2022 Knights Rep Players

[Knight Tales]

Freddy made some bad selection calls. Sims had zero business being in that side. Friz deserves it more .
KP was solid. Gags similar and always becomes a beast in a Qld jumper.
The things for game 2 is NSW need to find a way to fire the game up. We are up against it at a neutral venue. The WA crowd will be right behind Qld. Klemmer should replace Paulo IMO. Unlikely unless he can get over JFH on the weekend. It would be an inspired choice and Klem will certainly be up for it.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

I love Klem but picking him over Paulo is insane. Paulo offers an important point of difference in the middle that Klem cant provide

The only way you put Klem in the side is a replacement for RCG or Matterson but neither deserve to be dropped

 

[aqua_duck]

I love Klem but picking him over Paulo is insane. Paulo offers an important point of difference in the middle that Klem cant provide

The only way you put Klem in the side is a replacement for RCG or Matterson but neither deserve to be dropped

I'm not sure point of difference is as important as zero go foward. NSW lost all ascendency up the middle after Haas and RCG came off where as Collins and Carrigan dominated for Qld

 

[aqua_duck]

I think all the Qld players had 9/10 or 10/10 games and a few of our key players and perhaps the balance of the team wasn’t quite right by Freddy.

Cleary had his worst game but Qld applied plenty of pressure, so for game 2 I expect Luai to kick more.

Thought Wighton, Teddy, Tupou and Cook were our best. Cooky works so hard for the full 80, we probably need a utility to relieve him. Or if he went down we’d be screwed.

i thought Cook tried hard but was abit indecisive and took the wrong option at times, but yes him playing 80 isn't really the best option. NSW imo should pick Api at 14 and have a backrower who can play in the centres like Angus Crichton, Sifa Talakai or Jack Bird to cover for injuries instead of a specialist outside back on the bench

 

[Frederick]

I love Klem but picking him over Paulo is insane. Paulo offers an important point of difference in the middle that Klem cant provide

The only way you put Klem in the side is a replacement for RCG or Matterson but neither deserve to be dropped

Is that point of difference multiple passes that hit the turf and stunt all attacking structure?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

I'm not sure point of difference is as important as zero go foward. NSW lost all ascendency up the middle after Haas and RCG came off where as Collins and Carrigan dominated for Qld

Well that comes down to the rotation and imo Freddy having both his metre men starting and coming off at the same time was the mistake. Paulo did great last year with his foot work and ball play in tandem with either Haas or DSaf

 

[Yosh]

Might see both JSaf and Frizz play game 2 maybe?

 

[aqua_duck]

Well that comes down to the rotation and imo Freddy having both his metre men starting and coming off at the same time was the mistake. Paulo did great last year with his foot work and ball play in tandem with either Haas or DSaf

i think the issue is balance. D Saf's contribution last year was kind of underappreciated, he laid the platform which then allowed NSW to bring a monster like Haas off the bench to continue it. I think to get the best out of Paulo you need to pair him with a genuine metre eating prop in the rotation which Matterson isn't.

 

[Jono078]

Yeah I don't think Paulo being in the team is the issue, I think that was more on Freddy on how and when he used his props.

I agree @aqua_duck about Api being #14 and then having Angus, Talakai or Bird on the bench as well, is the way to go.

 

[Knight Tales]

i think the issue is balance. D Saf's contribution last year was kind of underappreciated, he laid the platform which then allowed NSW to bring a monster like Haas off the bench to continue it. I think to get the best out of Paulo you need to pair him with a genuine metre eating prop in the rotation which Matterson isn't.

Freddy tries to balance but I think his pride and ego get in the way. Origin is fast losing it’s attraction due to the channel 9 monopoly and involvement of half their commentators.

 

[aqua_duck]

Yeah I don't think Paulo being in the team is the issue, I think that was more on Freddy on how and when he used his props.

I agree @aqua_duck about Api being #14 and then having Angus, Talakai or Bird on the bench as well, is the way to go.

yep, I just never understood wasting a bench spot for a 'just in case' situation. Qld actually did have a winger get injured early on and even without carrying a back on bench they coped easily.
Ultimately I think Freddie is abit scarred by game 3 in 2020 when Tedesco got knocked out early, the issue that evening wasn't that he didn't have a utility/outside back on the bench but rather that he had 4 out and out middle forwards on the bench for some bizarre reason

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I don't know if anyone else noticed but there was a set of six last night where channel 9 cut straight to the aerial camera and I noticed that KP was standing behind the ruck again and stayed there for basically the whole set. He did run up in support of forwards on one or two occasions but then on the next play was back in behind the ruck. Obviously he's been doing this a fair bit at club level much to most of our frustration but I wonder why he was doing at rep level. Did Billy coach him to be there or did he decide to do that himself or maybe it was part of some set play. I didn't watch closely enough after that to see if he was doing it for the rest of the game but it definitely stood out to me that he was doing it for that set at least.

