Round 14 NRL tips: Joey's 'nasty' Knights prediction floors Brad Fittler as under-manned side faces 17th place oblivion
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Immortal Andrew Johns remains one of Newcastle's most passionate supporters but even he is struggling to keep the faith in his downtrodden Knights.
Adam O'Brien's undermanned and under-fire side face the inconsistent Manly Sea Eagles in the opening game of round 14 on Thursday night and, in a rare condemnation of his club, Johns can't bear to pick them.
Speaking to Brad Fittler for Wide World of Sports' Freddy and the Eighth's Tips, Johns was eager to move past the Knights v Sea Eagles game without offering any analysis, having tipped Manly, but one word from Freddy - "nasty" - prompted a brief explanation.
Fletcher Sharpe (centre) is one of the few Knights players shining in 2025. Getty
"Well, the last three games at home, the Knights have been beat(en) pretty easy," Johns said, turning to the camera with a look of exasperation.
The three games Johns was referring to included a 28-6 dusting at the hands of the Eels, a 24-20 loss to the lowly Titans and a 34-14 defeat to the Sharks.
Those three games have come amid a run in which the Knights have won just twice in 11 outings.
And the hits keep on coming, with a string of the Knights' best forwards in the casualty ward for their clash with Manly, forcing them to field a starting front row featuring Tyson Frizell and Brodie Jones, while the likes of Leo Thompson (suspended), Jacob Saifiti, Jack Hetherington and Adam Elliott are sidelined.
Fittler said "I just don't know how that's going to compete with the Sea Eagles" after listing the makeshift props named.
Johns added further to his explanation for tipping against the Knights in his column for The Sydney Morning Herald.
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"Injuries have hit them so hard with Jacob Saifiti (calf), Adam Elliott (biceps) and now Leo Thompson (suspension) all missing up front. Without their left edge of Bradman Best (hamstring) and Greg Marzhew (knee), they're struggling to get going at the start of sets," he wrote.
"But Kalyn Ponga is back from a quiet Origin outing and Newcastle need to get him good early ball. It's time for Adam O'Brien to stick with a spine and stop chopping and changing, so whenever they're fit, keep Ponga at the back, Sharpe at five-eighth and Jack Cogger at halfback."
For the record, O'Brien has named a spine of Ponga, Sharpe, Cogger and Crossland to face the Sea Eagles.
Should Johns' prediction, which is shared by the rest of Nine's expert tipsters, come to fruition, the Knights could conceivably finish the weekend in 17th position, anchoring the ladder.
Scroll below for the current leaderboard and Round 14 tips by all Nine's expert tipsters!
Nine's NRL tipping leaderboard. Nine
Andrew Johns: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
Brad Fittler: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
Danika Mason: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Warriors, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
Darren Lockyer: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
Paul Gallen: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Eels
Mat Thompson: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Eels
Peter Psaltis: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
David Middleton: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
The Mole: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Sharks, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
Ben Glover: Sea Eagles, Storm, Dolphins, Warriors, Broncos, Raiders, Panthers, Bulldogs
