Twin peaks for Saifiti brothers in Newcastle bashup

It is 28 years and 316 days in the making and so appropriate the city of Newcastle will feature the Saifiti twins in their first-ever clash on opposite sides of a rugby league field.

Their mother Bev might have to cover her eyes when Jacob, in the Knights corner, takes on new Dolphins enforcer Daniel on Thursday night.

The former Newcastle teammates have played their entire careers through juniors for the Knights and Fiji. Not once have they stared into each other's eyes on a footy field as enemies.

It will be personal, as all forward confrontations are in the NRL.

"It's silly to say that it's just another game," Knights coach Adam O'Brien said.

"It's not - it's two twins (sic) coming up against each other but it'll be over very quickly once they come into contact early in the game.

"I don't think either party is going to think too much about it ... just get on with the game and away they go.

"Bev, their mum, might be a little bit different, I think both guys will want to have a good performance."

O'Brien added them tackling each other won't be a unique experience.

"Jacob might have said, 'I've tackled him a billion times at training'," the coach grinned.

Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf is expecting fireworks but nothing foolhardy.

"Daniel knows how to assert his authority without crossing the line and Jacob will be wanting to do the same thing," Woolf said.

"It will be good seeing those two blokes tee off on each other. It will be enjoyable to sit back and watch. They are both very good players and big tough men who play nice and physical through the middle.

"They are very close. Jacob was up (in Redcliffe) not too long ago and I got to catch up with him at Daniel's. It was great seeing them together and seeing how close they are."

The Dolphins had a disrupted preparation ahead of their 16-14 loss to South Sydney away last week due to Cyclone Alfred, after the wild weather robbed them of a home game. This week has been no different.

The club's training fields at Redcliffe were flooded so they flew to Newcastle on Monday night to prepare. The city has been accommodating with the Dolphins training at the Knights' former base at Wests Mayfield.

Woolf said players and staff had risen to all challenges.

"I have been really impressed with them. They have been great," he said.

"We've had to move 40-odd people around the country and across a couple of cities. It is difficult for everyone. A lot of people at the club have gone outside their usual jobs and done it well and done it willingly."Oryn Keeley, formerly at the Knights, will start in the back-row after the Dolphins lost Connelly Lemuelu (face fracture) and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (concussion) from the Rabbitohs clash.

"Oryn is a local boy and I know he is really excited. He won't let us down," Woolf said.