KALYN Ponga and Connor Watson may no longer be teammates or share a house but they won't have to wait long to get reacquainted, with the Knights to take on the Roosters in the opening round of the 2022 NRL season.
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Ponga and Watson are best mates and lived together for almost three years in Newcastle.
Watson ended the living arrangement when he turned down a new deal with the Knights to return to the Sydney Roosters, where he made his debut.
In a mouthwatering proposition, the pair will face off at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, March 12.
As well as Watson, the Knights are likely to be without halfback Mitchell Pearce, who has requested a release from the final year of his contract to join French club Catalans Dragons.
Compensating for the losses is the return of Queensland and Australian centre Dane Gagai.
Knights coaching staff have started preparations for 2022, with the majority of the NRL squad to assemble on November 10 for the start of pre-season training.
The Knights-Roosters clash is among a host of blockbusters to launch the new campaign.
Newly minted Dally M Medalist Tom Trbojevic will square off against his biggest challenger for the games' best, player Nathan Clearly on opening night at Bluebet Stadium on Thursday, March 10.
In Friday night footy, Adam Reynolds will take on his old club for the first time when the Broncos host South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium.
The Raiders host the Sharks in the earlier game.
The Knights' game kicks off Super Saturday at 3pm and is followed by the Warriors verses the Dragon at Sunshine Coast Stadium, before the Tigers welcome the Storm to Commbank Stadium.
Craig Bellamy has never lost a round-one game as coach of the Storm, but he will be without suspended duo Cameron Munster and Brandon Smith, who both copped one-game bans for the white-powder incident in Queensland. Melbourne have also lost Dale Finucane, Nicho Hynes and Josh Addo-Carr to rival clubs.
The opening weekend will be completed with two games on Sunday.
The Parramatta Eels host the Gold Coast Titans, before the new-look Bulldogs, led by Matt Burton, Paul Vaughan, Tevita Pangai jnr, Matt Dufty and Addo-Carr, tackle the Queensland Cowboys.
The full 2022 NRL draw is expected to be released in coming days.
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James Gardiner
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
James Gardiner, chief football and rugby writer at the Newcastle Herald.
