Warriors - 16 Knights - 20
FULLTIME - So close but so far for the Warriors. Click here for the full wrap.
79th min - Pearce runs at the Warriors' line, leaving no one to kick on the last. The Knights won't mind that though, they're running the clock down.
The Warriors need to go the length of the field to score if they're to win.
Sironen nearly breaks, but can't get his offload away. That should be game.
75th min - TRY KNIGHTS
The Knights go over and Hymel Hunt has his second. A perfectly timed offload from Best puts his winger away, and the Warriors are all over the show in defence.
Hunt goes through to score under the posts, and give the Knights the lead in the final minutes.
Huge kick coming up now, and Barnett adds the extras.
74th min - The Knights are desperate here. They get to the halfway line on their last tackle, before Pearce kicks - and the bounce catches Maumalo by surprise. The Knights regain the ball, still on the last, and kick again.
Fusitu'a does well to calm everything down though, and regain possession for the Warriors.
68th min - TRY WARRIORS
The Warriors score! Harris-Tavita and Tuivasa-Sheck combine and have the Knights scrambling backwards.
Tuivasa-Sheck draws in the wide defenders, before he passes to Maumalo on the wing, and he doesn't miss those.
For the first time, the Warriors take the lead on the Central Coast. Pompey takes kicking duties, but he hooks it wide to the left.
The Warriors lead by two points heading into the final 10 minutes.
67th min - Set restart for the Warriors just shy of half way. Tuivasa-Sheck takes the ball up, before Fonua-Blake goes on the fourth.
Nikorima kicks on the last for a chasing Pompey, but Hoy bats the ball dead to force a drop out.
65th min - Fusitu'a argues he's been tackled in the air by Hunt, but the referee waves play on.
Murdoch-Masila takes some stopping by Barnett as the Warriors go forward. Harris-Tavita kicks on the last, but nothing comes of it for the Warriors.
62nd min - Fonua-Blake returns to the field off the interchange bench, he could be key here.
Hiku spills possession trying to find Fusitu'a outside him, but Murdoch-Masila saves the day. The Warriors kick on the last and now the Knights will attack from inside their own half.
58th min - TRY WARRIORS
The Warriors hit back. Tuivasa-Sheck gets his dancing shoes on down the Warriors' left edge, before he gets a pass away to Pompey.
The centre does well to get close to the line, and shows off his strength to extend and score.
Nikorima lines up the kick, as the rain that was forecast begins to really fall down - and he's got it.
57th min - False start as the Knights give away another penalty on their own line. Katoa is tackled but earns a set restart.
Harris-Tavita kicks on the second though and the Warriors have wasted a golden chance.
There's pandemonium as the Knights spill the ball, but Murdoch-Masila can't hang on as he charges at the line.
Crazy period of play all round, but the Warriors will at least have a scrum.
54th min - Pearce goes to the air - again - and Maumalo takes this one cleanly. Tuivasa-Sheck tries to step through the Knights, but is tackled. Harris runs on the fourth, before Harris-Tavita goes to the air on the last.
Maumalo chases, but he's impeded by Pearce and the Warriors have a penalty. Great chance for some second half points.
51st min - TRY KNIGHTS
The Knights score, and it's a belter! A slick move across the left edge sees Hunt fly into the corner and score - really coming against the run of play.
Barnett can add the extras, and my word, that is some kick.
49th min - Huge kick from Pearce, and Tuivasa-Sheck can't get there. He nearly collides with Fusitu'a, but the result is the same.
Knights scrum inside the Warriors' half.
47th min - Hiku tries to slice through the Knights' line, but the referee stops play after Barnett cops some friendly fire, taking Watson's elbow to his head.
He seems all good though, no need for a concussion test.
44th min - Maumalo takes some serious stopping as he charges at the Knights' line. Harris-Tavita and Harris combine on the fourth, before the Warriors kick on the last.
Tuivasa-Sheck claims the ball in the air, but has nowhere to go but into the Newcastle tackle to hand possession over. Good start to the half for the Warriors.
41st min - And we're back for the second half as the Knights kick to Fusitu'a.
HALFTIME - The Warriors run the ball with the final play of the half, but Harris-Tavita is tackled to bring the opening 40 minutes to a close. The Warriors trail by two.
We'll be back shortly for what should be a hard-fought second half.
39th min - An error from Murdoch-Masila gives the Knights a scrum and a chance to score another before half-time.
But the Knights spill the ball and the Warriors can counter! Another knock-on though, this time from the Warriors, and we'll have a scrum.
