04

[Terminator]

Will the Knights improve on this years effort?

 

[roopy]

I'm thinking we will be better next year, but a lot of the young blokes will take till 2005 before they are ready to star.
I think the 2005 team will be totally different to the 2003 team. It will be a forward dominated side with clever and skillfull backs like Kidley, Witt, Tahu, Quinn, and a few more we haven't seen yet taking advantage of all the room made by a powerhouse 10 man forward pack (the Joey era will be remembered for the brilliant backs and a steady forward pack).

 

[Terminator]

Music to my ears!

 

[Risa]

If the injury toll reduces we will do a hell of a lot better. We need a team like this:

1. O'Davis
2.Tahu
3. M Gidley
4. Hughes
5. MacDougall
6. K Gidley
7. Johns (c)
8. Perry
9. Buderus
10. Parsons
11. Simpson
12. Abraham
13. Kennedy

Bench:

14. Woolnough
15. Newton
16. Ennis
17. M Kennedy

The bench I'm not too sure about. I just thought Ennis might be good as he's a hooker and he's killing it in premier league. He's a lot better than Quigley.

 

[MadDog]

steve witt as well. saw him at the 7's in Feb and he and hindmarsh were the main reason that the eels won it.

he'll be very good for us next year

 

[NC]

As long as our key players don't get serious injuries I'm sure we'll do alot better next season.

 

[Anonymous]

As long as our key players don't get serious injuries I'm sure we'll do alot better next season.

Agreed.

This is what I would like to see us work on in the off-season:

1. Our kicking game and chase.

We need to refocus our kicking game away from bombing and cross field kicks, and get it back to a dominant field position tactic. More balls along the ground to try and gain a line drop out, and more kicks into the opposition 10 metres and in-goal area to setup a tight defensive line. Both Andrew and Kurt need to work on this. We also need to work on the chase, Kurt Gidley is a fine kick chaser but we need to move as a unit. Perhaps get Matt Johns to assist here, he wasn’t a good kicker as far a length was concerned, but he understands how precious field position is and why you need to defend with your attack.

2. Defence

We need to adjust to the current style of the game, the Knights line needs to move much faster as a single unit and our sliding needs to be worked on as well. Communication and leadership in the forwards by our senior guys can fix this. In my experience, practice and more practice is the only thing that will turn this problem around. Injuries are another factor, but we should have a club wide system that each player understands, that will alleviate that issue.

3. Ruck Dominance

Two things here. We need to fight in every tackle to make sure that we are either in a position to play the ball quickly or we are pressuring the referee to award us a penalty. Too many times this year our guys have allowed themselves to be dominated. Secondly, we need to develop a system whereby our markers rotate as the third man into a tackle, we need to put players on their backs and we need to halt the opposition’s momentum at the advantage line. Fitness and drill work on this is required.

Three issues for mine are what we need to fix. The kicking is the easiest that is a mind set change. Defence is much harder to improve on, and ruck dominance is difficult as well. Concerted effort on those areas is required even at the expense of skill work and videos. We simply cannot afford to go into the semi-finals next year with a negative for and against.

Our attack is good, but without those three items above laying the platform, we are no chance of beating anyone.

 

[Whats Doing]

With Joey playing, a lot of the football is unstructured but the Knights were able to play this football well due to his brillance. When he is not there, it is quite evident there needs to be more stucture and shape in our play with players running at angles into the defence to create opportunities and space for the outside men. The Roosters clearly showed how to do this well which created havoc in the Knights defence and the knights with or without Joey need to have support players running these angles to be a match for them and others next year.

 

[antonius]

I think next season will be one of transition for us. During the season I was more concerned about our forward power, but it has become more, and more apparent that Roopy is correct in saying we are light on in the backs. Next year will see the emergence of the young forwards who were promoted this year, added with Perry, Abes, Simmo, Hopefully BK, they will start to settle into first grade footy. some of the backs though are rapidly approaching middle age so to speak. O'Davis is just not the dynamic fullback of old which is understandable he's nearing the end of his time,he's safe but that's it, he's no longer a great kick return fullback that he was. Hughesy has had a poor season by his standards, and needs to pick up considerably to warrant a first grade spot next season. Even though injured I don't think Johns was as influential as we've been used to, in some games he just seemed like he didn't want to be there. I don't know if it's his personal life or what, but he was below par this season in club games anyway. I think next year Young should be tried at fullback, Kidley will only get better with experience, if not we will have Witt who may slot in there. I'd like to see Ennis given a run in first grade also. The main targets for improvement has to be Fitness, and defence, the Knights used to be one of the fitest teams going around, they can no longer lay claim to that IMO., and that would have a lot to do with the sides often abysmal defence, in some games it was embarasing. So I see next year as a year of blooding some young backs, the forwards consolidating on this years experience, and hopefully Johns getting that spark back.

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

The forwards look set for next year at least .But some of the bench boys need to toughen up.Id love to see some mongrel there
Dare i say it but......Joey needs to give the rep stuff away
He has nothing to prove there and he only has 2 years left before England calls.Really the state of origin games only matter once they come around but the Premiership means more to the players and supporters who win the comp.Im sure he would like one more before he retires.
Robbie has one year to go but we could use that to blood another Fullback as well. I really feel we need to free up some some money for a good centre so that doogs can go back to the wing.
Five- eight will be a problem until someone steps up
We have a great backline when fully fit[glad rudder is going-let in 2 tries in the semi]But to often they werent there.
Lots of things need to improve but a fully'Joey' makes a damn big difference

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

The forwards look set for next year at least .But some of the bench boys need to toughen up.Id love to see some mongrel there
Dare i say it but......Joey needs to give the rep stuff away
He has nothing to prove there and he only has 2 years left before England calls.Really the state of origin games only matter once they come around but the Premiership means more to the players and supporters who win the comp.Im sure he would like one more before he retires.
Robbie has one year to go but we could use that to blood another Fullback as well. I really feel we need to free up some some money for a good centre so that doogs can go back to the wing.
Five- eight will be a problem until someone steps up
We have a great backline when fully fit[glad rudder is going-let in 2 tries in the semi]But to often they werent there.
Lots of things need to improve but a fully'Joey' makes a damn big difference

 

[~bedsy~]

As has been said we just need to be not so injury prone.... I think we did pretty well for a team that has had the worst injuries for the year.

 

[cheerleader_chick]

With Timana and Joey back, we will dominate the table! 8)

 

[princess plj]

next yr will be a completley different year. we now know that if joey does continue playing rep that we can cope without him when he is not there. hopefully 2004 will bring bigger and better things and less injuries for the knights as a whole........i think next yr is a big year as lot of players go off contract and it will be the last of the knights as we know them and who knows what the future is going to bring.....i think the boys have learnt a lot from this year especially proved themselves and next yr will see a stronger team who will hopefully be able to cope and rise to the occassion that the season will bring and who knows maybe we can bring home the minor premiership and have a grand final win.