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Newcastle return home after a fortnight on the road and will be hoping to secure their first victory in the NRLW when they host St George Illawarra on Sunday.

The Knights are the only side in the competition who remain winless and face a Dragons outfit coming off a spirited loss at the hands of the Broncos.

Newcastle did themselves no favours against the Roosters at the SCG in round three and will need to tidy up some basic areas to give themselves a chance of causing an upset.

The Dragons will take plenty of confidence into the match and won't be overawed by the occasion of facing the Knights in Newcastle.

The Rundown

Team news

Knights: A number of changes for the Knights with Tahlulah Tillett to start at halfback alongside Kirra Dibb with Charntay Poko going to lock.

Prop Ngatokotoru Arakua has been suspended for one game for a dangerous throw so Phoebe Desmond comes into the front row and Maitua Feterika goes to the second row. Georgia Page is out of the side.

Dragons: Kezie Apps, Talei Holmes, Madison Bartlett and Kody House were all named to return after missing last week's loss to Brisbane but Holmes dropped out on Saturday in the 24-hour update and House moves into the starting side.

Tegan Dymock (hand) was named on the bench but was omitted on Saturday along with Janelle Williams. Coming onto the bench are Renee Targett, Aliti Namoce and Alexandra Sulusi.

Keele Browne (head knock) was initially named among the reserves but dropped out of the squad on Saturday.

Team Lists

Backs

  • Fullback for Knights is number 1 Romy Teitzel
    Fullback for Dragons is number 1 Emma Tonegato
  • Winger for Knights is number 2 Katelyn Vaha'akolo
    Winger for Dragons is number 2 Teagan Berry
  • Centre for Knights is number 3 Jayme Fressard
    Centre for Dragons is number 3 Jaime Chapman
  • Centre for Knights is number 4 Bobbi Law
    Centre for Dragons is number 4 Page McGregor
  • Winger for Knights is number 6 Autumn-Rain Stephens-Daly
    Winger for Dragons is number 5 Madison Bartlett
  • Five-Eighth for Knights is number 17 Kirra Dibb
    Five-Eighth for Dragons is number 6 Taliah Fuimaono
  • Halfback for Knights is number 7 Tahlulah Tillett
    Halfback for Dragons is number 7 Rachael Pearson

Forwards

  • Prop for Knights is number 10 Annetta-Claudia Nu'uausala
    Prop for Dragons is number 8 Elsie Albert
  • Hooker for Knights is number 9 Krystal Rota
    Hooker for Dragons is number 9 Keeley Davis
  • Prop for Knights is number 16 Phoebe Desmond
    Prop for Dragons is number 10 Kezie Apps
  • 2nd Row for Knights is number 11 Rangimarie Edwards-Bruce
    2nd Row for Dragons is number 12 Shaylee Bent
  • 2nd Row for Knights is number 18 Maitua Feterika
    2nd Row for Dragons is number 15 Kody House
  • Lock for Knights is number 13 Charntay Poko
    Lock for Dragons is number 13 Holli Wheeler

Interchange

  • Interchange for Knights is number 14 Emma Manzelmann
    Interchange for Dragons is number 14 Quincy Dodd
  • Interchange for Knights is number 15 Charlotte Scanlan
    Interchange for Dragons is number 18 Renee Targett
  • Interchange for Knights is number 19 Kyra Simon
    Interchange for Dragons is number 21 Aliti Namoce
  • Interchange for Knights is number 22 Kararaina Wira-Kohu
    Interchange for Dragons is number 22 Alexandra Sulusi

Reserves

  • Replacement for Knights is number 11 Chantelle Graham
    Replacement for Dragons is number 20 Shellie Long

Match Officials

  • Senior Review Official: Matt Noyen

Last updated:

Key match-up

Krystal Rota v Keeley Davis: Two dummy halves at the opposite ends of their careers but still so influential to their sides. The last time both these players met in 2019, Davis was on international debut for the Jillaroos while Rota was playing in her 10th Test match for New Zealand. Both bring a similiar style of play for their sides and can move into the lock role if needed during the match.

Stat attack

Newcastle are proving difficult to stop in stages of their matches with 76 tackle busts ranking them second behind Brisbane and just ahead of the Dragons (68). Defensively though they're struggling in comparison to the Dragons with 89 total missed tackles the past three weeks compared to the Red V's 59.

And another thing

Rachael Pearson's long kicking game is proving a nightmare for rival teams with the Dragons playmaker accurate with yardage off the boot.

Pearson's strike from a kick-restart was rated 93% according to Sportable while she was able to produce 43.1 metres.

Acknowledgement of Country

National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.

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