KEY POINTS:
The Warriors will go to Newcastle without three of their regular line-up after the suspension of backs Tony Martin and Michael Witt yesterday for a dangerous throw-tackle.
Fullback Wade McKinnon serves out the second week of his ban for pushing referee Jason Robinson during the match against Souths, while Witt and Martin miss just this one game after their indiscretion against the Sharks.
Martin was deemed the more responsible for the lifting tackle on former Warrior Misi Taulapapa and admitted a grade two charge, while Witt pleaded guilty to a grade one offence.
Martin gets a discount on his ban because he had not been before the judiciary for seven years, whereas Witt had carry-over demerit points from his time at Manly.
Into the line-up come Lance Hohaia, after injury, and George Gatis and Corey Lawrie, who were shunted out last weekend to make way for the return of Jerome Ropati and Louis Anderson.
Hohaia is back after suffering a serious head gash then a left-leg problem and goes to right-centre to replace Martin, after playing the first four games of the season on the left side.
Gatis gets the bench hooker spot back while Ropati, who had it last weekend, shifts to his normal position of five-eighth. Lawrie is favoured over Epalahame Lauaki, who goes to the Auckland Lions.
The Knights have further injury problems in the halves, where they have struggled since the retirement of Andrew Johns in early April.
Their young playmaker, Jarrod Mullen, has been struggling for some weeks with a leg problem, which forced his late withdrawal from the game lost 30-16 to the Bulldogs on Sunday. He had a bone scan on Monday which ruled out a stress fracture. He will have muscle and ligament scans to determine the exact problem.
Mullen said yesterday that the pain was subsiding and he hoped to play on Saturday. Coach Brian Smith had told him he would have until the last minute to prove fitness, Mullen said. But a club spokesman said, "If there's any risk [of aggravating the injury] he won't be playing."
The Knights have been without fullback David Seage, who has a knee injury, so regular five-eighth Kurt Gidley has been playing in the No 1 jersey, with utility Daniel Abraham in No 6. Now Abraham is also out, with an ankle injury, so another utility, Riley Brown, comes in to five-eighth.
Rugby convert Mark Taufua has earned a start, and Matthew White is dropped.
Former Aucklander George Carmont has been struggling with asthma and has not played for three weeks, but is expected back in the Knights' midfield next week.
Wairangi Koopu will play for the Auckland Lions against the Knights' reserve grade side on Saturday after a long recovery from a shoulder injury. Wing Michael Crockett remains some weeks away from a return after his shoulder problem.
Meanwhile, the Tigers have booked Benji Marshall for shoulder surgery tomorrow even though they will not know until today, following scans, whether or not he needs it.
Club officials said it was suspected Marshall had a fracture and would be able to play later this season, rather than needing reconstruction that would take him out all year.
The Tigers come to Mt Smart next Sunday but will be without centre/second rower Danny Galea, who was suspended for three weeks yesterday on a tackle charge.
Bulldog Matt Utai is out for 12 weeks with a compound leg fracture.
KNIGHTS vs WARRIORS
Energy Australia Stadium, 7.30pm Staurday
Knights:
1.Kurt Gidley
2.Todd Polglase
3.Adam MacDougall
4.Brad Tighe
5.James McManus
6.Riley Brown
7.Jarrod Mullen
8.Josh Perry
9.Danny Buderus (c)
10.Clint Newton
11.Steve Simpson
12.Mark Taufua
13.Kirk Reynoldson
Interchange: Cory Paterson, Kade Snowdon, Daniel Tolar, Adam Woolnough.
Warriors:
1.Patrick Ah Van
2.Todd Byrne
3.Lance Hohaia
4.Simon Mannering
5.Manu Vatuvei
6.Jerome Ropati
7.Grant Rovelli
8.Ruben Wiki
9.Nathan Fien
10.Steve Price (c)
11.Louis Anderson
12.Logan Swann
13.Micheal Luck
Interchange: George Gatis, Evarn Tuimavave, Sam Rapira, Corey Lawrie.
