Coach Wayne Bennett has finalised his starting line-up for Sunday’s round two game against the Canberra Raiders at Hunter Stadium.
New recruit Matt Minto will make his NRL debut, after Bennett confirmed the 23-year old utility will play fullback, while captain Kurt Gidley remains at hooker.
“Kurt won’t play fullback, he will be at hooker,” Bennett said following Saturday’s final training run at Wests Mayfield.
“Matt will play fullback; he played a pre-season game for us and he was pretty good.
“He has been training well, very safe under the high ball and ticks all the boxes for us.”
Minto, who becomes the 248th player to play for the Knights, joined the Club in the off-season, initially on a trial before signing a one-year contract in the new year.
Meanwhile, Bennett confirmed Gidley and Tyrone Roberts will play after passing the required concussion protocols this week.
“They had the medical tests and they have been cleared,” Bennett added.
After an unsettling match against the Panthers in round one, Bennett hopes for a more consistent performance in round two.
"We need to get back to playing our game, we got a bit rattled in that first half and made a lot of errors that were very costly to us,” Bennett said.
“Then we got injuries on top of that... so if we get that right this weekend, along with better ball control.”
All three grades are in action this Sunday at Hunter Stadium, a concept the veteran coach supports.
“I think everybody is pretty excited around here actually,” Bennett said.
“The three-grades concept is amazing, particularly the players when they see their mates play and they can all be on the one stage.
“It is nice to have it back and I hope it’s here to stay.”
Gates open at 1.45pm for the Under 20's 2pm match. NSW Cup play at 4.15pm before NRL at 6.30pm. Tickets are available at the gate or by CLICKING HERE.
The four-man bench will be confirmed one hour prior to kick off on Sunday.