Versatile outside-back Enari Tuala will replace Dane Gagai at right centre for Newcastle's season-opener against the Warriors on Friday.
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Despite not featuring in the pre-season fixtures, Tuala was on Tuesday named to come in and cover for Gagai, who picked up a hamstring injury in the side's recent trial loss to Parramatta.
Emerging rookie Krystian Mapapalangi was considered a chance to replace Gagai, but Knights coach Adam O'Brien has opted for Tuala, who played 21 games last season.
The experienced Hymel Hunt has been named to play his first NRL game since mid-2022, seemingly beating out Greg Marzhew on the left wing.
Marzhew, who joined the club late last year, wasn't included in the 22-man match squad.
O'Brien named new recruits Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliott to play despite neither taking part in the trials. Both will come off the interchange bench.
Elsewhere, the side is mostly as it was expected to be with Jackson Hastings and Kalyn Ponga in the halves, and Lachlan Miller to start at fullback a month after arriving from Cronulla.
Newcastle start as $2.55 outsiders for the match at Sky Stadium, while the Warriors are listed as $1.52 favourites.
Newcastle have never played at the Wellington ground, colloquially know as "The Cake Tin", and are coming off back-to-back trial losses.
They were hammered 36-14 by Parramatta a fortnight ago and went down 28-14 to Cronulla the week prior.
Ironically, it was the Warriors who they lost to that year, going down 26-22 in a thriller at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium.
Former Knight Mitch Barnett has been named to make his club debut for the Warriors.
The Wingham product signed with the New Zealand franchise last year for the next three seasons.
The match is being played in Wellington, rather than Auckland, due to a sponsorship deal the Warriors had in place prior the COVID-19 outbreak.
Knights starting side (vs Warriors)
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
Bench
14 Phoenix Crossland
15 Adam Elliott
16 Jack Hetherington
17 Leo Thompson
Extended match squad
18 Jack Johns
19 Tyson Gamble
20 Brodie Jones
21 Dylan Lucas
22 Bailey Hodgson
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