Match Discussion: Round 19 vs Melbourne @ McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal

[ryan.a87]

Losses: Thompson, Elliott, Hetherington, KPP, Frizell (maybe)
Gains: Saulo, Hola, Crouch

If you think that's an improvement good luck to you, but it's over 700 games of first grade experience being replaced by 70.

It looks a bit better if Friz hangs around obviously.

You failed to mention the salary cap savings in your comparison

the 5 players we are losing is about 30% of our cap

 

[perverse]

You failed to mention the salary cap savings in your comparison

the 5 players we are losing is about 30% of our cap

We're not really talking about cap savings here, we're talking about forward depth. So it's not surprising that it's not brought up.

Having said that, where have we better spent it in your mind?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Leo, Hetherington, KPP, Elliott, possibly Friz. All replaced with fringe first graders (and that might be generous - they're reserve grade players). In fact to my eye, going from Round 1 this year to Round 1 next year we may have JSaf and Lucas as the only survivors from the starting pack.

You can sit around and debate the value of these players, but it's hard to say we're moving forwards depth wise. We're going to be leaning on a tonne of youth and a few hope and prayers.

I guess it's the perspective of what we are letting go and what is coming in.

All of the guys we are losing have been part of the 2025 failure to some degree. Injuries have killed us yes but we were losing the middle even when those guys were fit. Leo has been Ok and KKP has had his moments but as a net result it's been sub par.

Inversely our middle has actually looked better with young guys like McEwen and ESL stepping up. Add in Saulo, Crouch and Hola and I think the argument for youth is a good one. We are arguably short another experienced middle but that can be covered if Frizz resigns which I think he will.

Add to this the graduation of a few of our Flegg middles into Cup to backfill the NRL graduates

All in all it's a refresh that I'm hopeful for based on what I've seen in the 2nd half of this year

 

[Yosh]

To be fair it's been our spine that's been letting us down this season. The backs are as good as any on their day and the forwards have been doing well holding the line but the spine is letting us down every single game.

I think we are shooting ourselves in the foot if we let go of all the senior players because the squad needs experience and direction on and off the field. Gagai and Frizz should/need to be resigned. I sincerely hope we sign Papa. Brown and Sharpe will bring points to the team but which spine player will bring direction? Ponga isn't the type. I still think we need a proper hooker who will guide us around the park.

 

[Zoidberg]

Barry Toohey saying Lucas did a lisfranc injury like Ponga, out for the season. Seriously?!!!

 

[Knight Tales]

Barry Toohey saying Lucas did a lisfranc injury like Ponga, out for the season. Seriously?!!!

of course!

 

[Nuke]

Are we in any way surprised?

 

[slotmachine]

You'd go through a whole season without seeing one lisfranc in the whole comp and we cop two, plus Sharpe butchering a few internal organs for good measure. Just put this season in the bin.

 

[Yosh]

Barry Toohey saying Lucas did a lisfranc injury like Ponga, out for the season. Seriously?!!!

What? Crazy......

 

[Woody90]

Leo, Hetherington, KPP, Elliott, possibly Friz. All replaced with fringe first graders (and that might be generous - they're reserve grade players).

I guess where we differ is that I’m not sure a lot of the blokes we’re losing are genuine first graders now either, but we’re paying them a lot of money to be. Just because you play first grade, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a first grader or would be at a club that’s not the Knights.

Hetherington’s a reserve grader, KPP has potential but I wouldn’t say what he’s shown is much, if any better than a fringe first grader, Leo’s a first grader, but has been reserve grade level at best this year, Friz unfortunately could be argued has regressed a lot. Elliott’s a hard one, I rate him but he’s also injured so much it’s hard to place him.

Nobody is denying we’re losing experience, but are any of those blokes really offering significant more than fringe first grade level at the moment to justify the salary difference? I personally don’t think so.

If all of them were happy to stay on salaries similar to the blokes we’re bringing in, or even a bit higher, of course my preference would be to keep the guys we already have, but at the end of the day we’re not going to ever get ahead if keep paying average or slightly above average players high wages.