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Panthers Season in Review
Wins: 8
Losses: 16
Position: 16th last
Home Record: 3 wins, 9 losses (16th)
Away Record: 5 wins, 7 losses (=8th)
Best Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 2-3 and 23-24)
Longest Losing Streak: 5 (twice; rounds 4-8 and 13-17)
Players Used: 31 (8 debutants)
Player of the Year: Michael Jennings
Tries Scored (after 25 rounds): 94 (7th)
Tries Conceded (after 25 rounds): 104 (11th)
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IT was certainly a year to forget for the Panthers. New coach Matt Elliott came with high hopes of returning the team to the finals after two seasons away from the playoffs but his new structures were met with resistance out Penrith way, where a laid-back approach has been part of the culture for too long.
The result was a wooden spoon the second for the club in this decade and plenty of turmoil throughout.
Craig Gower has finally flown the coop; the pressure of the NRL and the scrutiny it brings was finally too much and he joins rugby union in France; Peter Wallace and Joel Clinton are heading to Brisbane and the club tried to send Luke Priddis and Tony Puletua on their way as well, although both have ended up staying.
Elliott wants more commitment and aggression from his side and hell need it to fully take advantage of arguably the best junior nursery in the world.
Where They Struggled Where didnt they struggle? The team had massive problems playing for 80 minutes. Lapses in games, usually late in either half, wiped away any chance of crucial victories and left Elliott pulling his hair out week after week.
The Panthers conceded more penalties per match than any other team with 7.79; the main culprits being Luke Lewis (22 penalties conceded, worst in NRL) and Frank Pritchard (20 conceded, third worst in NRL). Not surprisingly, this gifted oppositions more ball and put the side under the pump. They were the worst team in the NRL in finding space from long kicks, the second worst team at diffusing bombs, third worst at diffusing grubbers and the worst team at conceding tries up the middle and from dummy half.
Where They Excelled Sadly you couldnt say the Panthers excelled in any aspect.
Missing In Action Former Test lock Trent Waterhouse busted his leg and was restricted to just eight games; former Test winger Luke Rooney damaged his neck and managed just nine games and former Queensland Origin fullback Rhys Wesser missed 10 games with a foot problem.
Turning Point The finals were rarely in the sights of the Panthers due to two separate five-match losing sequences between rounds 4-8 and 13-17. A round 18 win against the Bulldogs allowed some hope of a late-season charge before back-to-back losses to St George Illawarra and Canberra sounded the finals death knell and sent them into a battle to avoid the wooden spoon, a war they lost with Newcastle in the final round.
Best Games Way back in rounds two and three, when the Panthers beat the Bulldogs and Broncos in successive weeks. After failing to trouble the scoreboard attendant in a round one loss to Cronulla, the Panthers faced a more fancied Bulldogs team full of stars but put them away emphatically to the tune of 40-10 at CUA Stadium to give their fans all sorts of false hope. Frank Pritchard played brilliantly in his first match back from a domestic stabbing incident, scoring a try and troubling the defence throughout, while Michael Gordon kicked eight from eight with the boot.
The following week the squad travelled to Brisbane and looked dead and buried after Justin Hodges scored four tries and they trailed by eight with five minutes remaining. But last-gasp tries to Michael Jennings and Rhys Wesser sent the game into golden point extra time, allowing Peter Wallace to step up and be a hero with a 44-metre booming field goal and a 29-28 win.
Worst Games There are seriously too many to choose from, with coach Matt Elliott suggesting the side was in control of as many as 10 matches it eventually lost. The most diabolical losses would have to be the nightmare games against the Cowboys (round 22) and Roosters (round 14) where they threw away victories in almost comical fashion.
Against the Cowboys they led by 10 with six minutes to go, only to lose in golden point, and against the Roosters they had the ball inside the final minute, with a two-point advantage, in the Roosters quarter, only to fumble the ball a few times and allow Craig Wing to send Mitchell Pearce off down the length of the field to steal the points.
Hold Your Head High In a season where the high-profile players struggled it was the youngsters who were the shining lights. Rookie Michael Jennings scored 15 tries to finish seventh overall in the NRL (plus 15 line breaks) while fullback Jarrod Sammut joined the side for the final five games and showed tremendous potential to average over 140 metres in his matches. Others like prop Tim Grant, Geoff Daniela and Junior Moors show there is hope for the future at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
Conclusion While the side was close to inept for most of the year you get the feeling better times are ahead. Petero Civoniceva is on his way to Penrith and Elliott has started to stamp his authority; he will have learnt what he needs to focus on in the pre-season.
