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Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights Preview & Tips - Wests to make winning start to NRL season

Ryan Tucker

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Last updated: 06 Mar 2025

Ryan Tucker 06 Mar 2025

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Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights expert predictions for Friday’s Round 1 NRL game
Wests aim to end their five-year Round 1 drought against Knights
Key players like Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva are crucial for Tigers' success
Take Tigers on the moneyline

Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights Preview
Head to Head
Wests Tigers Form
Wests Tigers Team News
Wests Tigers Team List
Newcastle Knights Form
Newcastle Knights Team News
Newcastle Knights Team List

Wests Tigers vs Newcastle Knights Preview

Wests Tigers haven't won a Round 1 game in five years, but that can end with the hosts tipped to defeat Newcastle Knights at Campbelltown Stadium.

Take the Tigers on the moneyline and to go over their team total. Sunia Turuva is the best bet for tryscoring markets.

Based on last season’s scoring stats the Tigers are projected to scored at least 20 pts.
The Knights have allowed 20+ points in their past two round 1 games.
Newcastle’s right side defence allowed the highest percentage of tries last season at 41%.
Sunia Turuva scored 16 tries in 20 games last season.

Head to Head

Newcastle have a dominant winning record in this head to head having taken the last 6 games straight as well as 8 of the last 12 played since the beginning of the 2019 season.

5 of the last 8 games have gone Under the Game Total with the winning margin between these teams in the last 6 years being 13+ more often than not.

Wests Tigers Form

The Tigers have a huge weight of expectation on their shoulders coming into 2025 after another off-season of good recruiting.

They have won the wooden spoon three years in a row and have not played finals since 2011 with the club going through a lot of turmoil both on and off the field.

With winning pedigree now in the lineup through Jarome Luai, Sunia Turuva, Api Koroisau, Terrell May and more the fans are expecting big things from the club that has delivered so little since the merger in 2000.

Wests ranked last in points per game last season with 19.3 scored per outing while they allowed their opponents the most points at 31.3 per game. This coincided with the 3rd highest opposition run metre rate at 1523 m per game.

Wests Tigers Team News

Fullback Jahream Bula has not recovered in time to take his place in the starting lineup and is replaced by Heath Mason at the back. Sunia Turuva and Jeral Skelton both make their club debuts on the wings with Brent Naden out injured.

Jarome Luai is the halfback following his move from Penrith while Terrell May slots in at prop alongside Fonua Pole and Tallyn Da Silva with Api Koroisau serving the last game of his suspension.

Latu Fainu is 18th man with new recruits Jack Bird and Royce Hunt each taking a spot on the pine.

Wests Tigers Team List

1. Heath Mason

2. Sunia Turuva

3. Adam Doueihi

4. Solomona Faataape

5. Jeral Skelton

6. Lachlan Galvin

7. Jarome Luai

8. Terrell May

9. Tallyn Da Silva

10. Fonua Pole

11. Samuela Fainu

12. Alex Seyfarth

13. Alex Twal

Interchange

14. Tristan Hope

15. Royce Hunt

16. Jack Bird

17. Sione Fainu

Reserves

18. Latu Fainu

19. Charlie Staines

20. Kit Laulilii

21. Tony Sukkar

22. Reuben Porter

Newcastle Knights Form

The Knights scraped into the eight last season on points differential after winning four of their last five games. They were bundled out in the first round of finals by North QLD 28-16 in Townsville.

They had one of the best ATS records of any club last season going 16-9 thanks mainly to their defence where they ranked 6th in the league in opposition points, giving up just 21.5 per game.

With ball in hand it was apparent how the constantly shifting spine made things difficult as Newcastle ranked 2nd last in the league in average points scored with just 19.4 per game.

Newcastle Knights Team News

Fletcher Sharpe and Jack Cogger are the starting halves pair for Newcastle this season after much debate.

James Schiller comes onto the wing to fill the spot vacated by Sharpe. Jackson Hastings is in the reserves but Tyson Gamble is not even in the 22 after being the frontrunner to secure the 6 jumper.

Phoenix Crossland will start at hooker with Jayden Brailey coming off the bench.

Newcastle Knights Team List

1. Kalyn Ponga

2. James Schiller

3. Dane Gagai

4. Bradman Best

5. Greg Marzhew

6. Fletcher Sharpe

7. Jack Cogger

8. Jacob Saifiti

9. Phoenix Crossland

10. Leo Thompson

11. Dylan Lucas

12. Kai Pearce-Paul

13. Tyson Frizell

Interchange

14. Jayden Brailey

15. Jack Hetherington

16. Brodie Jones

17. Mathew Croker

Reserves

18. Thomas Cant

19. Will Pryce

20. Logan Aoake

21. Jackson Hastings

22. Adam Elliott

Verdict

Wests Tigers v Newcastle Knights

Tigers backed to win on the moneyline going over their team total. Sunia Turuva is the best bet for tryscoring with Luai creating space down that side.

Wests Tigers

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