McDonald Jones Stadium will play host to Sunday's Round 2 NRL game between Newcastle Knights and Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Newcastle Knights heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Newcastle Knights vs. Wests Tigers game and give you our free tips and bets.
When: Sunday March 20, 2022 at 4:05 pm
Where: McDonald Jones Stadium
Bet: Bet On This Match HERE
Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers Odds
Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers Preview
The Newcastle Knights started the 2022 NRL season by making a statement and beating the Sydney Roosters 20-6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. It didn’t come with two competition points, but the Wests Tigers gave a good account of themselves in their 26-16 loss to the Storm.
As expected, Adam O’Brien has named the same Knights 17 from Round 1. Michael Maguire has done much of the same with James Tamou’s inclusion the only major change to the Tigers for this week.
Well, the Knights will be eager to repeat their Round 1 efforts. They dominated the middle of the field which allowed Adam Clune and Jake Clifford to play on the front foot. Notably, Kalyn Ponga wasn’t all that effective throughout the match. He’s still finding his feet in a slightly different role and will be better for the run this week. While the Tigers impressed last week, their inability to back one good game up with another is an issue that has plagued them for years and that uncertainty makes it difficult to get behind them on Sunday. Luke Brooks, Jackson Hastings and Daine Laurie can expect to feel better playing beside each other with 80 minutes under their belt. However, questions still remain around their forward pack and the potency of the backline. We need to see the Tigers string together a few good weeks before trusting them in 2022. For now, the Knights are the form side and deserving favourites at home.
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Head To Head Bet
We're tipping Newcastle Knights to win at $1.60 odds.
First Try Scorer
First Try Scorer: Enari Tuala at $9.00.
Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers Teams
Knights team: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Enari Tuala 6. Jake Clifford 7. Adam Clune 8. David Klemmer 9. Chris Randall 10. Jacob Saifiti 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Kurt Mann 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Mitchell Barnett 16. Leo Thompson 17. Jirah Momoisea 18. Mathew Croker 19. Pasami Saulo 20. Tex Hoy 21. Simi Sasagi 22. Brayden Musgrove 23. Dylan Lucas 24. Daniel Saifiti
Tigers team: 1. Daine Laurie 2. David Nofoaluma 3. James Roberts 4. Oliver Gildart 5. Ken Maumalo 6. Jackson Hastings 7. Luke Brooks 8. James Tamou 9. Jake Simpkin 10. Stefano Utoikamanu 11. Kelma Tuilagi 12. Luciano Leilua 13. Joe Ofahengaue 14. Tyrone Peachey 15. Alex Twal 16. Zane Musgrove 17. Alex Seyfarth 18. Thomas Mikaele 19. Luke Garner 20. Starford To’a 21. Tukimihia Simpkins 22. Jock Madden 23. Austin Dias 24. Jacob Liddle