37th min - Tevaga's on report for a knee on Best, and the Knights have another penalty - this one right in front.
And the Knights want the points. Barnett lines up his second kick of the evening, and he won't miss from there. Knights ahead by two.
36th min - We're hearing that Fonua-Blake's been cleared of any serious injury.
The Knights attack on the Warriors' line but Egan forces a knock-on and the Warriors get out of jail.
Not yet though, as Frizell forces the ball from Katoa! The Knights will have a scrum on the Warriors' 20m line.
32nd min - TRY WARRIORS
There we go though! One play later the Warriors do score! Harris runs at the line before firing a pass to Ben Murdoch-Masila - and he can only score from there!
The interchange crosses over for his first Warriors try, and his first in the NRL since 2013 with the Tigers.
The kick is good from Nikorima, and we're all square in Gosford.
31th min - NO TRY WARRIORS
Set restart for the Warriors, but Fonua-Blake has left the field with injury. Harris-Tavita makes some brilliant metres, and gets another set restart!
Egan goes from dummy-half, and goes again one tackle later to score!
The hooker's done brilliantly to ground the ball - but hang on a sec - the bunker's decided that Egan's lost the ball in-goal!
29th min - There's a trend emerging here, as Nikorima puts a bomb up on the last - straight to Hunt who does well underneath it.
The Knights run the ball up, before Pearce's attempted grubber is woeful - straight into touch. Warriors' restart on their own 10m line.
26th min - Nikorima puts up another bomb, Hunt takes it but Hiku gives away a penalty in the tackle.
The Knights restart on the 40, as Harris-Tavita takes down Hoy on the second. Bradman Best nearly breaks the line on the fourth, before Pearce grubbers on the last.
Jazz Tevaga misses the ball, but Pompey tidies up - danger averted!
22nd min - Nikorima kicks on the Warriors' last, and there's hesitation at the back before Hunt gathers for the Knights.
The play is stopped on the Knights' third tackle - Wayde Egan's face is covered in blood. There'll be a short delay before things get back underway.
We're back underway, as Pearce goes to the air on the last, but RTS is - unsurprisingly - safe underneath.
18th min - TRY KNIGHTS
The ball is loose as Harris-Tavita tackles Frizell, but the Warriors wait for the knock-on call! Play on is called by the referee, and Brailey pounces from dummy half, and somehow grounds the ball over three Warriors defenders! First try of the night and it goes against the Warriors.
Barnett's kick is good, and the Warriors trail by six.
17th min - Still scoreless so far, but the Warriors have had the better use of the ball. Egan knocks-on an attempted offload from Fonua-Blake, right on halfway. Knights' scrum.
The Warriors give away a penalty, Nikorima the culprit, as Pearce kicks for touch. Big test for the Warriors' defence.
15th min - Taunoa-Brown has been placed on report for a tackle on Hunt. Back to the action where Harris-Tavita kicks on the third, down to Hoy in the corner. The Knights attack from inside their own half.
Pearce kicks on the last, just inside his own half, but Tuivasa-Sheck takes it without issue. Harris-Tavita is sporting a cut above his eye. Nikorima kicks on the fourth - straight to Hoy - only this time Hiku is chasing.
The Knights again look to attack from inside their own half.
11th min - Pearce nearly puts Frizell through, but Harris-Tavita reads the play like a book. The Knights kick on the last and Fusitu'a has no issue taking it in the air. The Warriors look to counter as Tuivasa-Sheck and Maumalo both make good metres.
Harris takes the fourth tackle, before the Warriors kick on the last - but Hoy fields it with no pressure on him.
9th min - Set restart called on the Warriors' third tackle - how long can the Knights hold on? Tuivasa-Sheck goes wide to Fusitu'a, but Hunt does brilliantly to force him into touch. The Knights get out of jail and they'll get the chance to have the ball for just their second set of the match.
7th min - This is great attacking pressure from the Warriors. Tohu Harris is absolutely flattened by Hunt though, as the Knights refuse to budge. Nikorima kicks on the last, but the ball is blocked by Pearce and into touch, ruled as not played at, but the call is overturned! Another attacking set for the Warriors!
5th min - Set restart for the Warriors right on the Knights' goal line. Newcastle defend well though, as Harris-Tavita grubbers on the last. Tuivasa-Sheck chases, but Pearce is back to clear the ball for another dropout.
4th min - The Warriors defend the opening set well, before winning a penalty with their first use of the ball - Fusitu'a tackled high.
