NSW Cup 2026

Manuleleua gets an early mark. Involvement could've been higher (especially early) but once he decided he was the best player on the field there was nothing anyone else could do to stop that.
 
Someone must have told big Frank that his firstgrade bench spot was slipping away.
He ripped into them for 30 minutes or so.
 
Not many noteworthy names for the Rabbitohs so might be a bad measuring stick but it was a really positive performance from a pretty young Knights team across the board. In recent years they’ve reflected the NRL side: bad, and also mind numbingly boring. This team attacked the game from the opening whistle and played with a lot of confidence. Never really looked in danger of losing.

All of the ones you’d want to see pushing their claim for an NRL jersey (Hopwood, ESL, Arthur, Manuleleua) did just that.
 
52 - 10 fulltime
  • Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana 5'
  • Francis Manuleleua 38'
  • Kane Graham 45'
  • Connor Votano 48'
  • Tamakaimoana Whareaorere 57'
  • Francis Manuleleua 65'
  • Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana 70'
  • Jacob Davis 76'
  • Wilson De Courcey 79'
Mitch Henderson is back to the player he always was in lower grades for Knights and Canberra. I don't know what the story was last year that saw him cut from Canberra and pretty ordinary for the Knights, but he'll be hard to drop for the rest of the year.
 
Graham didn't play but Arthur had the best game I've seen from him. Played 70+ minutes (likely would've been 80 if the game wasn't already won). Didn't overplay his hand and had a hand in several tries. Played a big role in a couple that were bombed early, too.
 
Jeez I switched off after the Henderson drop from the kickoff that I thought would mean full-time. Don't know what I expected when I went back to see De Courcey's final try but it being set up by a Salesa-Leaumoana chip kick wasn't it.
 
Went to the game. Knights were a class above the bunnies, who looked more like a park footy team.

With 4 or 5 players to potentially come into the side our Cup boys might just be in for a decent year.
 
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