KALYN Ponga is expected to pick up where he left off after being named to play five-eighth for Newcastle against North Queensland in Townsville on Saturday night.
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Knights coach Adam O'Brien has opted to put Ponga straight back into the play-making role he switched to over summer despite calls for him to be moved back to fullback.
The Newcastle co-captain returns from a five-game concussion layoff to make his 100th NRL appearance against the Cowboys, the club he debut for as a boom 18-year-old back in 2016.
Ponga, now 25, hasn't played for Newcastle since suffering a head knock against Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval in round two.
The Knights gallantly won that game, in which they also lost hooker Jayden Brailey after he too suffered a concussion, and have since recorded two wins, two losses and a draw without Ponga.
Brailey was ruled out for the season last week with a torn ACL, adding extra significance to the return of Ponga and prop Jacob Saifiti from suspension this week.
"Kalyn's a massive presence," teammate Kurt Mann said on Tuesday.
"Everyone knows what he can do on the field.
"As a leader ... he is going to be really important at that aspect of the game as well.
"Just being ... one of our generals around the field.
"Really happy to have him back and can't wait to see him out there."
Ponga's return has pushed Tyson Gamble, who played five-eighth in his absence, back to the bench.
Mann, who filled the bench utility role in recent weeks, moves back to lock.
He is expected to spend some time at dummy-half, where Phoenix Crossland will start as he did in the 16-15 loss to Penrith last Saturday in place of Brailey.
Elsewhere, a leg injury has kept Brodie Jones out of the side while Jack Johns has also dropped out of the 17.
The Knights have not won in Townsville since 2015 and have lost nine of their past 10 games in the city.
But they may have their best chance in years to break the losing streak with the home side struggling and set to be without co-captain Jason Taumalolo, who is out for four to six weeks with a knee injury.
Saifiti isn't expecting the Knights to gain much advantage from the forward's absence, predicting a tough contest against last year's preliminary finalists who sit second last after two wins and five losses in 2023.
"They're going to be very desperate," he said.
"I saw [Cowboys prop] Reuben Cotter ... said it just takes one win for them to turn it around and I believe that as well.
"They're still a very dangerous side even with all the injuries, so we're definitely going to have to be our best.
"Like I said, we're expecting a very desperate and a Cowboys side at their best."
Saifiti said the Knights were yet to directly discuss Taumalolo's absence, but he highlighted the strength of the Cowboys' back-line.
"We haven't really talked about them too much," he said. "Obviously being in the middle, I'm not going to miss tackling him.
"But at the same time they're still dangerous.
"Their back five [players], I believe are the best in the comp - beside our back five - at getting out of trouble."
The 123-game prop, back from a five-week ban he copped for a high shot in round two, said he was raring to go on Saturday after a gruelling block of training while sidelined.
He is expecting to come off the bench and was named to do so.
"Leo has done a great job with Daniel up front so I can't see why he won't hold his spot," Saifiti said.
"Whatever my role is, I'm excited to do. I can definitely add something off the bench.
"We haven't started our second halves as good as we should have.
"I've played off the bench a lot [in the past] and started a lot of the second halves, I've got a lot of experience at that so I'm pretty confident I can do it."
Saifiti couldn't pinpoint why Newcastle's record is so poor in Townsville.
"I don't know to be honest, a lack of confidence, it's a big trip," he said.
"But I think we've shown we're a completely different side to what we have been in the past so I don't think that's going to be an issue.
"Any team that goes up there, they play in the hot, so I can't use that as an excuse."
Prop Jordan McLean was named to return for the Cowboys, making up for the loss of Taumalolo.
Knights (vs Cowboys)
1. Lachlan Miller
2. Dominic Young
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Kalyn Ponga (C)
7. Jackson Hastings
8. Daniel Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Leo Thompson
11. Tyson Frizell (C)
12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
13. Kurt Mann
Bench
14. Tyson Gamble
15. Jacob Saifiti
16. Mat Croker
17. Jack Hetherington
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