Brisbane Broncos vs Newcastle Knights Verdict
The Broncos' season is all but over and the Knights need to get back to winning ways to avoid similar. Having lost three straight, I'm backing Newcastle to get back to winning ways as the finals approach.
- Broncos are 6-12 for the year
- Broncos are 0-5 in their last five games at Suncorp
- Broncos have scored just 64 points in their last five games
- Broncos have seen a 1-12 margin in their last four games
- Knights' last six games have been decided by six points or less, with five decided by two points or less
- Knights have seen a 1-12 margin in their last eight games
- Fletcher Sharpe has scored five tries in his last two games at Suncorp
- Francis Manuleleua scored last week and starts in the second-row with Lucas out injured
Broncos vs Knights Head To Head
Broncos have won six straight games over the Knights, scoring 199 points during that period.
Brisbane Broncos Form - Finals Over Bar The Shouting
Nightmare premiership defence for the Broncos.
They lost some big guns to injury at the start of the year and have simply never found their groove.
Reece Walsh, Payne Haas, Ezra Mam and more have returned, but the magic from last year has escaped them.
Brisbane, to their credit, have battled hard over the last month, going down in close games against top four sides Cronulla and the Roosters, along with beating Penrith.
However, they just couldn't match the Cowboys last week, going down 18-10 in a defeat that all but ends their season.
Newcastle Knights Form - 3 Defeats For Knights
Challenging little period for the Knights and they desperately need a win here in order to avoid a real scrap for a top eight spot.
Newcastle were flying with seven wins from eight games, but a run of three consecutive defeats have seen them drop to seventh on the ladder, just two points ahead of the ninth-placed Bulldogs.
The Knights easily could have won all three of those games, which would see them challenging for the top four, but the reality is rugby league is decided by fine margins and Justin Holbrook's side have come out on the wrong end lately.
After a 26-24 defeat to the Rabbitohs, the Knights went down 20-18 to the Sharks before last week's 23-22 defeat to the Chooks at home, with Daly Cherry-Evans kicking the match-winning field goal in the 78th minute.
Broncos vs Knights Team News
Gehamat Shibasaki has been dropped for Brisbane, with Deine Mariner moving to centre and Grant Anderson coming onto the wing. Vaa Semu starts at prop, with Preston Riki out injured.
Huge blow for the Knights with Dylan Brown and Dylan Lucas suffering season-ending injuries last week, however a big inclusion with superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga returning.
Fletcher Hunt goes back to the bench with Dane Gagai also returning at centre, with Sandon Smith and Fletcher Sharpe the halves. Jermaine McEwen is back from a hamstring injury for Lucas in the second-row.