Newcastle Knights veteran Steve Simpson and reborn centre Adam MacDougall have today both been scrubbed from Saturdays crucial NRL billing against the Cronulla Sharks with both players unable to overcome injury.
For Simpson it is a strained ankle which occured at training earlier in the week, his place in the squad to be taken by 18th man Mark Taufua with Chris Houston likely to come into the run-on side.
NSW Cup utility Marvin Karawana comes into the centres to replace MacDougall, who has failed to recover from a calf strain picked up in last week’s win over Penrith.
In-form playmaker Kurt Gidley will take over the captaincy in place of Simpson.