Just when most punters were ready to close the book on the make-up of the top eight for season 2012, master coach Wayne Bennett rides his team back into town and to within reach of eighth spot on the ladder.
After five straight mid-season losses, the Knights have now won six of their last eight matches to be within striking distance, while the Cronulla Sharks, who became the latest victims of the Newcastle resurgence with a 26-4 defeat in Round 23, seem to be slowly sliding out the swinging finals door.
Tonight on NRL Daily, host John Gibbs takes a look at the improved form of the Knights and the current state of the Sharks to see why their post-Origin form has been struggling and if they can recover from the sinking feeling to remain a September threat.
The key to most team's success lies in the form of their halves, and Gibbs sees a strong finish for the Knights if their halves continue to fire.
“Jarrod Mullen is a completely different player when he runs the ball,” said Gibbs. “The Sharks' win over the Warriors has proved to be misleading.
“The Sharks need more than Nathan Gardner (to return).”
State of Origin has not been kind to Cronulla, with injuries to Todd Carney and Paul Gallen, with injuries still lingering well into the back end of the season.
State of Origin has not been kind to Cronulla, with injuries to Todd Carney and Paul Gallen, with injuries still lingering well into the back end of the season.
Gibbs believes things won’t be any easier for the Sharks this weekend. “They're up against a pretty handy fullback this week in Greg Inglis.”
Do you think the Knights or the Sharks will still be around in September? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @NRL_Daily.
Also on tonight’s show we speak with referees co-coach Bill Harrigan and present the ‘Golden Gibber’ award for Round 23.
Get all this and more in tonight's episode of NRL Daily, the only NRL show that's on every night of the week.
Stream it on the NRL.com homepage from 7:00pm tonight, watch it on the official NRL mobile site (Telstra customers only. Action Pack required. Click here for more details) or Telstra T-BOX. You can also watch the best NRL Daily videos on your iPhone with the official NRL iPhone App (Official Pass required. Click here for more details)
