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2022 R4 Fri - Cronulla 18-0 Newcastle @ PointsBet

Round 4: Cronulla v Newcastle

  • Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

    Votes: 10 76.9%
  • Newcastle Knights

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • Draw after Golden Point

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

Spot On

Coach
Messages
13,902
Yes the Knights pack was absolutely belted. Granted. But Ponga had opportunities to return the ball but did not choose to. He also likes to catch the ball and fall to the ground a lot too. His choice.

It was the same last season as well. Plenty of opportunity to return the ball but rarely did so.
 

nick87

Coach
Messages
12,403
You mean a fullback or half isn't as effective when their middles are getting absolutely dominated?
Sharks ran 500m more metres than the Knights - with the average set for the Knights being just past 30m. He wasn't given much room for kick returns, and when the Knights were attacking the Sharks defence really took away any options and Ponga was lost.

Whilst I absolutely agree that Ponga wasn't good enough, and he gets more wraps than he probably deserves, I can't put this game on him. The last few weeks alone with the performances from Trbojevic and Tedesco should be enough to show that a team's momentum is the biggest fact in a fullback's performance.

na, there is HUGE difference
Being effective is one thing, not really being present in the game is another
I get you want to give your side credit where its due but in this case, its not due. Tommy T isnt always effective in what he does, but he's always INVOLVED. He's always trying. Same with tedeseco.

You never walk away from roosters/manly games thinking Teddy/Turbo werent doing involved, even when circumstances mean they dont impact games
There is 10+ games a year where you watch the knights and think Ponga just didnt give a f**k. Didnt try.

The Sharks are a good team, and its evidenced by the fact the only team to beat them is the BEST team. So i get it. you want your boys to get their flowers for "shutting down" KP. So get your flowers. The Sharks are a really tough team to beat and only elite teams will beat them ;)

... KP is a flat track bully. He carves up when things go well and he throws in the towell when things go poorly. The Sharks made things go poorly he tapped out. Early. He's paid not to do that. He's the captain. The highest paid player. The best player. And his committment and effort is constantly not up to par. That's simply not good enough for a player on his wage and with his talent and with his standing.

This game isnt on him, the knights didnt lose this game because of him. But the Sharks exposed AGAIN the very worst of what KP is as a footballer.
 

Apey

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
28,279
This game was a classic case of one team wanting it much more. I think we showed some ticker in defence given how much the Sharks were wrecking us, but ultimately we seemed off the pace and our star player was completely disinterested.

Sharkies will be up there this year.
 
Messages
4,314
na, there is HUGE difference
Being effective is one thing, not really being present in the game is another
I get you want to give your side credit where its due but in this case, its not due. Tommy T isnt always effective in what he does, but he's always INVOLVED. He's always trying. Same with tedeseco.

You never walk away from roosters/manly games thinking Teddy/Turbo werent doing involved, even when circumstances mean they dont impact games
There is 10+ games a year where you watch the knights and think Ponga just didnt give a f**k. Didnt try.

The Sharks are a good team, and its evidenced by the fact the only team to beat them is the BEST team. So i get it. you want your boys to get their flowers for "shutting down" KP. So get your flowers. The Sharks are a really tough team to beat and only elite teams will beat them ;)

... KP is a flat track bully. He carves up when things go well and he throws in the towell when things go poorly. The Sharks made things go poorly he tapped out. Early. He's paid not to do that. He's the captain. The highest paid player. The best player. And his committment and effort is constantly not up to par. That's simply not good enough for a player on his wage and with his talent and with his standing.

This game isnt on him, the knights didnt lose this game because of him. But the Sharks exposed AGAIN the very worst of what KP is as a footballer.
The one thing that o thought watching the game is that Kalyn spends a lot of time playing through the middle this year. I can’t help but think that he might be more effective on the edge, where he has shown himself to be dynamite in the past.
 

perverse

Referee
Messages
26,700
I know he can be a great player on the days he decides to be f**ked
But at what point do knights fans and the club just say Ponga isnt worth the price tag for 2-3 stunning games a year when he's putting in "efforts" like that half the season?
He's up and about when the knights have mometum and are running over teams but when they're on the back foot he's the first guy to chuck the towel in.

Id find him infuriating to support. Like Jack Wighton is shit in plenty of games but at least you know he's trying his hardest. I dont get the feeling Ponga gives the faintest shit 60% of the time.
A lot of us have been speaking about this for a good couple of years now. What it comes down to is that Kalyn just doesn't care about footy that much. The passion isn't there. If he gave a shit about it half as much as some of the actually great players of our game past or present - he'd be damn near untouchable. The truth is, he just doesn't. Never has, and you can't manufacture will and passion. You either have it, or you don't.

I personally don't really care if he goes to the Dolphins. It'll be hard to find a reasonable place to spend his money elsewhere - but long term it may well be better. It's a shame - because he has all the talent in the world, but none of the heart.
 
Messages
17,540
na, there is HUGE difference
Being effective is one thing, not really being present in the game is another
I get you want to give your side credit where its due but in this case, its not due. Tommy T isnt always effective in what he does, but he's always INVOLVED. He's always trying. Same with tedeseco.

You never walk away from roosters/manly games thinking Teddy/Turbo werent doing involved, even when circumstances mean they dont impact games
There is 10+ games a year where you watch the knights and think Ponga just didnt give a f**k. Didnt try.

The Sharks are a good team, and its evidenced by the fact the only team to beat them is the BEST team. So i get it. you want your boys to get their flowers for "shutting down" KP. So get your flowers. The Sharks are a really tough team to beat and only elite teams will beat them ;)

... KP is a flat track bully. He carves up when things go well and he throws in the towell when things go poorly. The Sharks made things go poorly he tapped out. Early. He's paid not to do that. He's the captain. The highest paid player. The best player. And his committment and effort is constantly not up to par. That's simply not good enough for a player on his wage and with his talent and with his standing.

This game isnt on him, the knights didnt lose this game because of him. But the Sharks exposed AGAIN the very worst of what KP is as a footballer.
Well done!

that read like Chinese state media lol
 

nick87

Coach
Messages
12,403
A lot of us have been speaking about this for a good couple of years now. What it comes down to is that Kalyn just doesn't care about footy that much. The passion isn't there. If he gave a shit about it half as much as some of the actually great players of our game past or present - he'd be damn near untouchable. The truth is, he just doesn't. Never has, and you can't manufacture will and passion. You either have it, or you don't.

I personally don't really care if he goes to the Dolphins. It'll be hard to find a reasonable place to spend his money elsewhere - but long term it may well be better. It's a shame - because he has all the talent in the world, but none of the heart.

i actually went into the knights board last night for the first time in a while just to gauge the discourse around him

I was pleasantly surprised to see it was a pretty hot button issue and seemingly has been for years

I’ve been telling mates in group chats for years that Ponga is overrated game to game, most of them dismissed it as the insane ramblings of a man who hates anything in that town (and perhaps they’ve got a point 😂) but they’re all coming on board now!
 

mongoose

Coach
Messages
11,817
sharks are a serious side this year. All their players really run hard at the line. Hynes and Moylan are becoming a very classy pairing. Kennedy is definitely not in the top echelon of fullbacks but he's probably underrated.

Knights looked a bit tired to me, maybe O'Brien is flogging them too hard
 

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