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Source: NRL
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Knights Season in Review
Wins: 9
Losses: 15
Position: 15th
Home Record: 4 wins, 8 losses (=14th)
Away Record: 5 wins, 7 losses (=8th)
Biggest Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 1-2)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 (rounds 18-24)
Players Used: 37 (9 debutants)
Player of the Year: Kurt Gidley
Tries Scored (after 25 rounds): 75 (14th)
Tries Conceded (after 25 rounds): 124 (16th)
Watch the Knights Season in Review VOD
THERE was plenty of pain in 2007 for the Newcastle Knights. Even coach Brian Smith admitted the club was glad to see the end of the year; for most of the season they were looking for it all to finish so they could start afresh.
From the word go it was revealed the club had an extraordinary amount of players off contract and with a new coach, that ensured turnover would indeed be a big part of business.
Then, just three minutes into their season, Andrew Johns was felled high by Sonny Bill Williams and carried from the field another knock in training and some neck scans later and it was all over for the games best player, forced to retire before their round 5 clash.
A few weeks later, as it became apparent which players would be staying and which might be going, the tension within the club hit bursting point.
Clint Newton jumped ship mid-season and skipper Danny Buderus publicly claimed the volume of turnover was too much for player morale.
The emotion bubbled over and the plight of Kirk Reynoldson became the focal point of the last two months; the former Melbourne forward needed just one more game to activate a lucrative contract extension but was kept out of the side despite their run of losses.
In the end, with their second wooden spoon in the past three seasons beckoning, the Knight pulled out a fantastic last round win to claim 15th.
Where They Struggled Defensively the Knights were awful. They conceded the most points and tries in the competition; their left-side defence, middle defence and goal line defence were the worst in the NRL and they failed to really dominate their opponents, with their dominant tackles total the third worst in the league. Offensively they werent brilliant either, but with so much disruption in key positions thanks to injury, they had their excuses.
Where They Excelled There werent many high points for the Knights but they did manage to lead the league in long kick accuracy with an impressive 57.8 per cent of their long kicks finding space, although the distance of said kicks could improve. The young halves pairing of Jarrod Mullen and Luke Walsh should finally get some game time together in 2008 and a solid kicking game is a good foundation to build on. The Knights were also the best in the NRL at diffusing cross-field kicks.
Missing In Action The Knights were hit with plenty of injury dramas throughout the season but the main absentees were: Andrew Johns, who played just two games, one of which lasted three minutes; Danny Buderus only played 13 games; Jarrod Mullen just 12; and Steve Simpson missed five matches and Kurt Gidley missed four, although both played several games below 100 per cent fitness actually the majority of the Knights squad experienced pain killing needles in 2007.
Turning Point Obviously a seven-game losing streak towards the end of the season killed off the Knights slim finals chances, however the turning point for the Knights season came on Tuesday April 10 the day Andrew Johns retired from the game. From that point on it was going to be tough, and while they battled on for a while the cleanout of players ensured that tension remained amongst the playing group. Emotionally spent, the Knights were favourites for the wooden spoon into the final round, before a last-gasp win over the Wests Tigers saved them the ignominy.
Best Games The last-round effort against the Wests Tigers and a round 17 thumping of Smiths old club Parramatta were the highlights for the Knights. Away from home, on the back of seven straight losses, and against a side who needed to win to make the finals the Knights used everything they had to beat the Wests Tigers 26-24. The result wasnt clinched until after the siren, when a Kurt Gidley penalty goal sailed through the posts to effectively offload the wooden spoon to Penrith.
Two months earlier the Knights travelled to Parramatta on a Monday night and against the odds smashed the Eels 34-10, with Walsh and Buderus the masterminds. It was a glimpse of what the team was capable of when they were focused on the job at hand and should give fans some hope for next season. Special mention goes to the round 12 win over the Roosters, which came a week after the clubs heaviest defeat.
Worst Games There were countless poor efforts for the Knights. Johns farewell in Canberra when they lost 48-18, the drubbings by Melbourne (44-0), Warriors (52-10), Sea Eagles (50-16) and Panthers (46-12) also hurt but the biggest embarrassment was the 71-6 hammering at the hands of Brisbane. To be fair to the Knights, they were severely depleted that day and probably did well not to concede more points.
Hold Your Head High Kurt Gidley was outstanding for the Knights, particularly early in the season when he forced his way into Origin football with some dominant individual efforts. In his new position at fullback Gidley averaged 153 metres a game and looked dangerous every time he touched the football. Youngsters like second-rower Cory Paterson, halfback Luke Walsh and winger James McManus were impressive in their debut years which also give the Knights hope of a brighter future.
Conclusion Its a good thing 2007 finished when it did for the Knights, the place needed the break. Brian Smith has laid out his cards and now those left behind must do the best with what theyve been dealt. The necessary pain in the evolutionary cycle of the post-Johns era has begun, and the sooner they leave the baggage behind the better. Its a new dawn for Knights fans, players and officials alike and the time has come to embrace it.
