VENUE & TIME: EnergyAustralia Stadium, Saturday 30 August, 5:30pm (AEST)
COVERAGE: Fox Sports
LAST TIME: Storm 18-4 Knights, at Olympic Park, Round 9, 2008.
WALKING WOUNDED: Newcastle suffered a massive blow last week when it lost inspirational skipper Danny Buderus (bicep) for the rest of this year's campaign, denying the departing hooker a fairytale send off. Zeb Taia (knee) and Cory Paterson (shoulder) are also unavailable. Melbourne has named an unchanged starting 13 and is hopeful second-rower Ryan Hoffman (ankle) may be back next week, but Dane Nielsen (shoulder) and long-term knee victims Will Chambers, Danny Vaughan and Ben MacDougall are all gone for the season.
FORM: The Knights may have stumbled a fortnight ago in Canberra against the Raiders, but that has been their only defeat in the past five weeks, with last week's 38-24 win over the Cowboys the latest of the victories and the two points keeping them eighth on the ladder. The Storm have now won four on the trot after belting Penrith 40-6 on Monday night, and have dropped the points just once in the past eight rounds, the only defeat coming in Round 20 when they travelled across the Tasman.
WHO'S HOT: Knights full-back Kurt Gidley has been the catalyst for his team's charge towards a possible finals berth, and was man of the match again last week against the Cowboys to grab a share of the lead in Sportal's NRL Player of the Year award with Manly skipper Matt Orford and Storm duo Billy Slater and Greg Inglis. Inglis grabbed his third hat-trick of the season at CUA Stadium, pouncing twice in the first half after kicks from Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith left the hosts all at sea in defence.
WE THINK: The stakes don't get any higher for the Knights, who are hanging on to eighth place but could be overtaken by the Eels, Warriors or Panthers if they get beaten. But the Storm have plenty to play for too, with their third straight minor premiership within reach. They have spent the week on the Central Coast in preparation for the game and won't show any mercy to a Newcastle side missing its departing captain. Unless Gidley, who is already in brilliant form, can step up another level the visitors should win comfortably. Storm by 18.
TEAMS:
Knights: 1. Kurt Gidley (c), 2. James McManus, 3. Junior Sau, 4. Adam MacDougall, 5. Wes Naiqama, 6. Jarrod Mullen, 7. Scott Dureau, 8. Daniel Tolar, 14. Matt Hilder, 10. Ben Cross, 11. Steve Simpson, 12. Cameron Ciraldo, 13. Mark Taufua
Interchange: 15. Jesse Royal, 16. Chris Bailey, 17. Matt White, 18. Chris Houston, 19. Akuila Uate
Storm: 1. Billy Slater, 2. Steve Turner, 3. Matt Geyer, 4. Israel Folau, 5. Anthony Quinn, 6. Greg Inglis, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Jeff Lima, 9. Cam Smith (c), 10. Brett White, 11. Michael Crocker, 12. Jeremy Smith, 13. Dallas Johnson
Interchange: 14. Aiden Tolman, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi, 18. Scott Anderson