Round 4: Newcastle Knights vs St George Illawarra Dragons

SUNDAY 1ST APRIL, 2018 @ 4:10PM
WIN STADIUM, WOLLONGONG


OFFICIALS

REFEREES: GRANT ATKINS AND JON STONE
SIDELINE OFFICIALS: NICK MOREL AND PHIL HENDERSON
VIDEO REFEREES: ASHLEY KLEIN AND BEN GALEA

LOWER GRADES

ISP: NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS VS ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
WIN STADIUM, WOLLONGONG
SUNDAY APRIL 1ST, 2018 @ 1:45PM

JERSEY FLEGG: NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS VS ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
MICHAEL CRONIN OVAL, GERRINGONG
SATURDAY 31ST MARCH, 2018 @ 1:00PM

KNIGHTS TEAM

1. KALYN PONGA
2. SHAUN KENNY-DOWALL
3. SIONE MATA'UTIA
4. TAUTAU MOGA
5. NATHAN ROSS
6. BROCK LAMB
7. MITCHELL PEARCE (C)
8. HERMAN ESE'ESE
9. SLADE GRIFFIN
10. JACOB LILLYMAN
11. LACHLAN FITZGIBBON
12. AIDAN GUERRA
13. MITCHELL BARNETT

14. JAMIE BUHRER (C)
15. CHRIS HEIGHINGTON
16. JACOB SAIFITI
17. DANIEL SAIFITI

18. KEN SIO
19. JACK COGGER
20. DANIEL LEVI
21. LUKE YATES

STATS

PLAYER AND TEAM STATS
MATCH STATS
HISTORICAL STATS


UPCOMING MILESTONES

- DANNY LEVI REQUIRES 1 MORE GAME TO REACH 50 NRL GAMES
- NATHAN ROSS REQUIRES 2 MORE GAMES TO REACH 50 NRL GAMES
- JAMIE BUHRER REQUIRES 3 MORE GAMES TO REACH 150 NRL GAMES
- DANIEL SAIFITI REQUIRES 4 MORE GAMES TO REACH 50 NRL GAMES​

 

Will be interesting to see how we go after a big loss

Tipping Dragons by 20 but hopefully I'm wrong

 

Levi's Burning NRL Desire


Matt Buxton (Twitter: @MattBuxton22) NSWRL.com.au
Mon 26 Mar 2018, 01:40 PM


The door for Danny Levi to return to NRL has possibly been opened with boom five-eighth Connor Watson reportedly out for up to three months after injuring his shoulder that could require surgery.

Brock Lamb is expected to fill Watson’s position at No.6, meaning his spot on the bench is now free for coach Nathan Brown to either go with an extra big body or potentially pick Levi to provide a spark at dummy half at some stage of the game.

Levi played the entire season in first grade last year for the Knights and finished the year playing for New Zealand in the World Cup, meaning it would have been a shock to the system to begin 2018 playing in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW. He is, however, not kicking stones, and backs his own ability to fight his way back in the side.

“Honestly, I thought I deserved a first-grade shot, but they went another way, so I’ve got to go back to work,” Levi says to NSWRL.com.au after being the standout player in the Knights victory over Wentworthville yesterday.

“I can’t do anything about it, I can’t sook about it, I’ve just got to keep working hard and hopefully I’ll get back up in there.

“I had a big task ahead of me [today], I’ve got a point to prove and the boys really helped me out there."

It was no secret the Knights team would drastically change from last season given the large amount of personnel they signed. It was, however, a shock to most people outside Newcastle when Levi was not selected in the 17.

Honestly, I thought I deserved a first-grade shot, but they went another way, so I’ve got to go back to work.

Stuck behind Cameron Smith at the Melbourne Storm, not many had seen what Slade Griffin could do. He’s certainly a defensive powerhouse, doing a job of tightening up the defence in the middle.

Levi credits Griffin, along with some other new recruits, of bringing a winning culture to Newcastle.

“The whole town is getting behind us, all of these new players they’re bringing a lot of quality to our training and in the games,”

“Young Kalyn Ponga and Mitchell Pearce have been good, Slade Griffin is a machine in defence so they’re really helping us along and showing us what a winning first-grade team is.”

With the injury of Watson, there is certainly room in the team for both Griffin and Levi to operate should Brown go that way, as they have completely different styles of play.

In contrast to last season, Levi now has the World Cup experience under his belt, which no doubt has improved him as a player.

“[The World Cup] was amazing, it was a dream come true for me,” Levi said

“I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a young buck so to finally get to do it was awesome.

“Hopefully I can get back up into the top squad and get to do it again sometime.”

If Nathan Brown was to call Levi back to NRL at some stage, he certainly has been proving his worth in the Intrust Super Premiership NSW.

He was simply outstanding yesterday, playing the lead role in instrumenting a comeback against the Wentworthville Magpies where he set up two late tries in crafty fashion.

The Knights had blown two leads in the opening two rounds, and Levi was relieved that he and the team were on the other side of the equation in round three.

“We go really well at the start, but it’s a game of 80 minutes, so we’ve got to be able to play that full 80,” Levi said.

“I thought today was a good step, we didn’t quite complete everything we wanted, but the boys still dug deep and we finally got a win, so hopefully we can get some more.

“It was good to finally get a win, we haven’t sung the song in a while so it was good to finally get to do it.”

NRL team lists will be announced tomorrow at 4pm, and it will be interesting to see if Levi is named in the 21-man-squad.


https://www.nswrl.com.au/news/2018/03/26/levis-burning-nrl-desire/

 

Press conference: Slade Griffin on Round 4

https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2018/03/26/press-conference-slade-griffin-on-round-4/

 

Early Mail from the DT

DRAGONS V KNIGHTS

Sunday, April 1st, 4.10pm, WIN Stadium

Dragons: Forwards Tariq Sims and Leeson Ah Mau (high tackles) copped fines at the judiciary and are free to play.

Knights: Five-eighth Connor Watson (shoulder) is set to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks with coach Nathan Brown confirming he’s likely to need surgery on an injured shoulder. Brock Lamb will replace Watson with Danny Levi to come onto the bench as a hooking option.


https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/8c42aad5416eee6f16046435e82244e1

 

KNIGHTS

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
3. Sione Mata’utia
4. Tautau Moga
5. Nathan Ross
6. Brock Lamb
7. Mitchell Pearce (c)
8. Herman Ese’ese
9. Slade Griffin
10. Jacob Lillyman
11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
12. Aidan Guerra
13. Mitch Barnett

14. Jamie Buhrer (c)
15. Chris Heighington
16. Jacob Saifiti
17. Daniel Saifiti

18. Ken Sio
19. Jack Cogger
20. Danny Levi
21. Luke Yates

DRAGONS

1. Matt Dufty
2. Nene Macdonald
3. Euan Aitken
4. Tim Lafai
5. Jason Nightingale
6. Gareth Widdop (c)
7. Ben Hunt
8. James Graham
9. Cameron McInnes
10. Paul Vaughan
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Tariq Sims
13. Jack de Belin

14. Luciano Leilua
15. Kurt Mann
16. Leeson Ah Mau
17. Hame Sele

18. Jeremy Latimore
19. Zac Lomax
20. Jacob Host
21. Blake Lawrie