Watch the Knights Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7412/Default.aspx
Dragons Season in review
Wins: 9
Losses: 15
Position: 13th
Home Record: 6 wins, 6 losses (=8th)
Away Record: 3 wins, 9 losses (14th)
Biggest Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 16-17)
Longest Losing Streak: 5 (rounds 2-7; bye round 6)
Players Used: 32 (11 debutants)
Player of the Year: Ben Creagh
Tries Scored (after 25 rounds): 78 (=11th)
Tries Conceded (after 25 rounds): 92 (9th)
Watch the Dragons Season in Review VOD
THE wheel of fortune didnt quite hit the bankrupt sector for St George Illawarra in 2007 but it certainly did rest on lose a turn.
Having lost plenty of experience in the off-season with the likes of Trent Barrett, Shaun Timmins and Luke Bailey moving on, a new-look Dragons gambled on Mark Gasnier making the move from centre to five-eighth.
Plenty of speculation and opinion surrounded the controversial move but in the end the experiment barely got off the ground when Gasnier tore his pectoral muscle in the pre-season Charity Shield.
The young team was forced to change its plans but the inconsistencies of youth and a mounting injury toll left the side outside the top eight for all but the first week of the competition.
Only a few gutsy wins kept them away from the wooden spoon.
Where They Struggled The Dragons were rough in a lot of facets but it was their discipline that ensured they would always struggle. The side was ranked 15th in penalties conceded, with 176 for the year, ensuring they were called on to defend plenty of repeat sets. The team also particularly struggled at diffusing cross-field kicks, managing to contain just 38 per cent, while their attack was far from lethal: with just 102 line breaks they were ranked 14th in the category.
Where They Excelled Was hard to find stats where the Dragons were great, although they did lead the league in one-on-one strips and were also impressive at diffusing chip kicks (100 per cent) and grubbers (89 per cent).
Missing In Action It was a tough year for the Dragons on the injury front. Mark Gasnier played just six games, all when the finals were nothing but a pipe dream; Mathew Head also suited up just a half dozen times before jetting off to Hull (although his exit was form-related rather than due to injury); Ben Hornby and Jason Ryles missed seven games each at crucial times while Simon Woolford missed six games early; Brett Morris lasted just two games, Dean Young just three, Wes Naiqama just nine and Ashton Sims only 12.
Turning Point It was pretty much over before it began for the Dragons after they suffered a five-match losing streak from rounds 2-7 (they had a round 6 bye) and were chasing the pack. While the club has fought back from bad starts before, this years model was continuously disrupted by injury and while they managed to get to the periphery of the finals zone late in the year, home losses to the Bulldogs (28-24, round 20) and Souths (24-14, rd 22) put the kybosh on any faint hopes.
Best Games In round 12 a severely depleted Dragons unit dug deep and knocked off the reigning premier Brisbane 11-4 at Oki Jubilee Stadium in an inspiring defensive display that gave the fans something to get excited about. Back-to-back wins in rounds 16 and 17 against Manly (26-22) and Canberra (58-16) were also impressive shame these type of performances were rare for the Red V.
Worst Games The Dragons were murdered in round four against arch rivals Cronulla, barely putting up a fight to lose 40-4 at Toyota Park. It was a loss the fans found hard to take, as the commitment to the cause was non-existent.
The round 9 loss to the Wests Tigers was also hard to swallow. The Dragons were in command until Mathew Head knocked on while placing the ball down for what should have been an easy try and a 14-6 lead in the second half. The error was compounded when he missed a tackle shortly after that led to a Tigers try and then the procession began for the 2005 premiers to win 27-8.
Hold Your Head High Ben Creagh was outstanding for the majority of the year and rightfully took out the St George Bank Medal for Player of the Year at the club. Playing in all 24 games Creagh worked tirelessly in every encounter and can in no way be blamed for their poor showing. Beau Scott stepped his game up a notch and became a regular first grader, while rookie Josh Morris was rewarded with a Country Origin jersey. Halfback Jamie Soward joined the team mid-season from the Roosters and immediately sparked the attack he showed he could occupy the No. 7 jersey for years to come.
Conclusion The Dragons gambled on the Gasnier /Head combination and it was a gamble that didnt pay off this season. With plenty of young talent streaming through the ranks, the side can certainly rebound from this season of woe but the question remains; do they have the killer instinct to do so?
