Knights prop Daniel Saifiti is expected to make a remarkable recovery from a shoulder injury suffered last week and lead Newcastle's forward pack into battle with Canberra on Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 26-year-old partially dislocated his right shoulder in the 47th minute of Newcastle's 36-20 loss to the Dolphins on Friday and spent the remainder of the night with his arm in a sling.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien said after the game that the NSW Origin prop looked set for a stint on the sidelines, joining his suspended brother and a host of others in the injury ward.
"There wasn't much positive news ... from the [medical] staff, so it doesn't look great," O'Brien said.
But Saifiti was named on Tuesday to face the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium and is believed to be on track to make a shock return.
"I was pretty upset seeing him in the sling last week and just like everyone else, I was expecting the worst," Knights co-captain and hooker Jayden Brailey said on Thursday.
"It's really good to see he has bounced back from that shoulder injury really well.
"We've got a big training session today [and] a couple of things for him to tick off, but it will be good to have the big boy out there."
Saifiti's inclusion would be a huge boost for the Knights given their depleted player stocks and the big forwards they will come up against.
The Raiders are expected to be bolstered by the return of Samoa and Queensland warhorse Josh Papali'i, who has been named to start in the front-row and lead a pack also featuring New Zealand internationals Joseph Tapine and Corey Harawira-Naera, England veteran Elliott Whitehead and youthful firebrands Hudson Young and Corey Horsburgh.
"We're obviously not going to have Jacob, his twin brother out there out there with us, so he is a big part of our team and our pack," Brailey said of what Daniel's inclusion would mean for the Knights.
"That's their focal point and their strength as well, so we're going to need him out there and really excited to have him out there with us."
Saifiti, one of Newcastle's best last week before his injury - making 126 metres from 10 runs, is confident of getting up for the occasion, Brailey said.
"Everyone knows what D-Saf is like," he said.
"He is a very tough player and he'll be right.
"He will get on with it."
Saifiti played 47 minutes without being interchanged until injury ended his night, shouldering the load while Newcastle were without his brother and the big bodies of forwards Tyson Frizell (ankle) and Adam Elliott (groin).
Jack Hetherington and Leo Thompson also stepped up against the Dolphins, both starting, but the former reverts to the bench this week with Frizell named to start in the back-row and Kurt Mann, who also returns from a shoulder injury, at lock.
Hetherington said Newcastle would need to fight "fire with fire" against Canberra's forwards, who despite being outrun by Cronulla's pack on Sunday helped secure their side's first victory.
Horsburgh scored two tries and wound up Cronulla enforcer Royce Hunt.
"That's the sort of player he is," Brailey said of Horsburgh. "He wears his heart on his sleeve and is very passionate. I'm sure it will be no different this weekend."