2015 Team

[Frederick]

He's deadly close to the line.

 

[PenrithPanther45]

if you lose Gidley you will make the 8.
simple

 

[Knight Vision]

‘‘I’m looking for a style that is not only enjoyable to play but enjoyable to watch as well,’’ he says.
‘‘We’re in the entertainment business. We want to see people coming to our games, knowing the style of footy we’re going to play – a uniquely Newcastle style.


http://www.theherald.com.au/story/2647389/building-the-house-of-stone/?cs=306

 

[Sacrolishes]

Yeah read that this morning. Really liked that interview. From that, it feel Stone has the nouse to be a good team coach but also enough if a strong hand to do what's necessary when/if needed.

Looking forward to his tenor (sp?)

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

We have the team to be entertainers as long as we play to everyone's strengths. We obviously still lack forwards but if everyone is firing there is no reason why we can't compete with the better teams like we showed in the last 10 weeks this season .


Oh and the word you are looking for is tenure.

 

[Sacrolishes]

We have the team to be entertainers as long as we play to everyone's strengths. We obviously still lack forwards but if everyone is firing there is no reason why we can't compete with the better teams like we showed in the last 10 weeks this season .


Oh and the word you are looking for is tenure.

Ah ha!! Kind of close. Danke

 

[Knight Vision]

We have the team to be entertainers as long as we play to everyone's strengths. We obviously still lack forwards but if everyone is firing there is no reason why we can't compete with the better teams like we showed in the last 10 weeks this season .


Oh and the word you are looking for is tenure.

It's like the official announcement of the end of Bennett ball. In my opinion when on song our backline has no peer. Now if only we had a pack the likes of Souths or Roosters. Packs that make even the most pedestrian of players like Pearce look like a superhero. Then we have ourselves a premiership

 

[aqua_duck]

What we need are guys like Rochow, Sims brothers, and Clydesdale to take that next step in their development, we need Stockwell, Vai Vai, Tapine, and Mataora to embrace the challenge of becoming regular 1st graders and the likes of Roberts, Leilua and Gagai to be more consistent. If all these things happen and we have a good run with injuries then I think we can be very competitive but that's in an ideal world

 

[macavity]

Levi would have to be breathing down Clydesdale's neck already.

 

[aqua_duck]

Would not surprise me to see Levi get a few games off the bench

 

[perverse]

You know, after all is said and done... I actually think we've got a pretty good team next year. I think this year will have brought a lot of the guys closer together, and I think it'll show on the field. Yeah, I still feel we're lacking a prop or two, but we've had much worse packs than this make the finals in the past. The quality of our backs is very high, and is something we're historically blessed with at the Knights.

I think Rick will get us playing some pretty good attacking football, and I think we'll manage without the extra prop ifKorbin and Tariq go as well as I think they might next year. Tapine off the bench also gives me a lot of cause for optimism. Our forward depth might sting us a bit if we get a lot of injuries/reps.

The biggest question for me with this team is can they stay focused for a full season?

 

[The Showstopper]

Agreed Pervy. This side is full of potential. The youth talent are all quality. Whether they make the cut at the top level is yet to be seen. Has been a long time since I had this much faith in our youth talent. What a generation we have unearthed. Fingers crossed we get the same sort of yields the Warriors have gotten in Matulino, Johnson etc.

 

[perverse]

Stone seems to be confident that Mataora and Vai Vai will be enough to get us through. To be honest, they're both bigger boys than any of our props in first grade at the moment.

So, props for next year: Snowden, K Sims, Fa'alogo, Stockwell, Mataora, Vai Vai, House and Taylor. I'd also have a serious look at moving Rochow to the front row if need be. Snowy NEEDS to step up and be our front row leader now. We need big efforts from him, I hope he gets a full pre-season in this year.

Honestly, it's not going to be the most formidable pack (although Mataora and to a lesser extent Vai Vai do add size and weight to the front row for us), however it should be reasonably capable and miles ahead of where we were at with Stone last time. There's a lot of question marks, but a lot of potential there too. I know a lot of Dragons fans are pretty upset about Stockwell... I get the feeling he might be a bit of a late bloomer, which isn't unusual for props. If we get the most out of the likes of Stockwell, Mataora and Vai Vai then we will be comfortable and cheering, I believe. It has potential to be a better pack than this years.

As I said earlier though, I really do worry about our ability to stay focused all year under Stone. Bennett was able to get us turning up most weeks, at least in the back half of seasons. Hopefully a lot of team bonding has gone on this year and they can do it for themselves for once.

 

[The Showstopper]

We could have one of the younger packs for once. Tariq is essentially a leader now. I believe we will see the boy become a man here. Out of the shadows of a rep heavy forward pack in NQ. It is his time to show what we all know he has ability wise.

 

[Allstar Knights]

Man the prop rotation will be tough to pick for Round 1 next year. Snowden and Korbin are certainties I'd imagine and I'd like to think Fa'alogo will be another, too.

The 4th could be any of Rochow/Vaivai/Stockwell/Mataora/Houston.

 

[League_God]

Round 1:

1.Kurt Gidley
2.James McManus
3.Dane Gagai
4.BJ Leilua
5.Sione Matautai
6.Jarrod Mullen
7.Tyrone Roberts
8.David Faalogo
9.Adam Clydesdale
10.Kade Snowden
11.Beau Scott
12.Tariq Sims
13.Jeremy Smith

14.Korbin Sims
15.Robbie Rochow
16.Chris Houston
17.Stockwell/Mataora/Vaivai/Taylor

Is that what we're thinking Stoney will name?

 

[The Showstopper]

Take your pick with what order u put Dane and Sione at fullback and right centre. Aku to right wing when fit. Gidley 14. That will make us at our strongest backline wise.

 

[slotmachine]

tariq is suspended so rochow to start, and i think we'll see someone like randall on the bench

i'd love to see what condition aku will be in. i think i read he can't run until february so he may be a land blimp, in which case sione makes sense

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Id personally like to see us with an 80 minute hooker and roll with 4 forwards on the bench. I have just always found that utilities and hookers are wasted on the bench unless they can atleast play back row.

 

[Noname36]

Take your pick with what order u put Dane and Sione at fullback and right centre. Aku to right wing when fit. Gidley 14. That will make us at our strongest backline wise.

To be honest I can't see Aku getting back in the side for a long time. He's out till Feb and is extremely unfit as it is. I know Stone used to have a tendency to do copy/paste team lineups but he knows he only has 2 seasons to prove himself and I say he'll do the smart thing and pick who's in form...I.e. Not Aku.

I think this will be a big test for Aku. He has a lot of work to do to prove himself and get back to his best. If he can get himself fit and back in front of the Mata'uias and Macca in the pecking order then I'm happy for him to be there (in fact I really hope that happens because when fit Aku is devastating).