WARRIORS 24 KNIGHTS 34
App users click here for latest updates
FULLTIME
80min - Warriors will have a minute for their last set. They win the penalty with Crossland pinged for stripping. Johnson tries the kick but it rolls over the sideline and that's fulltime.
78min - Johnson tries to find Walker in the midfield, but he can't hang onto the pass with the Knights defence breathing on him and the Knights get it back.
76min - Nicoll-Klokstad runs out of room and is forced to give himelf up, before the Warriors put in a scrappy grubber kick for Miller to clean up. Is that the game?
74min - Warriors need just four tackles to make it into the Knights half, as Ford releases Vailea with a bit of space ahead of him. Johnson kicks and Miller takes it well.
72min - WARRIORS TRY - FORD
Nicoll-Klokstad puts the head down and commits a couple of Knights players in the tackle, before he gets it back to find a charging Ford to crash over! Brilliant from CNK.
70min - KNIGHTS TRY - MARZHEW
Knights are just five metres out. They switch to the left to Best, he gives it to a charging Marzhew, and he steps inside to beat the covering defence and go over for another try.
68min - Knights now playing with all the confidence as Marzhew makes a strong charge. The Warriors opt against kicking on the last, and Curran knocks on in his offload on the last.
66min - KNIGHTS TRY - MANN
Replacement Mann spots some space from dummy, shows the ball before putting the head down and splitting Curran and Tevaga to go over for the try.
64min - Knights can't get into the Warriors half again, with Crossland forced to put up a spiral and Montoya undoes the good catch with a poor play of the ball.
62min - Young gets up to bat back a high kick but his teammate can't bring in the bouncing ball and the Warriors will start their set about 15 metres out from their own tryline.
60min - Johnson's kick is high and Miller is again wrapped up well but the Warriors concede the penalty for being in front of the kicker. News in is Martin has a broken fibula - just awful.
58min - Ale takes the hit up and it's another good one, he's been really impressive off the bench. Warriors playing with an extra step in their stride now, as Nicoll-Klokstad sets off again.
56min - WARRIORS TRY - KOSI
Miller's dropout doesn't go the 10m and the Warriors take the tap from the penalty. Nicoll-Klokstad gets the offload away just a metre out to Vailea, and he fires the ball to Kosi on the wing to dive over and score another Warriors try!
54min - Warriors put up a much-improved defensive set, as Walker turns his back to take the ball into contact. Johnson's kick is gathered by Miller but the Warriors trap him in-goal.
52min - WARRIORS TRY - POMPEY
Again from the scrum Johnson shimmies right, fools the Knights defence and links up with Pompey, who leaves Best for dead to crash over for his second!
50min - Johnson's grubber kick causes Miller all sorts of trouble and he knocks into the direction of Tevaga but he can't pick it up cleanly, with the tryline begging. Warriors scrum though.
48min - Johnson tries a couple of short passes in back-to-back plays, but Knights defence holds up well, before his grubber kick is taken dead by Hastings for a line dropout.
46min - Martin pins his ears back and attacks the tryline and is over! But looks like he loses the ball in his attempted grounding with Knights players surrounding him.
44min - Knights look to be in again, but Hastings obstructed Johnson in the lead-up. Johnson did really well to sell it and the bunk finally rules in favour of the Warriors.
42min - Knights struggle to make it to their own 40m with their first set, but Crossland's kick is long and up the middle for Nicoll-Klokstad to finally gather it in and return.
HALFTIME
40min - Ale makes another strong run up the middle. Seconds remaining in the half, as they look to attack the left and Vailea is tackled well. Johnson's kick is tapped dead by Marzhew.
39min - Oh no, Egan has collided face first with his own teammate in a tackle and doesn't look good. He's up on his feet but is being helped off the field. Hopefully he will return.
38min - KNIGHTS TRY - CROSSLAND
Knights put the kick up and it bounces their way for Best to collect. He's got no option but to put boot it in-field and Crossland is all alone up the middle and he dives on the loose ball for the try.
36min - Ale goes close for the Warriors! Knights scrambling on defence and concede back-to-back penalties. Warriors just a metre out, they switch right to Nicoll-Klokstad and he muscles his way over! But the bunker has ruled Pompey obstructed Hastings in the lead up.
34min - Jones looks to play it quickly for the Knights but it's poor and he makes a mess of it, gifting the Warriors the scrum inside the home team's half.
32min - Curran wheels out of a tackle and looks a little groggy. He's been a menace on defence, and leads the game with 28 tackles already. Medic is on and looks like he's good to continue.
