2001 Knights V 2012 Knights

[billy2]

1 Robbie O V Boyd - Boyd just
2 T V Aku - Aku just
3 Midley V T - Midley just (2001 was his worst year)
4 Hughes V Sau - close, But Sau on his best form
5 Doogs V Jimmy - Doogs
6 Rudder V Mullen - Mullen by a long way
7 Johns V Kidley - Johns by a long way
8 Parsons V Snowden - Snowden just
9 Buderus V Buderus - I'll go for young Buderus
10 Perry V Tui - Perry
11 Simmo V House - Simmo
12 Kennedy V Taia - Kennedy
13 Peden V Edwards - Peden

14 Obrien V Hilder - Hilder
15 Grief V Faas - Faas
16 Marquet V Costigan - Costigan
17 Abraham V Tetevano - Tetevano

Starting 13 in 2001 was stronger in the halves and forwards and slightly weaker in the backs. Current bench and especially the depth below the top 17 was is much stronger.

Joey would be the difference. 2001 side by 10.

 

[Silent Knight]

God I feel old. 2001 was my first year at University. If only Johns could have ended his career on his own terms. I saw the last game he ever played down in Canberra

That 2001 squad was phenomenal. The crowds, the Newcastle chant, the cameraderie and optimistic vibe around town. It was a good year to be alive. It was a golden age.

 

[Matt23]

1 Robbie O V Boyd
2 T V Aku - Aku
3 Midley V T - Midley
4 Hughes V Sau - Sau
5 Doogs V Jimmy - Doogs
6 Rudder V Mullen - Mullen
7 Johns V Kidley - Johns
8 Parsons V Snowden - Parsons
9 Buderus V Buderus - 2001 Vintage
10 Perry V Tui - Perry
11 Simmo V House - Simpson
12 Kennedy V Taia - BK
13 Peden V Edwards - Peden

14 Obrien V Hilder - Hilder
15 Grief V Faas - Faas
16 Marquet V Costigan - Costigan
17 Abraham V Tetevano - Abraham

Joey would have made the difference, 2001 by 8

 

[aqua_duck]

1 Robbie O V Boyd
2 T V Aku - Aku
3 Midley V T - Midley
4 Hughes V Sau - Sau
5 Doogs V Jimmy - Doogs
6 Rudder V Mullen - Mullen
7 Johns V Kidley - Johns
8 Parsons V Snowden - Parsons
9 Buderus V Buderus - 2001 Vintage
10 Perry V Tui - Perry
11 Simmo V House - Simpson
12 Kennedy V Taia - BK
13 Peden V Edwards - Peden

14 Obrien V Hilder - Hilder
15 Grief V Faas - Faas
16 Marquet V Costigan - Costigan
17 Abraham V Tetevano - Abraham[/B

Joey would have made the difference, 2001 by 8

I personally would have Snowden>Parsons, Parsons was a solid club prop, Snowden has NSW and test jumpers in his cabinet. Costigan will start at lock and I rate him above Peden, Edwards and Marquet would be close, and Cuthbertson would be ahead of Abes

 

[aqua_duck]

Oh and Bennett>Hagan by about 45 light years

 

[Yosh]

Anytime with Joey should be given the benefit of the doubt.

 

[red and blue]

I would have Hughes for Sau any day of the week. Hughes gave everything he had every time he went on that ground. He might not have been our greatest ever and he may not have had all the skills but when it comes to guts and determination Hughes wins over Sau hands down. Just my opinon.

 

[aqua_duck]

Hughes had more heart than Sau but if I was an opposition centre I know who I'd rather be marking, and it isn't Junior Sau

 

[RABK]

Prime Johns, BK and Bedsy = 2001 by 20+. Stop taking the piss fella's.

 

[Jobdog]

Yep, off-season is in full swing

 

[God-King Dean]

2001 had Rudder.

Daylight comes next.

