Panthers vs Knights, 2020 NRL – Preview, Prediction, Team Squads and More

The Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights conflict at Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney on Saturday in round 3 of 2020 National Rugby League (NRL) activity.

This game is set to be one of the conflicts of the round as both the Penrith Panthers and the Newcastle Knights sit atop the competition with wins in both of the opening rounds.

The Panthers defeated reigning premiers the Sydney Roosters in round 1 20-14 preceding representing the St George Dragons late 32-28. The Knights have looked great over their initial two exhibitions belting the Warriors 20-0 preceding racking on 42 points against the Tigers in a 42-24 win.

Panthers vs Knights NRL Team News

Penrith Panthers expected to dig deep to come from behind to beat St. George Illawarra Dragons in their Round 2 game however thusly, they come into this challenge with two successes from two as they recover their season in progress.

The Panthers may think that its intense following they were hit by the suspension of key half Nathan Cleary after he disrupted lockdown rules which were seen faintly by the NRL and brought about a two-game boycott.

Matt Burton comes into the side and will partner Jarome Luai in the parts while the stretched break has been a welcome one for Kurt Capewell who has beaten a quad injury that will see him make his presentation for the Panthers.

Newcastle Knights created a splendid attacking display as they racked up a major score against Wests Tigers in their last game before the league was ended and they come into this game with a 100% record having dominated the two matches up until now.

The Knights had the option to post 42 points yet they will be missing a key attacking cog in this challenge after fullback Kalyn Ponga was given a one-game boycott for a shoulder charge in that challenge against the Tigers.

Tex Hoy will reinstate Ponga while Connor Watson comes in at hooker for the harmed Jayden Brailey who is out long term with a knee injury however there is a bad situation for new signing Andrew McCullough following his appearance from Brisbane Broncos.

The Newcastle Knights were distracted by Penrith in the final round of 2019 and David Klemmer depicted the outing home as one of the longest of his career.

Regardless of Kalyn Ponga’s suspension and Jayden Brailey’s season-finishing injury, the Knights have an extraordinary opportunity to move to 3-0 on the season.

Sione Mata’utia will play his first game of the 2020 NRL Premiership campaign, substituting the harmed Mitch Barnett, while newcomer Andrew McCullough will add veteran experience to a position where Newcastle have needed stability in years passed by.

In round one they held a team scoreless for the first time in six years and round two they scored 42 points to defeat the Tigers. Despite not having an extraordinary five-eighth outside Mitchell Pearce, the Knights resemble a team who can rack on points in 2020.

While the Penrith Panthers seemed as though an upbeat football team in the opening weeks of the season, for this game they appear to be somewhat dainty in key positions.

They will be without star halfback Nathan Cleary after he was suspended for his infamous TikTok incident, which sees Matt Burton come in for simply his second game in the seniors.

There are huge raps on Burton after a phenomenal introduction last season, yet this game presents an extraordinary challenge. Jarome Luai will likewise need to take on greater liability, which may constrain his effect due to having a rookie half inside him.

If the Panthers are to get the success, they should lean intensely on Api Koroisau at dummy-half. He gave Penrith another attacking measurement in the opening games and should play an immense role on Sunday, with Caleb Aekins supporting any odds he finds around the ruck.

For Penrith dummy-half Apisai Koroisau has given a truly necessary flash around the center of the park while halfback Nathan Cleary has worked superbly or planning the plays.

Because of team social distancing breaches, Cleary has acknowledged a two-match suspension with his conceivable substitution debutant Matt Burton. The diversity of the Panthers advances in that they have backrowers in Kikau, Yeo, and Fisher-Harris that can complete the work in the center yet also give a feasible edge option.

Utility Stephen Crichton additionally gives great positional coverage off the seat. The Panthers will likewise welcome back from injury Dylan Edwards who will like to resume his role at fullback.

Newcastle defeated the Tigers in their round 2 overseeing 42 points. Kalyn Pongas’ goal kicking left more potential points on the field overseeing only 5 from 8 attempts.

Knights finished 86% of their possessions running for a total of 1565 meters on 172 carries. Insignificant mistakes and a solid kicking game saw them dominate both the time in possession counts and the domain.

Knights have an altogether underrated team, which is obvious by the reality they can manage the cost of the advantage of players, for example, Connor Watson, Jacob Saifiti, Tim Glasby, and Aidan Guerra on their interchange roster.

Penrith Panthers vs Newcastle Knights

Date: Sunday, 31 May 2020

Start Time: 07:05 BST, 16:05 AEST, 2:05 AM EST

Venue: Campbelltown Stadium, Sydney

TV Channel/ Live Stream: Kayo Sports, Foxtel, Channel 9, NRL live pass, Sky Sports Arena (UK)

Panthers vs Knights NRL Prediction

Both Penrith Panthers and Newcastle Knights come into this game with two successes from two so far this season however the pair are missing a key player each. Nathan Cleary is absent for the Panthers while Kalyn Ponga is inaccessible for the Knights and their substitutions will have a lot of strain to perform. The two teams can scoring points having scored a consolidated 114 from their opening challenges of the campaign and this one could well transform into a shootout that sees at least 44 points.

Knights will be without Kalyn Ponga in this game as he serves suspension yet they have the players to fill the void of his misfortune. Mitchell Pearce has been one of the form parts in the game in the course of the last couple of seasons and with the ability on the seat for the Knights they can grind out a low scoring success.

Panthers vs Knights NRL Team Squads

Penrith Panthers Squad

1. Caleb Aekins 2. Dean Whare 3. Brent Naden 4. Matt Burton 5. Josh Mansour 6. Jarome Luai 7. James Tamou 8. Apisai Koroisau 9. Brian To’o 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Isaah Yeo 13. Stephen Crichton 14. Zane Tetevano 15. Kurt Capewell 16. Moses Leota 17. Liam Martin 18. Mitch Kenny 19. Kaide Ellis 20. Charlie Staines 21. Billy Burns

Newcastle Knights Squad

1. Edrick Lee 2. Enari Tuala 3. Gehamat Shibasaki 4. Tex Hoy 5. Hymel Hunt 6. Kurt Mann 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. Connor Watson 9. Daniel Saifiti 10. David Klemmer 11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 12. Sione Mata’utia 13. Chris Randall 14. Jacob Saifiti 15. Herman Ese’ese 16. Pasami Saulo 17. Tim Glasby 18. Aidan Guerra 19. Brodie Jones 20. Mason Lino 21. Bradman Best