30min - KNIGHTS TRY - FRIZELL
Knights get a fresh set, as Thompson carries hard. Hastings kicks across field, Crosland gets up to get a hand to it and Frizell picks up the scraps off the ground and scores!
28min - Walker makes a strong run, he's added real spark since he's come on. Warriors have gone 80 metres, but the short side was the wrong option on the last.
26min - WARRIORS TRY - POMPEY
Warriors look to attack the right side straight away from the scrum, Johnson steps, holds the ball up beautifully before putting Pompey through the hole for an easy four-pointer! Pompey drifted a little too close to the deadball line but he's got it down.
24min - Warriors challenging the referee's call for a knock on. Vailea's attempted offload to Montoya was knocked on by Young the bunker rules! Warriors get another go.
22min - Knights dominating all the possesion in the opening quarter. Crossland kicks and Montoya fields and almost splits the defence but is brought down around the ankles.
20min - KNIGHTS TRY - MARZHEW
Young does well to take Johnson's kick and sets off on a run from the 20m restart! He puts Miller in space and he's eventually caught. Knight go left, Best holds the ball up in the face of a couple players, and offloads to Marzhew, who shows great strength to go over in the corner.
18min - Curran plays at Brailey's kick and the Knights get a fresh set just metres out. Hastings puts the grubber in and Nicoll-Klokstad is there in a flash, before the Warriors get the penaly.
16min - Another good defensive set by the Warriors, forcing the Knights well inside their own half, but Curran is penalised for not clearing the ruck.
14min - A good defensive set from the Warriors forces a deep kick from Crossland and Montoya makes a solid return, running with real venom to give his side good starting position.
12min - Knights playing with confidence, as Best takes it into contact. Crossland kicks and is met, as Nicoll-Klokatad gets up to take it easily under not a lot of pressure.
10min - Kosi intercepts! He sprints over 60 metres but is tackled by a great Knights cover defence. Warriors look to go right, and have the overlap, but Pompey knocks on.
8min - KNIGHTS TRY - YOUNG
Gagai gets quick-fire pass off to Young, Vailea wraps him up but the Knights winger takes him for a ride on his way to the tryline for the game's first score. Incredible strength.
6min - Knights get a set restart and are just a metre out from the tryline. They look to spread it wide quickly, and a Warriors' hand knocks the ball down. Knights will go again.
4min - Neither the Knights' first set or kick makes much distance. Warriors kick on the Knights 40m and Young stands his ground to take the catch and cops a heavy shot.
2min - Fonua-Blake is tasked with the first hit up. Warriors make it inside the Knights' half before Johnson kicks for Marzhew to return. Solid first set.
8:10pm - Thank you for joining us! The Warriors have made a late change, with Josh Curran promoted to the run-on side in place of Bayley Sironen.
Kia ora, good evening, and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the NRL clash between the NZ Warriors and Newcastle Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The Warriors kicked off their 2023 season with a win over the Knights at Wellington, and have since acquired a 4-1 record, which sees them sit fourth on the ladder.
While the hosts tonight have just two wins so far, and are still without the services of star Kalyn Ponga, who has been cleared from concussion - but only for round eight.
Whereas the Warriors have welcomed back half Te Maire Martin to the starting lineup, but captain Tohu Harris has been scratched.
Jazz Tevaga will start in his place, with fullback Taine Tuaupiki given an opportunity to add to his one cap after being named on the interchange.
Kiwis winger Dallin Watene Zelezniak returns from a calf injury and is named 18th man.
Join us at 8:15pm for kickoff.
Warriors: 1-Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2-Edward Kosi, 3-Villiami Vailea, 4-Adam Pompey, 5-Marcelo Montoya, 6-Te Maire Martin, 7-Shaun Johnson, 8-Addin Fonua-Blake, 9-Wayde Egan, 10-Bunty Afoa, 11-Jackson Ford, 15-Josh Curran, 16-Jazz Tevaga
Interchange: 14-Dylan Walker, 12-Bayley Sironen, 17-Tom Ale, 20-Taine Tuaupiki, 18-Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 23-Demitric Sifakula
Knights: 1-Lachlan Miller, 2-Dominic Young, 3-Dane Gagai, 4-Bradman Best, 5-Greg Marzhew, 6-Phoenix Crossland, 7-Jackson Hastings, 8-Daniel Saifiti, 9-Jayden Brailey, 10-Leo Thompson, 11-Tyson Frizell, 12-Lachlan Fitzgibbon, 13-Jack Johns
Interchange: 14-Kurt Mann, 15-Jack Hetherington, 16-Mat Croker, 17-Brodie Jones, 19-Dylan Lucas, 22-Ryan Rivett
TAB odds: Warriors $1.85, Knights $1.92
