Panthers vs Knights
Preliminary Finals 2026, Sunday 27 September 2026
Verdict: Panthers by 8
PanthersKnights
Result: Knights 22 defeated Panthers 14 ✗ Tip wrong
Match facts
- Kick-off
- Sun 27 Sep, 4:00pm AEST
- Venue
- Accor Stadium, Sydney
- Ladder going in
- Panthers 1st, Knights 7th
- Referee
- Gerard Sutton
- Crowd
- 57,102
- Weather
- Showers, good ground
How the experts tipped
Panthers 83%17% Knights
| Expert | Tip | Tip correct |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Baker | Panthers | ✗ |
| Chris Barrett | Knights | ✓ |
| Zoe Samios | Panthers | ✗ |
| Zac Bailey | Panthers | ✗ |
| Frances Howe | Panthers | ✗ |
| Christian Nicolussi | Panthers | ✗ |
| Billie Eder | Panthers | ✗ |
| Adrian Proszenko | Panthers | ✗ |
| Dan Walsh | Panthers | ✗ |
| Andrew Johns | Knights | ✓ |
| Emma Kemp | Panthers | ✗ |
| Neil Breen | Panthers | ✗ |
Going in
| Club | Ladder going in | Last five, oldest first | Model rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 1st | LWWWW | +9.6 |
| Knights | 7th | WLLWW | +1.4 |
Last five games
Panthers
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Finals Week 1 | v Roosters | W 19–12 |
| Round 27 | v Wests Tigers | W 38–10 |
| Round 26 | v Bulldogs | W 24–10 |
| Round 25 | at Storm | W 22–14 |
| Round 24 | v Roosters | L 6–12 |
Knights
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-Finals | at Warriors | W 12–10 |
| Finals Week 1 | at Rabbitohs | W 20–10 |
| Round 26 | at Warriors | L 32–46 |
| Round 25 | v Sea Eagles | L 24–44 |
| Round 24 | v Titans | W 36–26 |
Head to head since 2024
| Season | Round | Game | Score | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Round 8 | Knights v Panthers | 12–44 | McDonald Jones Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 23 | Knights v Panthers | 12–48 | McDonald Jones Stadium |
| 2025 | Round 12 | Panthers v Knights | 6–25 | Carrington Park |
| 2024 | Round 22 | Panthers v Knights | 22–14 | BlueBet Stadium |
| 2024 | Round 15 | Knights v Panthers | 18–26 | McDonald Jones Stadium |
Team lists
Panthers
- 1 Dylan Edwards Fullback
- 2 Thomas Jenkins Winger
- 3 Blaize Talagi Centre
- 4 Casey McLean Centre
- 5 Brian To'o Winger
- 6 Jack Cole Five-Eighth
- 7 Nathan Cleary (c) Interchange
- 8 Moses Leota Prop
- 9 Mitch Kenny Hooker
- 10 Lindsay Smith Interchange
- 11 Isaiah Papali'i Interchange
- 12 Liam Martin 2nd Row
- 13 Isaah Yeo (c) Lock
- 14 Jack Cogger Halfback
- 15 Scott Sorensen 2nd Row
- 16 Liam Henry Prop
- 17 Billy Phillips Interchange
- 18 Luke Garner Replacement
- 21 Freddy Lussick Reserve
Coach: Ivan Cleary
Knights
- 1 Kalyn Ponga (c) Fullback
- 2 Dominic Young Winger
- 3 Dane Gagai Centre
- 4 Bradman Best Centre
- 5 Greg Marzhew Winger
- 6 Fletcher Sharpe Five-Eighth
- 7 Sandon Smith Halfback
- 8 Tyson Frizell Prop
- 9 Phoenix Crossland Hooker
- 10 Cody Hopwood Prop
- 11 Jermaine McEwen 2nd Row
- 12 Francis Manuleleua 2nd Row
- 13 Mat Croker Lock
- 14 Harrison Graham Interchange
- 15 Lachlan Crouch Interchange
- 16 Pasami Saulo Interchange
- 17 Dylan Lucas Interchange
- 18 Fletcher Hunt Reserve
- 19 Thomas Cant Reserve
Coach: Justin Holbrook
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, Panthers rated +9.6 and Knights +1.4 on our scale, a gap of 8.2 points at a ground neither club calls home.
Scoring
- Panthers
- Tries Blaize Talagi 11', Lindsay Smith 38'
- Goals 2/2, pen Blaize Talagi 35'
- Half-time 14
- Knights
- Tries Francis Manuleleua 7', Dominic Young 41', Sandon Smith 58', Sandon Smith 79'
- Goals 3/4
- Half-time 6
Draw, teams and scoring: nrl.com match centre. Expert tips: The Sydney Morning Herald panel.