Watch the Dragons Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7415/Default.aspx
Raiders Season in Review
Wins: 9
Losses: 15
Position: 14th
Home Record: 7 wins, 5 losses (7th)
Away Record: 2 wins, 10 losses (=15th)
Biggest Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 9-11; bye round 10)
Longest Losing Streak: 4 (rounds 14-17)
Players Used: 31 (5 debutants)
Player of the Year: Scott Logan
Tries Scored (After 25 rounds): 93 (8th)
Tries Conceded (After 25 rounds): 117 (15th)
Watch the Raiders Season in Review VOD
THE Raiders werent given much hope of success in 2007. So, while 14th-place looks like a hopeless failure that would be way too harsh an assessment of the Green Machine.
Up until the final rounds they were still a chance of being involved in finals football, something that seemed a mere fantasy after losing Jason Croker, Adam Mogg, Clinton Schifcofske, Jason Smith and Simon Woolford over the off-season.
Under rookie coach Neil Henry the Raiders showed plenty of spark, particularly in attack shame their defence had more leaks than the Titanic post-iceberg.
But the side shouldnt be discouraged. Injury and suspension played a part in the Raiders demise and with a bit of luck next season they will surprise many.
Young stars continued to gain in confidence the likes of Todd Carney, William Zillman and Bronx Goodwin turned heads while the consistency of Scott Logan, in his return to the NRL, was unexpected, but rightfully praised.
Where They Struggled
The Raiders main problem was tackling - only Newcastle let in more tries during the season - but they also had an issue with stopping tries from the boot conceding an NRL-high 31 tries to kicks.
They were also the 15th-ranked side when it came to diffusing attacking kicks altogether.
The Raiders right-side defence was particularly brittle. Opposing sides posted a massive 59 tries on the left side of the field (targeting the Raiders right defence) compared to 30 on the right.
Winning away from home also proved a massive hurdle. The Raiders won only twice on the road, against South Sydney and Penrith, and in the other 10 matches averaged a 35-10 loss.
Where They Excelled
Scoring points wasnt a big issue. The Raiders put on more tries and line breaks than half the competition and they had a respectable home ground record of 7-5.
Their long kick accuracy was second only to the Knights, and with a clean 100 the side led the NRL in the big tackles category.
Missing In Action
The Raiders original top-25 squad took an absolute battering.
Craig Frawley and Andrew Lomu moved to Brisbane mid year recruit Andrew Dunemann couldnt manage more than two games before early retirement Neville Costigan visited the judiciary and also broke his hand in Origin camp, while Matt Bickerstaff (knee played two games), Adrian Purtell (deep vein thrombosis 10 games), Phil Graham (knee 15 games), David Howell (groin nine games), Troy Thompson (wrist 15 games) and Brett Kelly (ankle nine games) all missed significant chunks of football due to injury.
Then there was the Todd Carney affair, where their chief playmaker had an enforced six-week holiday after driving without a licence and doing a runner from the Federal Police.
Turning Point
A four-game losing streak between rounds 14-17 broke the Raiders back.
After beating the Eels comfortably, at home, they lost three close games to Newcastle (22-18), North Queensland (28-24) and the Wests Tigers (22-16) before being smashed 58-16 by St George Illawarra.
While they recovered somewhat to win a few more games, it was this stretch that took the wind out of their sails.
Best Games
A round three 48-18 belting of Newcastle was right up there for skill, as were home wins against the Dragons (30-6), Eels (38-10) and Titans (56-10) but probably the most impressive was a close 26-24 victory over the Warriors in round 23.
The Kiwi-based side was in the midst of an impressive charge towards the top four and a gutsy Raiders outfit came from behind, with two late tries, to steal the points; the last try coming for prop Scott Logan in the dying minutes.
Worst Games
The loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium was disappointing, even considering most of the points came late in the match, while a 52-4 capitulation to the Bulldogs in round 22, when they were still a big hope of finals football, was probably the low point.
Hold Your Heads High
Prop Scott Logan was a pillar of strength and was aptly named Raiders player of the Year, while others like Glen Turner and Alan Tongue were consistent performers.
Fullback Zillman and half Carney both added touches of brilliance throughout the year.
Conclusion
Canberra is building a young team that has the potential to be a real threat in coming seasons.
The reality of this situation is the inexperience that comes with youth and with inexperience comes inconsistency.
For the lads from the nations capital 2007 was a necessary stepping-stone along the path to better football in years to come but just where does that path go next?
