Knights centre Dane Gagai is set to return from injury when Newcastle take on Melbourne Storm at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
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The 260-game veteran, who has missed the side's past two games due to an ongoing foot problem, believed to be plantar fasciitis, was named to play in the 5.30pm fixture in the only change to the team that beat Wests Tigers last week.
Enari Tuala drops out of the team but remains in the extended match squad.
Gagai was named to face the Tigers last week but was withdrawn a day before Friday's match.
Knights coach Adam O'Brien declared the 32-year-old an almost certain starter for Saturday's game after Newcastle's 34-18 victory, declaring he would be "right for next week".
After scoring consecutive victories for the first time since rounds one and two last year with their 66-0 thumping of Canterbury and win over the Tigers, Newcastle head into their clash with O'Brien's former side carrying some confidence and momentum.
They will be hoping to snap an 11-game overall losing streak against the Storm and secure their first win over the Craig Bellamy-coached outfit since 2015, and first at home since a year earlier.
But Melbourne, who are placed third, have won four of their past five games, including downing Sydney Roosters 30-16 last round. Bellamy named an unchanged side on Tuesday for the game.
Former Knights player and Singleton product Josh King starts at lock for the Storm, while Swansea's Grant Anderson, who has made a handful of NRL appearances this year, was left out of Melbourne's 22-man match squad.
O'Brien has retained Jack Hetherington despite the forward being sin-binned for the second time in three games last week.
Newcastle's NRLW side take on St George Illawarra before the men's match on Saturday, kicking off their season opener at 3.10pm.
Knights starting side
1 Kalyn Ponga (C)
2 Dom Young
3 Dane Gagai
4 Bradman Best
5 Greg Marzhew
6 Tyson Gamble
7 Jackson Hastings
8 Daniel Saifiti
9 Phoenix Crossland
10 Leo Thompson
11 Tyson Frizell (C)
12 Lachlan Fitzgibbon
13 Adam Elliott
Interchange bench
14 Kurt Mann
15 Jacob Saifiti
16 Jack Hetherington
17 Mat Croker
Extended match squad
18 Dylan Lucas
19 Enari Tuala
20 Brodie Jones
21 Hymel Hunt
22 Adam Clune
