nib Newcastle Knights forward Daniel Saifiti knows it will be a battle in the middle against the Canberra Raiders on Friday.
“They are big boys,” said Saifiti.
“We always seem to play pretty well in the games I’ve played against them but they’ve always been tight games.
“They have always been a tight pack, they’re a good match up for us and they’re definitely one of the best forward packs in the comp.
“This is another big challenge for us this week.”
Saifiti said the Raiders are a chance of making the top eight so will be determined to get the win and redemption for their loss against the Knights earlier in the season.
“At the start of the year they lost a few close games but they're finishing the year strong and they’re still a chance of making the finals,” explained Saifiti.
“They are going to be coming out firing this week because we beat them last time so Ricky Stuart will have them up for this one.
“They are still a mathematical chance so they’re going to be hungry for sure.”
While the Knights won’t be preparing for finals footy in September, Saifiti maintains they want to finish the year strong.
“We are getting some good recruits and another pre-season under our belts for all the young guys will be beneficial,” he said.
“We spoke about finishing the season strong and going on to a strong pre-season next year.”
The Knights take on the Raiders at GIO Stadium Friday Night, NYC kick-off at 3.45pm before NRL at 6pm.