Watch the Raiders Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7416/Default.aspx
More to come of course... they're doing two teams per day moving up the ladder. Titans and Sharks next on the agenda. A general link to all previews: http://nrl.com.au/News/Features/FeatureArticle/tabid/77/NewsId/7413/Default.aspx
Panthers Season in Review
Wins: 8
Losses: 16
Position: 16th last
Home Record: 3 wins, 9 losses (16th)
Away Record: 5 wins, 7 losses (=8th)
Best Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 2-3 and 23-24)
Longest Losing Streak: 5 (twice; rounds 4-8 and 13-17)
Players Used: 31 (8 debutants)
Player of the Year: Michael Jennings
Tries Scored (after 25 rounds): 94 (7th)
Tries Conceded (after 25 rounds): 104 (11th)
Watch the Panthers Season in Review VOD
IT was certainly a year to forget for the Panthers. New coach Matt Elliott came with high hopes of returning the team to the finals after two seasons away from the playoffs but his new structures were met with resistance out Penrith way, where a laid-back approach has been part of the culture for too long.
The result was a wooden spoon the second for the club in this decade and plenty of turmoil throughout.
Craig Gower has finally flown the coop; the pressure of the NRL and the scrutiny it brings was finally too much and he joins rugby union in France; Peter Wallace and Joel Clinton are heading to Brisbane and the club tried to send Luke Priddis and Tony Puletua on their way as well, although both have ended up staying.
Elliott wants more commitment and aggression from his side and hell need it to fully take advantage of arguably the best junior nursery in the world.
Where They Struggled Where didnt they struggle? The team had massive problems playing for 80 minutes. Lapses in games, usually late in either half, wiped away any chance of crucial victories and left Elliott pulling his hair out week after week.
The Panthers conceded more penalties per match than any other team with 7.79; the main culprits being Luke Lewis (22 penalties conceded, worst in NRL) and Frank Pritchard (20 conceded, third worst in NRL). Not surprisingly, this gifted oppositions more ball and put the side under the pump. They were the worst team in the NRL in finding space from long kicks, the second worst team at diffusing bombs, third worst at diffusing grubbers and the worst team at conceding tries up the middle and from dummy half.
Where They Excelled Sadly you couldnt say the Panthers excelled in any aspect.
Missing In Action Former Test lock Trent Waterhouse busted his leg and was restricted to just eight games; former Test winger Luke Rooney damaged his neck and managed just nine games and former Queensland Origin fullback Rhys Wesser missed 10 games with a foot problem.
Turning Point The finals were rarely in the sights of the Panthers due to two separate five-match losing sequences between rounds 4-8 and 13-17. A round 18 win against the Bulldogs allowed some hope of a late-season charge before back-to-back losses to St George Illawarra and Canberra sounded the finals death knell and sent them into a battle to avoid the wooden spoon, a war they lost with Newcastle in the final round.
Best Games Way back in rounds two and three, when the Panthers beat the Bulldogs and Broncos in successive weeks. After failing to trouble the scoreboard attendant in a round one loss to Cronulla, the Panthers faced a more fancied Bulldogs team full of stars but put them away emphatically to the tune of 40-10 at CUA Stadium to give their fans all sorts of false hope. Frank Pritchard played brilliantly in his first match back from a domestic stabbing incident, scoring a try and troubling the defence throughout, while Michael Gordon kicked eight from eight with the boot.
The following week the squad travelled to Brisbane and looked dead and buried after Justin Hodges scored four tries and they trailed by eight with five minutes remaining. But last-gasp tries to Michael Jennings and Rhys Wesser sent the game into golden point extra time, allowing Peter Wallace to step up and be a hero with a 44-metre booming field goal and a 29-28 win.
Worst Games There are seriously too many to choose from, with coach Matt Elliott suggesting the side was in control of as many as 10 matches it eventually lost. The most diabolical losses would have to be the nightmare games against the Cowboys (round 22) and Roosters (round 14) where they threw away victories in almost comical fashion.
Against the Cowboys they led by 10 with six minutes to go, only to lose in golden point, and against the Roosters they had the ball inside the final minute, with a two-point advantage, in the Roosters quarter, only to fumble the ball a few times and allow Craig Wing to send Mitchell Pearce off down the length of the field to steal the points.
Hold Your Head High In a season where the high-profile players struggled it was the youngsters who were the shining lights. Rookie Michael Jennings scored 15 tries to finish seventh overall in the NRL (plus 15 line breaks) while fullback Jarrod Sammut joined the side for the final five games and showed tremendous potential to average over 140 metres in his matches. Others like prop Tim Grant, Geoff Daniela and Junior Moors show there is hope for the future at the foot of the Blue Mountains.
Conclusion While the side was close to inept for most of the year you get the feeling better times are ahead. Petero Civoniceva is on his way to Penrith and Elliott has started to stamp his authority; he will have learnt what he needs to focus on in the pre-season.
