A season’s worth of work comes down to 80 minutes as the Warriors and Knights battle for the right to face Penrith in the preliminary finals. New Zealand will be desperate to atone for last week’s qualifying final loss to the Dolphins, while Newcastle arrives full of confidence after eliminating South Sydney. With Eden Park expected to be packed and two in-form teams fighting to keep their premiership dreams alive, this shapes as one of the most intriguing finals matches of 2026.
Read Full Previews
- Roosters vs Sharks → roosters-vs-sharks-semi-final-preview-2026
- Warriors vs Knights → warriors-vs-knights-semi-final-preview-2026
Matchday Details
Sunday, 20 September 2026 – 4:05pm AEST – Eden Park, Auckland
📺 Nine Network / Nine Now / Kayo / Foxtel
Referee: Ashley Klein | Senior Review Official: Chris Butler
New Zealand 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 (c), 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitchell Barnett, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark, 14. Sam Healey, 15. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 16. Demitric Vaimauga, 17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 18. Jett Cleary, 20. Morgan Gannon, 21. Makaia Tafua, 22. Leka Halasima, 23. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Newcastle Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga (c), 2. Dominic 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. Mat Croker, 14. Harrison Graham, 15. Lachlan Crouch, 16. Pasami Saulo, 17. Thomas Cant, 18. Fletcher Hunt, 19. Toby Winter, 20. Kyle McCarthy, 21. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana, 22. Dylan Lucas
Match Preview
The second game of semi-final week kicks off at Eden Park in Auckland, as the Warriors look to bounce back against a Knights side high on confidence. With a place in the prelim final against the Panthers on the line, both teams will be eager to prove themselves for different reasons.
The Warriors are coming off a 26-16 loss to the Dolphins last week in a game many people expected them to win. They’ll get another opportunity to win a home final this week, this time with their backs against the wall. On the flipside, last week the Knights pulled off an upset 20-10 win over the Rabbitohs in a game many people expected them to lose. Momentum can be key in finals, and the Knights are riding a wave of it across to New Zealand, where they’ll be underdogs for the second week in a row.
For the Warriors, Jackson Ford is out after only managing 24 minutes on return from a pectoral injury before he picked up an ankle injury. Morgan Gannon joins the bench in his place. Leka Halasima is named in the reserves, despite being ruled out in the warm-up of last week’s game with a hamstring injury. The Warriors are otherwise unchanged, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak also named in the reserves as he looks to return from a collarbone injury he suffered in Round 25.
For the Knights, coach Justin Holbrook has named an unchanged 19-man squad from the win over the Rabbitohs last week. Dylan Lucas is a surprise inclusion in the reserves as he works his way back from a fractured ankle he suffered in Round 21.
The key for the Warriors is winning the forward battle against the Knights’ young forward pack. When the Warriors have been at their best this year, they’ve been dominant in the middle of the field, and outlasted teams with their endurance. Their forwards laid a platform against the Dolphins and got out to an early lead, but couldn’t cash in in the second half, and fell short of a complete 80-minute performance. The Knights present a different challenge with a host of young forwards, which can bring enthusiasm but also inexperience. If the likes of James Fisher-Harris, Mitch Barnett, and Erin Clark can dominate the middle, expect Wayde Egan’s creativity around the ruck to create opportunities for the spine to crack the Knights’ defence.
The key for the Knights is spreading the ball to their outside backs early and often. Last week in their win over the Rabbitohs, the Knights’ outside backs were instrumental in creating attacking opportunities, even from within their own half. Dom Young created two tries late in the game, mostly due to his speed advantage. Along with the likes of Kalyn Ponga and Fletcher Sharpe, the Knights boast a host of speedsters that can stretch the Warriors’ defence, particularly on their edges where the Dolphins proved they were vulnerable last week. If Ponga is playing at his best, expect plenty of good ball to be flowing to his outside backs as the Knights look to exploit the same leaky edges again.
The Warriors have won only one of the six games they’ve played at Eden Park. The Knights have not beaten the Warriors in New Zealand since 2019.
Prediction
RLZ Tip: Knights by 2.
Semi-Final tips → /nrl-semi-final-predictions-2026/
Bold call: Bradman Best scores the match-winning try in the final few minutes.
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Related
- Full Semi-Final coverage → /nrl/2026-season/semi-final/
- NRL Semi-Finals Team Lists → /nrl-team-lists-semi-finals-2026/
- NRL Injury List → /nrl/injuries/
- NRL Week 1 Finals Review → /nrl-week-1-finals-review-result-2026/
