2020/21 Offseason - Knights

[Mr_Knightside]

Yeah we’ve got a SOO and international second rower coming on board and a classy hooker coming back into the side after playing only 2 games this year and Pearce will be keen to have a better year especially as it’s a contract year so I think it’s more likely that we’ll improve rather than regress.

The halves situation is clearly the biggest question mark. I can’t see Pearce leaving before his contract is up so it’s really more of a question of who will be in the 6 jumper. Green would be good but we don’t know if he’ll actually play, otherwise we need to look for an opportunistic signing.

Maybe Nicho Hynes would be an option? He didn’t even get any game time on grand final day and I can’t see him getting a starting spot at Melbourne any time soon so might be a guy who would want to move.

 

[Yosh]

The faster Pearce leaves and we have two young halves who play second fiddle to Ponga the better.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

The faster Pearce leaves and we have two young halves who play second fiddle to Ponga the better.

Lol really mate?

Having 2 young halves would be a disaster. Penrith have gotten away with it cause theyve played together for years but even then it let them down in the end

 

[Yosh]

Lol really mate?

Having 2 young halves would be a disaster. Penrith have gotten away with it cause theyve played together for years but even then it let them down in the end

And that's worse than just keeping Pearce and extending his contract?

You know for sure that two young halves will 100% fail?

 

[Knight Vision]

And that's worse than just keeping Pearce and extending his contract?

You know for sure that two young halves will 100% fail?

2 young halves and moving towards our future success cant be worse that what Pearce was this year.

In almost all KPI's Pearce was a bottom 8 half this season.

 

[Knight76]

If we go two young halves, they better be future stars.

For mine, we have Pearce next season and the club should hold off re-signing him until he puts some form on the field. Pair him with a young half like Clifford and get him chiming in to the attack along with Ponga. Get Clifford doing some kicking and we are already light years ahead of where we were this year.

If Pearce doesn't work out next year, well Clifford has had a year to get up to speed with the squad and built some combinations, then bring in another half.

 

[Yosh]

If we go two young halves, they better be future stars.

For mine, we have Pearce next season and the club should hold off re-signing him until he puts some form on the field. Pair him with a young half like Clifford and get him chiming in to the attack along with Ponga. Get Clifford doing some kicking and we are already light years ahead of where we were this year.

If Pearce doesn't work out next year, well Clifford has had a year to get up to speed with the squad and built some combinations, then bring in another half.

Even if Pearce puts in a decent shift next season, he shouldn't be resigned. He'll revert back to his old self real quick after the extension.

 

[Knight76]

Even if Pearce puts in a decent shift next season, he shouldn't be resigned. He'll revert back to his old self real quick after the extension.

Well from how OB is talking about him, he is planning on resigning him.

Certainly should be on much less coin though.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

If we go two young halves, they better be future stars.

For mine, we have Pearce next season and the club should hold off re-signing him until he puts some form on the field. Pair him with a young half like Clifford and get him chiming in to the attack along with Ponga. Get Clifford doing some kicking and we are already light years ahead of where we were this year.

If Pearce doesn't work out next year, well Clifford has had a year to get up to speed with the squad and built some combinations, then bring in another half.

We need our halves to play with some actual depth in 2021. One of the reasons that Green made us look better was because he had the players stand with more depth. It was great seeing players like Ponga and Best getting room to move with the ball in hand. I’m sick of seeing our centres etc slowly jogging in alignment next to the player with the ball. Get deep and run onto it!

 

[Loose Cannon]

We need our halves to play with some actual depth in 2021. One of the reasons that Green made us look better was because he had the players stand with more depth. It was great seeing players like Ponga and Best getting room to move with the ball in hand. I’m sick of seeing our centres etc slowly jogging in alignment next to the player with the ball. Get deep and run onto it!

This, this, this.

it took Green less than a minute to get depth into our play. We haven’t had anyone else capable of that in years.

 

[Knight Vision]

We need our halves to play with some actual depth in 2021. One of the reasons that Green made us look better was because he had the players stand with more depth. It was great seeing players like Ponga and Best getting room to move with the ball in hand. I’m sick of seeing our centres etc slowly jogging in alignment next to the player with the ball. Get deep and run onto it!