Watch the Panthers Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7411/Default.aspx
Knights Season in Review
Wins: 9
Losses: 15
Position: 15th
Home Record: 4 wins, 8 losses (=14th)
Away Record: 5 wins, 7 losses (=8th)
Biggest Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 1-2)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 (rounds 18-24)
Players Used: 37 (9 debutants)
Player of the Year: Kurt Gidley
Tries Scored (after 25 rounds): 75 (14th)
Tries Conceded (after 25 rounds): 124 (16th)
Watch the Knights Season in Review VOD
THERE was plenty of pain in 2007 for the Newcastle Knights. Even coach Brian Smith admitted the club was glad to see the end of the year; for most of the season they were looking for it all to finish so they could start afresh.
From the word go it was revealed the club had an extraordinary amount of players off contract and with a new coach, that ensured turnover would indeed be a big part of business.
Then, just three minutes into their season, Andrew Johns was felled high by Sonny Bill Williams and carried from the field another knock in training and some neck scans later and it was all over for the games best player, forced to retire before their round 5 clash.
A few weeks later, as it became apparent which players would be staying and which might be going, the tension within the club hit bursting point.
Clint Newton jumped ship mid-season and skipper Danny Buderus publicly claimed the volume of turnover was too much for player morale.
The emotion bubbled over and the plight of Kirk Reynoldson became the focal point of the last two months; the former Melbourne forward needed just one more game to activate a lucrative contract extension but was kept out of the side despite their run of losses.
In the end, with their second wooden spoon in the past three seasons beckoning, the Knight pulled out a fantastic last round win to claim 15th.
Where They Struggled Defensively the Knights were awful. They conceded the most points and tries in the competition; their left-side defence, middle defence and goal line defence were the worst in the NRL and they failed to really dominate their opponents, with their dominant tackles total the third worst in the league. Offensively they werent brilliant either, but with so much disruption in key positions thanks to injury, they had their excuses.
Where They Excelled There werent many high points for the Knights but they did manage to lead the league in long kick accuracy with an impressive 57.8 per cent of their long kicks finding space, although the distance of said kicks could improve. The young halves pairing of Jarrod Mullen and Luke Walsh should finally get some game time together in 2008 and a solid kicking game is a good foundation to build on. The Knights were also the best in the NRL at diffusing cross-field kicks.
Missing In Action The Knights were hit with plenty of injury dramas throughout the season but the main absentees were: Andrew Johns, who played just two games, one of which lasted three minutes; Danny Buderus only played 13 games; Jarrod Mullen just 12; and Steve Simpson missed five matches and Kurt Gidley missed four, although both played several games below 100 per cent fitness actually the majority of the Knights squad experienced pain killing needles in 2007.
Turning Point Obviously a seven-game losing streak towards the end of the season killed off the Knights slim finals chances, however the turning point for the Knights season came on Tuesday April 10 the day Andrew Johns retired from the game. From that point on it was going to be tough, and while they battled on for a while the cleanout of players ensured that tension remained amongst the playing group. Emotionally spent, the Knights were favourites for the wooden spoon into the final round, before a last-gasp win over the Wests Tigers saved them the ignominy.
Best Games The last-round effort against the Wests Tigers and a round 17 thumping of Smiths old club Parramatta were the highlights for the Knights. Away from home, on the back of seven straight losses, and against a side who needed to win to make the finals the Knights used everything they had to beat the Wests Tigers 26-24. The result wasnt clinched until after the siren, when a Kurt Gidley penalty goal sailed through the posts to effectively offload the wooden spoon to Penrith.
Two months earlier the Knights travelled to Parramatta on a Monday night and against the odds smashed the Eels 34-10, with Walsh and Buderus the masterminds. It was a glimpse of what the team was capable of when they were focused on the job at hand and should give fans some hope for next season. Special mention goes to the round 12 win over the Roosters, which came a week after the clubs heaviest defeat.
Worst Games There were countless poor efforts for the Knights. Johns farewell in Canberra when they lost 48-18, the drubbings by Melbourne (44-0), Warriors (52-10), Sea Eagles (50-16) and Panthers (46-12) also hurt but the biggest embarrassment was the 71-6 hammering at the hands of Brisbane. To be fair to the Knights, they were severely depleted that day and probably did well not to concede more points.
Hold Your Head High Kurt Gidley was outstanding for the Knights, particularly early in the season when he forced his way into Origin football with some dominant individual efforts. In his new position at fullback Gidley averaged 153 metres a game and looked dangerous every time he touched the football. Youngsters like second-rower Cory Paterson, halfback Luke Walsh and winger James McManus were impressive in their debut years which also give the Knights hope of a brighter future.
Conclusion Its a good thing 2007 finished when it did for the Knights, the place needed the break. Brian Smith has laid out his cards and now those left behind must do the best with what theyve been dealt. The necessary pain in the evolutionary cycle of the post-Johns era has begun, and the sooner they leave the baggage behind the better. Its a new dawn for Knights fans, players and officials alike and the time has come to embrace it.
