Arguably the match of the round – and the tightest in terms of head-to-head odds – is saved for last, with plenty on the line for both teams.

Newcastle has won seven straight but could still miss the playoffs, while Cronulla remains in the top-four hunt.

The seventh-placed Knights are just one point behind the Sharks and could surge into the top four themselves if the Storm were to lose their last two.

With Kalyn Ponga is sizzling touch again and hat-trick hero Greg Marzhew the stud in another tremendous collective three-quarter line display, the Knights overwhelmed imploding Souths 29-10 as underdogs last Sunday.

After a July slump, the fifth-placed Sharks have turned things around in impressive style with convincing wins over the Rabbitohs (26-16), Titans (36-6) and Cowboys (32-12).

Nicho Hynes has rediscovered his mojo and Connor Tracey has been a superb fullback fill-in.

Knights halfback Jackson Hastings (ankle) is back on deck, bumping handy fill-in Adam Clune to the reserves in their only change and the Sharks are unchanged from last week.

Cronulla grafted out a 26-6 win in Round 12 at Coffs Harbour – its third straight win over Newcastle by an 18-plus margin.

Last season’s final-round 38-16 result snapped the Sharks’ three-match losing streak at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Knights deserve to be $1.67 favourites at home by virtue of their winning streak, during which they’ve averaged 36.4 points for and just 12.3 against.

It’s another huge opportunity for the Sharks to shed their flat-track bully reputation for good and grab some crucial pre-finals momentum, but Knights are the real deal and should ride the support of a packed house to another statement win.

The post Newcastle Knights vs Cronulla Sharks Tips and Odds – NRL 2023 Round 26 first appeared on JustBetting.com.au.