Broncos: Te Maire Martin has been named at fullback despite concerns over a hip injury and remained in the squad on Wednesday when it was trimmed to 19 players. Selwyn Cobbo trained at the back on Monday as a precaution but Martin is set to play. Forwards Payne Haas (shoulder) and Kurt Capewell (neck) got through the side's Magic Round win smoothly and with a six-day turnaround are set to back up again. There were no changes on Wednesday when the squad was trimmed.
Key match-up
Daniel Saifiti v Payne Haas: Two NSW Origin bookends go head-to-head in a battle that will help dictate who wins the middle and allows their outside backs some early ball. Saifiti has been well-below his best form this season after only 12 months ago was rated one of the best in the game. He showed glimpses against the Bulldogs last week but will need a big one against Haas, who continues in leaps and bounds as one of, if not, the most dominant forwards in the game.
Stat Attack
Brisbane's attack has clicked in their four-game winning streak, piling on more than 30 points in a game three times in the past month. Whilst they're only averaging 19 points per game for the season, defensively they've gone from a side who conceded 29 per outing in 2021 to just 16 this year. Adam Reynolds' brilliance has helped the side pile on the points but it's their defensive resolve that has really aimed up this season.
Story first published on NRL.com