Knights vs Dragons
Round 16 2026, Friday 19 June 2026
Verdict: Knights by 14
KnightsDragons
Result: Knights 22 defeated Dragons 20 ✓ Tip correct
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Fri 19 Jun, 8:00pm AEST
- Venue
- McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Ladder going in
- Knights 7th, Dragons 17th
- Referee
- Gerard Sutton
- Crowd
- 19,092
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Knights 100%0% Dragons
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Knights | ✓ |
| Chris Barrett | Knights | ✓ |
| Zoe Samios | Knights | ✓ |
| Zac Bailey | Knights | ✓ |
| Frances Howe | Knights | ✓ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Knights | ✓ |
| Billie Eder | Knights | ✓ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Knights | ✓ |
| Dan Walsh | Knights | ✓ |
| Andrew Johns | Knights | ✓ |
| Emma Kemp | Knights | ✓ |
| Neil Breen | Knights | ✓ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knights | 7th | WWWWL | -1.4 |
| Dragons | 17th | LLLWL | -11.3 |
Last five games
Knights
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 14 | at Storm | L 30–32 |
| Round 13 | v Eels | W 28–22 |
| Round 11 | at Titans | W 36–12 |
| Round 10 | at Dragons | W 44–10 |
| Round 9 | v Rabbitohs | W 42–38 |
Dragons
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 14 | at Sharks | L 12–34 |
| Round 13 | at Broncos | W 30–26 |
| Round 12 | v Warriors | L 12–30 |
| Round 11 | at Panthers | L 6–28 |
| Round 10 | v Knights | L 10–44 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 10 | Dragons v Knights | 10–44 | WIN Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 13 | Dragons v Knights | 20–6 | Jubilee Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 5 | Knights v Dragons | 30–10 | McDonald Jones Stadium |
Team lists
Knights
- 2 Dominic Young Winger
- 3 Dane Gagai Centre
- 4 Bradman Best Centre
- 5 Greg Marzhew Winger
- 6 Fletcher Sharpe Fullback
- 7 Dylan Brown Halfback
- 8 Jacob Saifiti (c) Prop
- 9 Phoenix Crossland Hooker
- 10 Trey Mooney Prop
- 12 Thomas Cant 2nd Row
- 13 Mat Croker Lock
- 14 Harrison Graham Interchange
- 15 Tyson Frizell (c) Interchange
- 17 Cody Hopwood Interchange
- 18 Fletcher Hunt Reserve
- 19 Francis Manuleleua 2nd Row
- 20 Sandon Smith Five-Eighth
- 21 Tyson Gamble Reserve
- 22 James Schiller Reserve
Coach: Justin Holbrook
In Bradman Best, Cody Hopwood
Out Dylan Lucas, Fletcher Hunt, Jermaine McEwen, Kalyn Ponga, Pasami Saulo
Dragons
- 1 Clinton Gutherson Fullback
- 2 Setu Tu Winger
- 4 Valentine Holmes Centre
- 5 Mathew Feagai Winger
- 6 Daniel Atkinson Five-Eighth
- 7 Kyle Flanagan Halfback
- 8 Loko Jnr Pasifiki Tonga Prop
- 9 Damien Cook (c) Hooker
- 10 Toby Couchman Prop
- 11 Dylan Egan 2nd Row
- 12 Hamish Stewart 2nd Row
- 13 Ryan Couchman Lock
- 14 Jacob Liddle Interchange
- 15 Luciano Leilua Interchange
- 16 Josh Kerr Interchange
- 17 Blake Lawrie Interchange
- 18 Emre Guler Reserve
- 19 Tyrell Sloan Centre
- 21 Lyhkan King-Togia Reserve
Coach: Dean Young
Numbers as named by each club on nrl.com. Changes are measured against the club's previous game.
Why the model leaned this way
Going in, Knights rated -1.4 and Dragons -11.3 on our scale, a gap of 9.9 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Knights
- Tries Fletcher Sharpe 5', Fletcher Sharpe 8', Sandon Smith 54'
- Goals 3/3, pen Sandon Smith 38', Sandon Smith 40'
- Half-time 16
- Dragons
- Tries Valentine Holmes 24', Tyrell Sloan 32', Setu Tu 60', Dylan Egan 70'
- Goals 2/4
- Half-time 12
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.