“The players are completely respectful of the occasion … It’s such a cool challenge, it’s something different.”
Standing in the Warriors’ way are the Knights, who claimed a shock 20-10 win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in their elimination final last weekend.
While recent head-to-head history isn’t on their side, the Knights can take confidence that since the current finals structure has been used, the seventh-ranked side have beaten the second-placed teams on both occasions.
The winner of this game will face the Penrith Panthers in the preliminary final next Sunday at Accor Stadium.
Warriors v Knights line-ups
Warriors star winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak could return from a broken collarbone after being named on the extended bench. Also named on the extended bench is Leka Halasima, who withdrew late with a hamstring injury from the Warriors’ qualifying final defeat to the Dolphins.
Webster said Watene-Zelezniak had “a chance of returning”, adding he will work through contact drills to ensure he’s ready, while Halasima was “highly doubtful” but that could change, depending on how training goes during the week.
Jackson Ford has been ruled out with an undisclosed ankle injury.
Warriors: 1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Te Maire Martin, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitchell Barnett, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark.
Interchange (from): 14. Sam Healey, 15. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 20. Morgan Gannon, 22. Leka Halasima, 23. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
The Knights have made just one change to their side that beat the South Sydney Rabbitohs last week, with Dylan Lucas named on the extended bench, less than two months after a compound fracture in his ankle required surgery.
Knights coach Justin Holbrook says the edge forward will be given until kickoff to prove his fitness.
Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga, 2. Dom Young, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Greg Marzhew, 6. Fletcher Sharpe, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Tyson Frizell, 9. Phoenix Crossland, 10. Cody Hopwood, 11. Jermaine McEwen, 12. Francis Manuleleua, 13. Mathew Croker.
Interchange (from): 14. Harrison Graham, 15. Lachlan Crouch, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Thomas Cant, 18. Fletcher Hunt, 20. Kyle McCarthy, 22. Dylan Lucas.
Leka Halasima. Photo / Photosport
Where will the match be won?
As it is every week, the key for the Warriors is to shut down the focal point of their opponents’ attack – in this case, that is Kalyn Ponga.
Expect the Knights to target the Warriors’ right edge defence through Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew. According to Fox Sports, the Warriors’ right edge has conceded 20 line breaks to the opposition’s left second-rower, centre and winger over their past four games.
Adam Pompey played right centre in their round-25 clash against Souths, where he had four line-break causes, and Ali Leiataua has been at fault for six line breaks in the past three games.
When the Warriors last played the Knights in round 26, both Newcastle wingers (Marzhew and Fletcher Hunt) had four line breaks each and ran for more than 450m combined.
Marzhew has been a weapon against the Warriors, having scored nine tries in nine games against them, including four in his most recent three outings.
Expect the Warriors forwards to challenge the Knights to generate fast ball before attacking the edges.
The Knights are without Jacob Saifiti and Trey Mooney – significant losses – and it will be interesting to see how their young pack contains the Warriors.
Kalyn Ponga. Photo / Brad Roberts
Warriors v Knights history and recent matches
History is on the Warriors’ side for the clash, having won 17 of 19 games against the Knights on New Zealand soil since 2006.
The Knights’ last win in New Zealand was in 2019.
The two teams have already met twice this season, with the Warriors winning both encounters. In round three they claimed a 38-12 win in Newcastle, while just last month in round 26, the Warriors won 46-32 in a thrilling, yet controversial clash in Auckland.
That’s because the Knights played 70 minutes down a player after Jacob Saifiti was sent off for a shoulder charge on Luke Laulilii.
Overall, the Warriors hold a 29-25 head-to-head record, while the teams also played out a draw in 2000.
The two teams have met in the finals once, at this stage of the competition in 2023, when the Warriors won 40-10 at Mt Smart.
The Warriors have also outscored Newcastle 1269-2258 across those matches.
The Warriors’ biggest victory over the Knights came in 2007, when they won 52-10. Newcastle’s biggest win came much earlier, with the Knights recording a 48-6 triumph in 1995.
This will be the Knights’ first match at Eden Park, while the Warriors have lost five of their six games played there, although their last game there was in 2014.
Three memorable matches
The two sides have played out many thrilling battles over the years – here are three that spring to mind.
Warriors 42-0 Knights – August 21, 1999
With nothing but pride to play for, the Warriors ran in seven tries to record their biggest win over the Knights.
Jason Death claimed a brace, while Matthew Ridge, playing his final match, scored 18 points with seven conversions and a try.
Stacey Jones also became the first player to play 100 games for the Warriors in that match.
Warriors 24-45 Knights – March 31, 2001
An Andrew Johns masterclass propelled the Knights to a brilliant victory in Newcastle.
The halfback outscored the Warriors himself, scoring 29 of his side’s points with three tries, eight goals and a field goal.
It remains the third-largest points total a Knights player has scored in a match, with the two records above it (30 and 34) also held by Johns, which were also set in 2001, against the Raiders.
Warriors 40-10 Knights – September 16, 2023
In the only finals meeting between the two sides, the Warriors proved too strong for the Knights with a comfortable win.
The game was over early, as the Warriors blew the scoreline open with a dominant 12-minute try-scoring blitz in the first half and they never looked back.
The result brought the end of the Knights’ season, snapping a 10-game win streak.
Mitchell Barnett of the Warriors reacts after the side’s loss to the Dolphins in the Week 1 Finals match of the NRL Telstra Premiership at Go Media Stadium in Auckland on September 12. Photo / Photosport
Form guide
The Warriors’ six-match winning run came to an end last weekend with their loss to the Dolphins.
It was the first game in the past two seasons they have lost after leading at halftime – having won their previous 24 from that position.
It means instead of hosting a preliminary final, they must now face the Knights for a spot in the final four.
While the defeat is not the end of the world, it did highlight a concerning run of form defensively where the Warriors’ edges have been severely exposed in recent weeks.
In their past four games, the Warriors have conceded 26 points or more. Before that, they had only conceded more than that three times this season.
To put the figure into context, they have conceded an average of 28.5 points per game during that period, compared with 15.7 at the completion of round 24.
It is an area of their game they will need to fix if they are to advance.
The Knights head into the clash full of confidence after their upset win over the Rabbitohs in their elimination final in Sydney.
Prior to that, the Knights had won three of their last five regular-season matches, scoring 30 or more points in four of them. They had the bye in round 27.
It has been a stunning turnaround for the Knights, who were last year’s wooden spooners.
Warriors v Knights TAB odds
Warriors $1.44 Knights $2.80
Warriors v Knights – how to follow the action
You can watch the game on Sky Sport 1 and it will be livestreamed on Sky Sport Now. Coverage starts at 5pm.
You can also find live updates at nzherald.co.nz.
Ben Francis is an Auckland-based reporter for the New Zealand Herald who covers breaking sports news.