Watch the Knights Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7412/Default.aspx
Dragons Season in review
Wins: 9
Losses: 15
Position: 13th
Home Record: 6 wins, 6 losses (=8th)
Away Record: 3 wins, 9 losses (14th)
Biggest Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 16-17)
Longest Losing Streak: 5 (rounds 2-7; bye round 6)
Players Used: 32 (11 debutants)
Player of the Year: Ben Creagh
Tries Scored (after 25 rounds): 78 (=11th)
Tries Conceded (after 25 rounds): 92 (9th)
Watch the Dragons Season in Review VOD
THE wheel of fortune didnt quite hit the bankrupt sector for St George Illawarra in 2007 but it certainly did rest on lose a turn.
Having lost plenty of experience in the off-season with the likes of Trent Barrett, Shaun Timmins and Luke Bailey moving on, a new-look Dragons gambled on Mark Gasnier making the move from centre to five-eighth.
Plenty of speculation and opinion surrounded the controversial move but in the end the experiment barely got off the ground when Gasnier tore his pectoral muscle in the pre-season Charity Shield.
The young team was forced to change its plans but the inconsistencies of youth and a mounting injury toll left the side outside the top eight for all but the first week of the competition.
Only a few gutsy wins kept them away from the wooden spoon.
Where They Struggled The Dragons were rough in a lot of facets but it was their discipline that ensured they would always struggle. The side was ranked 15th in penalties conceded, with 176 for the year, ensuring they were called on to defend plenty of repeat sets. The team also particularly struggled at diffusing cross-field kicks, managing to contain just 38 per cent, while their attack was far from lethal: with just 102 line breaks they were ranked 14th in the category.
Where They Excelled Was hard to find stats where the Dragons were great, although they did lead the league in one-on-one strips and were also impressive at diffusing chip kicks (100 per cent) and grubbers (89 per cent).
Missing In Action It was a tough year for the Dragons on the injury front. Mark Gasnier played just six games, all when the finals were nothing but a pipe dream; Mathew Head also suited up just a half dozen times before jetting off to Hull (although his exit was form-related rather than due to injury); Ben Hornby and Jason Ryles missed seven games each at crucial times while Simon Woolford missed six games early; Brett Morris lasted just two games, Dean Young just three, Wes Naiqama just nine and Ashton Sims only 12.
Turning Point It was pretty much over before it began for the Dragons after they suffered a five-match losing streak from rounds 2-7 (they had a round 6 bye) and were chasing the pack. While the club has fought back from bad starts before, this years model was continuously disrupted by injury and while they managed to get to the periphery of the finals zone late in the year, home losses to the Bulldogs (28-24, round 20) and Souths (24-14, rd 22) put the kybosh on any faint hopes.
Best Games In round 12 a severely depleted Dragons unit dug deep and knocked off the reigning premier Brisbane 11-4 at Oki Jubilee Stadium in an inspiring defensive display that gave the fans something to get excited about. Back-to-back wins in rounds 16 and 17 against Manly (26-22) and Canberra (58-16) were also impressive shame these type of performances were rare for the Red V.
Worst Games The Dragons were murdered in round four against arch rivals Cronulla, barely putting up a fight to lose 40-4 at Toyota Park. It was a loss the fans found hard to take, as the commitment to the cause was non-existent.
The round 9 loss to the Wests Tigers was also hard to swallow. The Dragons were in command until Mathew Head knocked on while placing the ball down for what should have been an easy try and a 14-6 lead in the second half. The error was compounded when he missed a tackle shortly after that led to a Tigers try and then the procession began for the 2005 premiers to win 27-8.
Hold Your Head High Ben Creagh was outstanding for the majority of the year and rightfully took out the St George Bank Medal for Player of the Year at the club. Playing in all 24 games Creagh worked tirelessly in every encounter and can in no way be blamed for their poor showing. Beau Scott stepped his game up a notch and became a regular first grader, while rookie Josh Morris was rewarded with a Country Origin jersey. Halfback Jamie Soward joined the team mid-season from the Roosters and immediately sparked the attack he showed he could occupy the No. 7 jersey for years to come.
Conclusion The Dragons gambled on the Gasnier /Head combination and it was a gamble that didnt pay off this season. With plenty of young talent streaming through the ranks, the side can certainly rebound from this season of woe but the question remains; do they have the killer instinct to do so?