 

[Coastbloke]

1 Robbie O V Boyd - Boyd just
2 T V Aku - Aku just
3 Midley V T - Midley just (2001 was his worst year)
4 Hughes V Sau - close, But Sau on his best form
5 Doogs V Jimmy - Doogs
6 Rudder V Mullen - Mullen by a long way
7 Johns V Kidley - Johns by a long way
8 Parsons V Snowden - Snowden just
9 Buderus V Buderus - I'll go for young Buderus
10 Perry V Tui - Perry
11 Simmo V House - Simmo
12 Kennedy V Taia - Kennedy
13 Peden V Edwards - Peden

14 Obrien V Hilder - Hilder
15 Grief V Faas - Faas
16 Marquet V Costigan - Costigan
17 Abraham V Tetevano - Tetevano

Starting 13 in 2001 was stronger in the halves and forwards and slightly weaker in the backs. Current bench and especially the depth below the top 17 was is much stronger.

Joey would be the difference. 2001 side by 10.

This is what happens when you have a off season...

 

[RHCP]

2001 team won the premiership, if the 2012 team can do that it will be time for comparisons.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Hughes had more heart than Sau but if I was an opposition centre I know who I'd rather be marking, and it isn't Junior Sau

I reckon Hughes would run rings around Sau. He was a bloody good centre and could probably take sau easily in defence.

Whilst talking about Hughes and his heart. How good did he play for that series for NSW when he played fullback. He was solid as a house and copped all sorts of punishment but just kept goin like the true champ he was.

 

[Big Pete]

The Hughes selection was a lot like Kidleys.

He wasn't terrible, but he came up with a few errors and should not have been selected before Hodgson.

 

[Johns Magic]

Hughes had more heart than Sau but if I was an opposition centre I know who I'd rather be marking, and it isn't Junior Sau

Sau can't pass to save his life, but makes up for it by being so damaging close to the line that he scored...4 tries in 21 games this year. Almost as good as his 7 tries the year before that, and his 6 tries the year before that. That's a terrible strike rate for a centre.

Opposition centres obviously shake in their boots marking him...as must the opposite winger.

Sau has been all huff and puff the last few years in attack, though his work in carting it out of our end is good. It's time for him to start delivering on this supposed attacking potential he has.

He's no certainty to be in my starting 17 if I was to pick one today.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Just the point I was about to make JM

Jnr quite often takes the wrong option in attack, electing to take on the line too often when a simple draw and pass would have yielded far better results. Its easy to remember the times when it payed off, but the times he has butchered plays are far more numerous.

His defence is even worse. I have rarely seen a guy so short and powerful attempt to tackle so high and get pushed off so often. He has the build to cut players down with venom, why he chooses to defend the way he does baffles me.

His 1st year with us was great but oppositions have worked him out and he simply hasnt adapted to the change.

 

[perverse]

Sau is certainly more likely to make room for Tahu than Wes is.

however, Bennett did choose to re-sign Sau, too.

also, Boozey did the state proud... it was as gutsy an effort as you'll ever see at origin, regardless of whether he should have been there or not.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

It amazes me that anyone would state that they would choose Sau over Hughes. Hughes was far more of the complete player than Sau. Hughes could set up trys and actually score them. I have a feeling he actually was the knights top try scorer one year, but I could be wrong. Sau has it over Hughes for leg drive, but that is about it. The best thing about Hughes is, 99 times out of a hundred he would make the correct decision in attack or defence. Can we say the same thing about Sau?

 

[billy2]

It amazes me that anyone would state that they would choose Sau over Hughes. Hughes was far more of the complete player than Sau. Hughes could set up trys and actually score them. I have a feeling he actually was the knights top try scorer one year, but I could be wrong. Sau has it over Hughes for leg drive, but that is about it. The best thing about Hughes is, 99 times out of a hundred he would make the correct decision in attack or defence. Can we say the same thing about Sau?

Hughes was top tryscorer one year with something like 18.