I wonder if the reason for it is so that he can sum up the numbers and sweep to either side quickly or maybe the plan is that if a gap develops near a ball running forward then he can support for an inside pass or something.

Anyway it was interesting to see him doing it at rep level as well as at club level.

 

[Yosh]

Freddy tries to balance but I think his pride and ego get in the way. Origin is fast losing it’s attraction due to the channel 9 monopoly and involvement of half their commentators.

What? Really? I always enjoy Origin and it's been fantastic as always the past few years.

 

[Jono078]

I don't know if anyone else noticed but there was a set of six last night where channel 9 cut straight to the aerial camera and I noticed that KP was standing behind the ruck again and stayed there for basically the whole set. He did run up in support of forwards on one or two occasions but then on the next play was back in behind the ruck. Obviously he's been doing this a fair bit at club level much to most of our frustration but I wonder why he was doing at rep level. Did Billy coach him to be there or did he decide to do that himself or maybe it was part of some set play. I didn't watch closely enough after that to see if he was doing it for the rest of the game but it definitely stood out to me that he was doing it for that set at least.

I wonder if the reason for it is so that he can sum up the numbers and sweep to either side quickly or maybe the plan is that if a gap develops near a ball running forward then he can support for an inside pass or something.

Anyway it was interesting to see him doing it at rep level as well as at club level.

I don’t like his positioning at all to be honest.

Last night I think he was safe defensively but in attack he wasn’t too involved at all. Yes he had 2 key involvements which helped Qld get the points, but outside of that I didn’t rate what he did in attack.

 

[macavity]

yep, I just never understood wasting a bench spot for a 'just in case' situation. Qld actually did have a winger get injured early on and even without carrying a back on bench they coped easily.
Ultimately I think Freddie is abit scarred by game 3 in 2020 when Tedesco got knocked out early, the issue that evening wasn't that he didn't have a utility/outside back on the bench but rather that he had 4 out and out middle forwards on the bench for some bizarre reason

you need either a genuine utility who can play 9, 13 and outside backs, or a back rower who can play centre to be on the bench.

They aren’t that uncommon and It’s that simple.

carrying a straight outside back on the bench is stupid.

 

[perverse]

I don't know if anyone else noticed but there was a set of six last night where channel 9 cut straight to the aerial camera and I noticed that KP was standing behind the ruck again and stayed there for basically the whole set. He did run up in support of forwards on one or two occasions but then on the next play was back in behind the ruck. Obviously he's been doing this a fair bit at club level much to most of our frustration but I wonder why he was doing at rep level. Did Billy coach him to be there or did he decide to do that himself or maybe it was part of some set play. I didn't watch closely enough after that to see if he was doing it for the rest of the game but it definitely stood out to me that he was doing it for that set at least.

I wonder if the reason for it is so that he can sum up the numbers and sweep to either side quickly or maybe the plan is that if a gap develops near a ball running forward then he can support for an inside pass or something.

Anyway it was interesting to see him doing it at rep level as well as at club level.

There were times when he spent 1 or 2 tackles IN FRONT of the ruck. I couldn't figure out what the f**k he was trying to do.

 

[Jono078]

There were times when he spent 1 or 2 tackles IN FRONT of the ruck. I couldn't figure out what the f**k he was trying to do.

I’ve ranted enough about it. I don’t know either. I swear he never did it in 2018 or 2019. Seems like AOB has coached this into him?

 

[Burwood]

Saw the footage of Ponga you’re referring to and it annoyed me like it does when he does it at club level. But then soon after they showed the same camera view for NSW and Teddy was hanging around the ruck just as much.

 

[Jono078]

Saw the footage of Ponga you’re referring to and it annoyed me like it does when he does it at club level. But then soon after they showed the same camera view for NSW and Teddy was hanging around the ruck just as much.

Really? Teddy seems far more involved and all over the field.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

i think the issue is balance. D Saf's contribution last year was kind of underappreciated, he laid the platform which then allowed NSW to bring a monster like Haas off the bench to continue it. I think to get the best out of Paulo you need to pair him with a genuine metre eating prop in the rotation which Matterson isn't.

100% mate , couldnt agree more

Jnr also needs to reel in the passing game until the team earns it. He was great when he finally decided to just tuck it under and run hard instead of pushing the non pass