The Knights look to solidify their place in the top eight when they take on cellar-dwellers St George Illawarra in Newcastle on Friday night.
Newcastle Knights vs St George Illawarra Dragons
Newcastle come into this match off the back of a bye, before which they lost a close one to the Melbourne Storm.
They'll still be pleased with their recent form overall, having won four in a row prior to that and climbed to seventh on the ladder.
No such feelings for the Dragons, who have just one win from their last 17 matches in the NRL. Most recently they were put away 34-12, and also had a bye last week.
Leg 1 - Knights 13+
These two sides met in early May and the result was a 44-10 hammering, where the Knights raced out to a 32-0 half-time lead.
Little has shifted for either club over the last six weeks, so a similar result can be expected.
The Dragons still have the most porous defence in the competition, while Newcastle have continued to sharpen their attack and improve since then.
Leg 2 - Over 49.5 Points Total
This is a match that screams points, and it's not just because their last meeting produced 54 of them.
The Knights have scored an average of 36 points a game over their last five outings, while the Dragons have leaked 28 or more points in all but two fixtures this season.
Pair these two trends, and a high-scoring encounter beckons.
Leg 3 - Fletcher Sharpe to Score
In a one-sided match like this, players who see plenty of ball are a good bet to score opportunistic tries, particularly when they have the pace of Sharpe.
Expect the Knights' five-eighth to run himself in during the latter stages of the match, as the Dragons attempt to shut down Newcastle's more high-profile backline threats.
Same Game Multi
Knights 13+ / Over 49.5 / Sharpe to Score = $5.50
Value Bet
Young has two hat-tricks already in 2026, against the Bulldogs in Round 4 and the Titans in Round 11.
The last time these teams met, he nearly picked up another, ending on two tries.
Facing the weakest edge defence in the competition, Young should finish off plenty of the Knights' attack.
