Newcastle Knights coach Adam O’Brien has named his first team of the 2023 season ahead of their round one clash with the Warriors on Friday.
With Dane Gagai out due to injury, Hymel Hunt and Enari Tuala have joined the backline.
Four new faces have been named to start including Adam Elliott, Jackson Hastings, Jack Hetherington and Lachlan Miller.
The game against the Warriors in Wellington will also see the official debut of captain Kaylyn Ponga as five-eighth.
The team travelled down the M1 to Sydney late yesterday ahead of their flight across the ditch.
The team will take the field on Friday in a one-off jersey bearing the logo of the John Hunter Children’s Hospital, thanks to Knights Platinum partner Palmerbet which will later be auctioned to raise money for ‘The John’ and the work it does for children in need from across the region – from the Central Coast to the Central West and North West to North Coast.
The Knights will be hoping for a repeat after winning the first two matches in 2022 and the Warriors losing their first two.
Kick-off is at 6pm AEST on Friday.
| 1 | Lachlan Miller* |
| 2 | Hymel Hunt |
| 3 | Enari Tuala |
| 4 | Bradman Best |
| 5 | Dominic Young |
| 6 | Kalyn Ponga (c) |
| 7 | Jackson Hastings* |
| 8 | Daniel Saifiti |
| 9 | Jayden Brailey (c) |
| 10 | Jacob Saifiti |
| 11 | Tyson Frizell |
| 12 | Lachlan Fitzgibbon |
| 13 | Kurt Mann |
| 14 | Phoenix Crossland |
| 15 | Adam Elliott* |
| 16 | Jack Hetherington* |
| 17 | Leo Thompson |
| 18 | Jack Johns |
| 19 | Tyson Gamble |
| 20 | Brodie Jones |
| 21 | Dylan Lucas |
| 22 | Bailey Hodgson |
*Denotes Knights Debut