NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS v CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Round 25, 2015 NRL Premiership
Date: Saturday August 29
Venue: Hunter Stadium
Referee: Adam Devcich
Last time they met:
The Bulldogs defeated the Knights 16-12 in 2014 at ANZ Stadium.
Head-to-Head:
From the 41 times these sides have met, the Knights and Bulldogs have won 20 matches each with one draw. At Hunter Stadium, the Knights have won 12 of the 18 matches.
Teams:
KNIGHTS
1. Jake Mamo, 2. Nathan Ross, 3. Sione Mata’utia, 4. Dane Gagai, 5. Akuila Uate, 6. Kurt Gidley (c), 7. Tyrone Roberts, 8. Kade Snowden, 9. Adam Clydsdale, 10. Korbin Sims, 11. Beau Scott, 12. Tariq Sims, 13. Jeremy Smith. Bench: 14. Tyler Randell, 15. Joseph Tapine, 16. Chris Houston, 17. Clint Newton.
BULLDOGS
1. Brett Morris, 2. Curtis Rona, 3. Josh Morris, 4. Tim Lafai, 5. Sam Perrett, 6. Moses Mbye, 7. Trent Hodkinson, 8. Sam Kasiano, 9. Damien Cook, 10. James Graham (c), 11. Josh Jackson, 12. Frank Pritchard, 13. Greg Eastwood. Bench: 14. Lloyd Perrett, 15. Shane Lane, 16. David Klemmer, 17. Tim Browne.
Match Analysis:
It is a huge occasion when the Newcastle Knights host the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Hunter Stadium this Saturday.
It is Old Boys Day, there are two major milestones to celebrate and Saturday also provides an occasion to farewell a number of departing players.
“There’s plenty of reasons to motivate the boys, it’s Old Boys Day which is always one of the biggest games of the year, it’s Kurt Gidley’s 250th game and Aku Uate’s 150th game,” Director of Football Michael Hagan said.
“Kurt’s been a great servant to the Club for 15 years or more, so I’m sure there’ll be plenty of support there for him.
“And I know the players, staff and the fans want to send him out in the right way.”
With all that said, the Bulldogs will come to town hoping to spoil the party.
“They are a good team, and they seem to play well at this time of year which is part of what makes their culture,” Hagan added.
“It’s another good challenge for our players with their big forwards, Sam Kasiano seems to have found form up front and James Graham is a great player.”
The Knights take confidence from their past two wins in the match, including Monday’s win over the Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park.
“I think it was our best win of the year really, for 80 minutes it was a really committed team performance, and I think that’s what we’ll need again on Saturday,” Hagan said.
“There’s a little bit more belief in the team around what they’re capable of.
“Defensively they’ve been working really hard in training and on the field… to keep a team like Melbourne to six points is a real credit to the coaches and the players.”
“They’ve probably worked a bit harder, and the harder you work the luckier you become.”
Where it will be won:
“Upfront, there’s no secret of where the Bulldogs’ strength lies,” Hagan admitted.
“That’s where we’ve got to meet them head on and come with a lot of energy in our defensive line.”
The Final Word:
“The boys know what it’s about this week and that’s the legacy and everything that’s going to be kept in our Club throughout the years," interim coach Danny Buderus said on Wednesday.