That goes with our forwards as well.

Noticable difference when Randall was dummy half though, he had the forwards running onto the ball quite nicely.

 

[Knight Vision]

Even if Pearce puts in a decent shift next season, he shouldn't be resigned. He'll revert back to his old self real quick after the extension.

I tend to agree. I'd be willing to see how he goes with a good 5/8 though.

100% he is not worth the coin he's on . Based on past years he'll be good for 6 great games with 6 total imploads at the end of the season and everything in the middle being deadset average.

 

[Jono078]

We need our halves to play with some actual depth in 2021. One of the reasons that Green made us look better was because he had the players stand with more depth. It was great seeing players like Ponga and Best getting room to move with the ball in hand. I’m sick of seeing our centres etc slowly jogging in alignment next to the player with the ball. Get deep and run onto it!

Green never played with Best - but point taken for sure.

Clifford seems to closer to signing by the day, so it makes me wonder what the plans are for Hoy, Mann, Crossland and Watson this off season.

Positive at least one of them will train at 5/8th to at least provide competition to Clifford, who is no guarantee to be better than any of them, despite how excited majority of us are about him joining us and the potential he has.

 

[League_God]

Green never played with Best - but point taken for sure.

Clifford seems to closer to signing by the day, so it makes me wonder what the plans are for Hoy, Mann, Crossland and Watson this off season.

Positive at least one of them will train at 5/8th to at least provide competition to Clifford, who is no guarantee to be better than any of them, despite how excited majority of us are about him joining us and the potential he has.

joey seems to think Crosslands will only ever be looked at as an option at hooker.

Watson literally can’t pass or kick.

So I’d say Mann and Hoy should spend the entire pre-season training to play in the halves. Hoy needs to get in the gym though

 

[League_God]

There was a post somewhere in this forum about knights fans overrating knights players. Well I think Tuala as a centre is hugely overrated by some on here. In particular defence is suspect. I think he’s a solid wing option but he fell off a few crucial tackles throughout the year.
Personally I think by the end of the year our best 1-5 will be;
1. Ponga
2. Lee/Toa
3. Best
4. Hunt
5. Young/Toa

Hunt may not be quite as elusive as Tuala but he is solid AF and I’d feel confident that he could handle any centre in the game defensively.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

joey seems to think Crosslands will only ever be looked at as an option at hooker.

That's probably only because he wants his best mate's boy as our 5/8

 

[Spot On]

This, this, this.

it took Green less than a minute to get depth into our play. We haven’t had anyone else capable of that in years.

... full- time professional rugby league and our side has been unable to play with some depth in attack.

Wow.

 

[Spot On]

Well from how OB is talking about him, he is planning on resigning him.

Certainly should be on much less coin though.

Could handle him playing here with someone holding his hand at 6 but would vomit at the thoughts of him being on even half the $$$ he is currently on.

 

[Knight Vision]

There was a post somewhere in this forum about knights fans overrating knights players. Well I think Tuala as a centre is hugely overrated by some on here. In particular defence is suspect. I think he’s a solid wing option but he fell off a few crucial tackles throughout the year.
Personally I think by the end of the year our best 1-5 will be;
1. Ponga
2. Lee/Toa
3. Best
4. Hunt
5. Young/Toa

Hunt may not be quite as elusive as Tuala but he is solid AF and I’d feel confident that he could handle any centre in the game defensively.

You're right about Hunt, very solid player who wont let anyone down.

Have to disagree with Tuala though, I saw enough effort and skill to suggest there's a good footy player there.and after his first full season and now with a grand total of 38 NRL games he will only get better. -

Same can be said for Shibasaki and Star Toa, they're kids just starting their journey. Not everyone is a freak like Best and I'd expect some inconsistency and mistakes from him over the next couple of seasons.

 

[Yosh]

I think it doesn't really matter at the moment who lines up in the outside backs. Only Best is nailed on. The others all offer something and they won't win or cost us a game.

On the other hand, we need to figure out our halves problem. That's priority number 1. We then need to figure out the depth problem in the forwards. Starting pack looks fericous but then it drops right off.

If Mann really does leave, I guess Watson, Crossland and Hoy will share the 14. That's fine but the earlier we get Watson/Mann sorted the better also.