Matchday Details
Saturday 21 March – 3:00pm (AEDT) – McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
📺 Broadcast: Fox League / Kayo
Referee: Liam Kennedy | Bunker: Adam Gee
Newcastle Knights
1. Fletcher Hunt, 2. Dominic Young, 3. Dane Gagai, 4. Bradman Best, 5. Greg Marzhew, 6. Fletcher Sharpe, 7. Sandon Smith, 8. Jacob Saifiti, 9. Phoenix Crossland, 10. Trey Mooney, 11. Dylan Lucas, 12. Jermaine McEwen, 13. Tyson Frizell, 14. Thomas Cant, 15. Mat Croker, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Francis Manuleleua, 18. Tyson Gamble, 19. Harrison Graham, 20. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, 21. Cody Hopwood, 22. James Schiller.
New Zealand Warriors
1. Taine Tuaupiki, 2. Dallin Watene-Zeleniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Leka Halasima, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark, 14. Sam Healey, 15. Demetric Vaimauga, 16. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 17. Marata Niukore, 18. Morgan Gannon, 19. (blank), 20. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 21. Ieremia-Toeava, 22. Jett Cleary, 23. Mitch Barnett.
Match Preview
Super Saturday for Round 3 kicks off in Newcastle as the Knights host the Warriors. Both teams currently sit in the top four after winning their first two games respectively.
This will be the Knights’ first home game of the season, after beating the Cowboys 28-18 in Las Vegas and dispatching Manly 36-16 at 4 Pines Park last week. On the flip side, the Warriors travel to Australia for the first time this year, after recording two convincing wins in Auckland against the Roosters and Raiders respectively.
For the Knights, there’s huge injury blows with Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown both ruled out for several weeks. Fletcher Hunt is named at fullback after filling in there last week, with Fletcher Sharpe returning in the five-eighth role after missing Round 2 with a knee injury. Sandon Smith moves to halfback to accommodate Sharpe’s return. Elsewhere in the squad, Thomas Cant moves into the 14 jersey and Tyson Gamble joins the bench.
For the Warriors, they have injury concerns of their own, with Chanel Harris-Tavita and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad both ruled out due to concussion. Taine Tuaupiki takes over at fullback, while Luke Hanson is named to make his NRL debut at five-eighth. Kurt Capewell is out after picking up a calf injury last week, with Leka Halasima starting in his place in the second row. Marata Niukore returns on the bench, and Mitch Barnett is named on the extended bench as he looks to return from an ACL injury.
There’s no hiding the fact the Knights’ hot start to the season has been thrown into uncertainty with injuries to Ponga and Brown. They were two of the Knights’ best against Manly and looked to have the attack firing on all cylinders. With the undefeated Warriors coming to town this week, the spotlight shifts to Smith to carry the playmaking weight in the spine.
Smith played a crucial role off the bench last week, but his combination in the halves with Sharpe is untested. Sharpe himself is only just returning from a PCL injury he suffered in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen whether these two can build rapport quickly enough to trouble a Warriors side that’s looked impressive through the opening two rounds.
An injury to Harris-Tavita has opened the door for Warriors five-eighth Hanson to make his NRL debut. The best part about this week for Hanson is he’ll be partnering Tanah Boyd in the halves, who is in a purple patch of form to start the year. Boyd will be the key man in the attack again for the Warriors, even more so with Harris-Tavita and Nicoll-Klokstad missing this week.
In addition to Boyd’s run of form, Warriors coach Andrew Webster has built a solid forward pack that can play tough in any conditions. That’s where the real strength of the Warriors will be, particularly if Mitch Barnett is a late inclusion to the bench. If they can maintain the discipline they’ve showed thus far, their forwards should win the battle in the middle and make it difficult for the Knights to get on top in this game.
The Knights are riding a six-game home losing streak. Jackson Ford plays his 100th NRL game.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Warriors by 10 points.
Bold call: Leka Halasima will score another match-winning try.
Related
- NRL Round 3 Hub
- NRL Round 3 2026 Predictions & Tips
- NRL Round 3 Team Lists – 2026 Season
- NRL 2026 Results Tracker
- 2026 NRL Match Review Results Tracker: Charges, Suspensions & Fines
- NRL Injury List 2026