Watch the Dragons Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7415/Default.aspx
Raiders Season in Review
Wins: 9
Losses: 15
Position: 14th
Home Record: 7 wins, 5 losses (7th)
Away Record: 2 wins, 10 losses (=15th)
Biggest Winning Streak: 2 (rounds 9-11; bye round 10)
Longest Losing Streak: 4 (rounds 14-17)
Players Used: 31 (5 debutants)
Player of the Year: Scott Logan
Tries Scored (After 25 rounds): 93 (8th)
Tries Conceded (After 25 rounds): 117 (15th)
Watch the Raiders Season in Review VOD
THE Raiders werent given much hope of success in 2007. So, while 14th-place looks like a hopeless failure that would be way too harsh an assessment of the Green Machine.
Up until the final rounds they were still a chance of being involved in finals football, something that seemed a mere fantasy after losing Jason Croker, Adam Mogg, Clinton Schifcofske, Jason Smith and Simon Woolford over the off-season.
Under rookie coach Neil Henry the Raiders showed plenty of spark, particularly in attack shame their defence had more leaks than the Titanic post-iceberg.
But the side shouldnt be discouraged. Injury and suspension played a part in the Raiders demise and with a bit of luck next season they will surprise many.
Young stars continued to gain in confidence the likes of Todd Carney, William Zillman and Bronx Goodwin turned heads while the consistency of Scott Logan, in his return to the NRL, was unexpected, but rightfully praised.
Where They Struggled
The Raiders main problem was tackling - only Newcastle let in more tries during the season - but they also had an issue with stopping tries from the boot conceding an NRL-high 31 tries to kicks.
They were also the 15th-ranked side when it came to diffusing attacking kicks altogether.
The Raiders right-side defence was particularly brittle. Opposing sides posted a massive 59 tries on the left side of the field (targeting the Raiders right defence) compared to 30 on the right.
Winning away from home also proved a massive hurdle. The Raiders won only twice on the road, against South Sydney and Penrith, and in the other 10 matches averaged a 35-10 loss.
Where They Excelled
Scoring points wasnt a big issue. The Raiders put on more tries and line breaks than half the competition and they had a respectable home ground record of 7-5.
Their long kick accuracy was second only to the Knights, and with a clean 100 the side led the NRL in the big tackles category.
Missing In Action
The Raiders original top-25 squad took an absolute battering.
Craig Frawley and Andrew Lomu moved to Brisbane mid year recruit Andrew Dunemann couldnt manage more than two games before early retirement Neville Costigan visited the judiciary and also broke his hand in Origin camp, while Matt Bickerstaff (knee played two games), Adrian Purtell (deep vein thrombosis 10 games), Phil Graham (knee 15 games), David Howell (groin nine games), Troy Thompson (wrist 15 games) and Brett Kelly (ankle nine games) all missed significant chunks of football due to injury.
Then there was the Todd Carney affair, where their chief playmaker had an enforced six-week holiday after driving without a licence and doing a runner from the Federal Police.
Turning Point
A four-game losing streak between rounds 14-17 broke the Raiders back.
After beating the Eels comfortably, at home, they lost three close games to Newcastle (22-18), North Queensland (28-24) and the Wests Tigers (22-16) before being smashed 58-16 by St George Illawarra.
While they recovered somewhat to win a few more games, it was this stretch that took the wind out of their sails.
Best Games
A round three 48-18 belting of Newcastle was right up there for skill, as were home wins against the Dragons (30-6), Eels (38-10) and Titans (56-10) but probably the most impressive was a close 26-24 victory over the Warriors in round 23.
The Kiwi-based side was in the midst of an impressive charge towards the top four and a gutsy Raiders outfit came from behind, with two late tries, to steal the points; the last try coming for prop Scott Logan in the dying minutes.
Worst Games
The loss to the Dragons at WIN Stadium was disappointing, even considering most of the points came late in the match, while a 52-4 capitulation to the Bulldogs in round 22, when they were still a big hope of finals football, was probably the low point.
Hold Your Heads High
Prop Scott Logan was a pillar of strength and was aptly named Raiders player of the Year, while others like Glen Turner and Alan Tongue were consistent performers.
Fullback Zillman and half Carney both added touches of brilliance throughout the year.
Conclusion
Canberra is building a young team that has the potential to be a real threat in coming seasons.
The reality of this situation is the inexperience that comes with youth and with inexperience comes inconsistency.
For the lads from the nations capital 2007 was a necessary stepping-stone along the path to better football in years to come but just where does that path go next?
Watch the Raiders Season in Review VOD
Source: NRL
http://svc002.wic102cx.server-web.com/News/Latest/NewsArticle/tabid/76/NewsId/7416/Default.aspx
More to come of course... they're doing two teams per day moving up the ladder. Titans and Sharks next on the agenda. A general link to all previews: http://nrl.com.au/News/Features/FeatureArticle/tabid/77/NewsId/7413/Default.aspx
