Knights vs Roosters
Round 21 2026, Friday 24 July 2026
Verdict: Roosters by 1
KnightsRoosters
Result: Roosters 23 defeated Knights 22 ✓ Tip correct
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Fri 24 Jul, 6:00pm AEST
- Venue
- McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
- Ladder going in
- Knights 6th, Roosters 3rd
- Referee
- Wyatt Raymond
- Crowd
- 21,313
- Weather
- Fine, good ground
How the experts tipped
Knights 17%83% Roosters
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Roosters | ✓ |
| Chris Barrett | Knights | ✗ |
| Zoe Samios | Roosters | ✓ |
| Zac Bailey | Roosters | ✓ |
| Frances Howe | Roosters | ✓ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Roosters | ✓ |
| Billie Eder | Roosters | ✓ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Knights | ✗ |
| Dan Walsh | Roosters | ✓ |
| Andrew Johns | Roosters | ✓ |
| Emma Kemp | Roosters | ✓ |
| Neil Breen | Roosters | ✓ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knights | 6th | WWWLL | -0.8 |
| Roosters | 3rd | LWWWW | +4.7 |
Last five games
Knights
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 20 | at Sharks | L 18–20 |
| Round 19 | at Rabbitohs | L 24–26 |
| Round 18 | v Dolphins | W 13–12 |
| Round 17 | v Wests Tigers | W 12–6 |
| Round 16 | v Dragons | W 22–20 |
Roosters
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Round 20 | v Storm | W 14–6 |
| Round 19 | v Eels | W 28–12 |
| Round 17 | at Broncos | W 24–18 |
| Round 16 | v Sharks | W 27–8 |
| Round 15 | at Dolphins | L 10–48 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Grand Final | Roosters v Knights | 19–18 | Accor Stadium |
| 2026 | Round 7 | Roosters v Knights | 38–24 | Allianz Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 15 | Knights v Roosters | 8–12 | McDonald Jones Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 6 | Knights v Roosters | 20–22 | McDonald Jones Stadium |
Team lists
Knights
- 2 Dominic Young Winger
- 3 Fletcher Hunt Centre
- 4 Bradman Best Centre
- 5 Greg Marzhew Winger
- 6 Fletcher Sharpe Fullback
- 7 Dylan Brown Halfback
- 8 Tyson Frizell (c) Interchange
- 9 Phoenix Crossland (c) Hooker
- 10 Trey Mooney Prop
- 11 Dylan Lucas 2nd Row
- 12 Francis Manuleleua 2nd Row
- 13 Mat Croker Lock
- 14 Sandon Smith Five-Eighth
- 15 Cody Hopwood Prop
- 17 Thomas Cant Interchange
- 18 Harrison Graham Reserve
- 19 Brodie Jones Interchange
- 20 Kyle McCarthy Reserve
- 21 Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana Interchange
Coach: Justin Holbrook
In Cody Hopwood, Fletcher Hunt
Out Brodie Jones, Dane Gagai, Kalyn Ponga, Lachlan Crouch
Roosters
- 1 James Tedesco (c) Fullback
- 2 Daniel Tupou Winger
- 3 Billy Smith Centre
- 4 Robert Toia Centre
- 5 Mark Nawaqanitawase Winger
- 6 Daly Cherry-Evans Five-Eighth
- 7 Sam Walker Halfback
- 8 Naufahu Whyte Prop
- 9 Reece Robson Hooker
- 10 Spencer Leniu Prop
- 11 Nat Butcher 2nd Row
- 12 Siua Wong 2nd Row
- 13 Victor Radley Lock
- 14 Hugo Savala Interchange
- 15 Salesi Foketi Interchange
- 16 Egan Butcher Interchange
- 17 Connor Watson Reserve
- 18 Cody Ramsey Reserve
- 19 Taylor Losalu Reserve
Coach: Trent Robinson
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 -0.8 and Roosters +4.7 on our scale, a gap of 5.5 points, plus 4.5 points for playing at their own ground.
Scoring
- Knights
- Tries Francis Manuleleua 22', Mat Croker 28', Dominic Young 47', Bradman Best 71'
- Goals 3/4
- Half-time 10
- Roosters
- Tries James Tedesco 14', James Tedesco 43', James Tedesco 58', Billy Smith 68'
- Goals 3/4
- Field goals Daly Cherry-Evans 77'
- Half-time 6
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.