Harris-Tavita takes the line on and is takled, before Sironen runs to the 20m line on the second. Fonua-Blake goes closer, as Nikorima and Tuivasa-Sheck go wide to the left.
Nikorima kicks on the last, and Hiku gathers it before grubbering through the Knights' line, but Hoy is there to tidy up for the Knights. That'll be a line dropout and another set for the Warriors.
1st min - The kick-off from the Warriors is awful, and goes out on the full. The Knights will start their first set inside the Warriors' half.
8:00pm - We're underway!
7:59pm - Jayden Brailey leads the Knights onto Central Coast Stadium, before Roger Tuivasa-Sheck does the same for the Warriors.
Decent number of fans in tonight.
7:55pm - Not long to go now. Here's hoping for a good night for David Fusitu'a, who's record against the Knights makes for very good reading!
7:36pm - Thunderstorms were forecast for tonight, but the weather seems to have held out, for now at least.
7:30pm - Good evening! Friday night footy for the Warriors is back for 2021, as the Kiwi side look to build on an impressive round one display. Kick off's around 30 minutes away.
***
Kia ora, and welcome to Newshub’s live updates of the Warriors v Knights from the Central Coast.
After opening 2021 with a convincing 19-6 victory over Gold Coast Titans, the Warriors are looking for back-to-back wins to start the new season.
The only casualty of last week’s win comes in the shape of centre Euan Aitken, who’s been ruled out for an extended period with an ankle injury, replaced by promising utility Adam Pompey.
In better news for the Warriors, the pair of Wayde Egan and Bayley Sironen have both been cleared of concussion and will take the field tonight.
Meanwhile, the Knights will be without their brightest star, missing fullback Kalyn Ponga, as well as halves Kurt Mann and Blake Green, and winger Edrick Lee.
These two sides last met in round 16 last year, with the Warriors taking a convincing 36-6 victory in Tamworth.
Updates will begin from 7:30pm.
TAB betting odds
Warriors $1.83, Knights $1.92
Pre-match banter
NZ Warriors snare hot prospect Reece Walsh as potential Roger Tuivasa-Sheck replacement
By William Hewett
The New Zealand Warriors may have found Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's replacement in young fullback Reece Walsh, who will join the club in 2022.
The Auckland side have snared one of the game's brightest young talents from the Brisbane Broncos on a three-year deal, starting from next season.
The 19-year-old is a prodigious talent and is already creating an impressive resume. In 2019, he represented both the Queensland State of Origin under-18s and Australian Schoolboys sides.
He comes from the famed Keebra Park State High School rugby league nursery, which produced his future teammate Ben Murdoch-Masila along with the likes of Benji Marshall and Payne Haas.
"This is a fantastic signing for our club and Warriors fans have every reason to be excited about the progress we are making with recruitment in the short, mid- and long-term," said Warriors chief executive Cameron George.
"He comes to the Warriors at the perfect time following us re-signing Tohu (Harris). We now have an exciting future with experience and exciting young players developed from within and others that have been handpicked to join us. It's a great statement for our club."
Walsh has Australian Indigenous and Māori heritage and has been wowing observers with his skill level across the ditch.
"Reece is a prodigious talent who has starred in junior footy," said Warriors recruitment manager Peter O'Sullivan. "It's not often you get an opportunity to secure a player of his ability, He is a natural footballer with speed, balance and vision.
"With experience, I believe Reece will go on to become a top-line NRL fullback in the coming years. He'll complement Wayde [Egan], Kodi [Nikorima] and Chael [Harris-Tavita] perfectly in our spine."
The departure of current Warriors captain Tuivasa-Sheck to rugby union to join the Blues will leave a massive hole in the side but coach Nathan Brown says Walsh shapes as a wonderful replacement.
"Reece has all the attributes in his game that the really good players have," he says. "His speed and game sense are things that can make a difference in our team.
"We won't be putting pressure on Reece by making big statements about his game but we will give him all the guidance to make sure his game is ready for the start of 2022.
"We want him to work hard and train hard and he will have a great career in front of him."
Just whether the Warriors trust him with the crucial fullback position is yet to be seen, but they do have options within the current squad with centre Peta Hiku and Hayze Perham.
Both are off contract at the end of the season, so what O'Sullivan does with them will be interesting to see. Hiku has filled in at fullback many times in recent seasons and Perham will wear the No.1 jersey for Warriors feeder club the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup on Saturday.
