One forced change and the return from suspension of Andrew Fifita, are the only alterations to the Sharks line up for the match against the Knights on Sunday.
Sosaia Feki damaged a medial ligament in his knee in the game with the Dragons last week and will miss up to four weeks, with Nathan Stapleton, a more than capable replacement, called into the Sharks NRL side.
As for Fifita, his inclusion is a welcome boost to a Sharks team who like their round four opponents the Knights are winless through three matches and desperate to break their 2014 duck.
Otherwise coach Peter Sharp has tweaked, rather than significantly changed his team for Sunday’s clash, with Bryce Gibbs and Tupou Sopoaga reverting to the bench, Fifita and former Dragon Matt Prior moving into the starting 13.
Sopoaga has been chosen on a five-man interchange bench, with Sharp to determine his final 17 closer to Sunday’s game.
The Sharks will be looking to continue their improvement from last week, when a Cronulla team still under strength due a long list of injured players, were able to extend the Dragons in going down by just two points.
As for their opponents the Knights, a crippling penalty count cruelled their chances in Monday night football down in Melbourne to leave them without a victory so far this season, following on from losses against the Panthers and Raiders.
The game against the Knights is scheduled for Hunter Stadium in Newcastle on Sunday, with kickoff at 3.00pm. The match will be telecast from 4.00pm on Channel 9.
Round 4 team List
Sharks v Knights
March 25, 2014
Hunter Stadium
Kickoff – 3.00pm
1 Michael Gordon
2 Nathan Stapleton
3 Blake Ayshford
4 Ricky Leutele
5 Jonathan Wright
6 Todd Carney
7 Daniel Holdsworth
8 Andrew Fifita
9 John Morris
10 Sam Tagataese
11 Matt Prior
12 Wade Graham (c)
13 Chris Heighington
INTERCHANGE
14 Isaac De Gois
15 Tinirau Arona
16 Bryce Gibbs
17 Siosaia Vave
19 Tupou Sopoaga
