2022 Team

[Knight Tales]

We paid a release fee For Bailey. He isn’t here to play reserve grade. I will be surprised if he isn’t our fullback by end of next season. The other option is Cliff moves to lock and KP and Mitch plays halves. Cliff can periodically move to 6 to put those glorious bombs up. Unlikely but it would be worth a look.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

We paid a release fee For Bailey. He isn’t here to play reserve grade. I will be surprised if he isn’t our fullback by end of next season. The other option is Cliff moves to lock and KP and Mitch plays halves. Cliff can periodically move to 6 to put those glorious bombs up. Unlikely but it would be worth a look.

I'd prefer Pearce move to lock if that's what they're going for tbh

 

[slotmachine]

Pearce or Clifford at lock, lol.
Jesus, round 1 2022 can't come soon enough.

 

[Johns Magic]

The one we should look at for backrow is Best I think. If we have any centres coming through.

 

[Old dog]

So if Pearce goes now we start 2022 with a spine of 1 Hodgson, 6 Ponga, 7 Clifford and 9 Brailey.
Hardly exciting with a very inexperienced f/b and a 6 with little experience in that position.

 

[Yosh]

So if Pearce goes now we start 2022 with a spine of 1 Hodgson, 6 Ponga, 7 Clifford and 9 Brailey.
Hardly exciting with a very inexperienced f/b and a 6 with little experience in that position.

People were thinking nothing of Walsh and Walker. Let's not get out hopes up but Hodgson is supposed to be a special player.

 

[Knight Tales]

Pearce or Clifford at lock, lol.
Jesus, round 1 2022 can't come soon enough.

For the record Cliff is actually the same size as Brandon Smith. A Hooker who plays middle forward or lock. Strengthens our attacking options right across the park.
If we aren’t recruiting skilled forwards then we better create our own. Best needs to be made to work. All for him moving to the forwards.

 

[Loose Cannon]

The one we should look at for backrow is Best I think. If we have any centres coming through.

I can see this happening at some stage. If we did have another centre to play right, (Sasagi, Young, To’a…. anybody not named Mann, my preference is to leave Hunt on the wing), we could play left with Ponga to Best/Gagai/Tuala. Could be lethal without Fitzgibbon or Barnett taking the all important crash balls, even if Best is playing that role.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

The one we should look at for backrow is Best I think. If we have any centres coming through.

Tough to know tbh given the lack of NSWCup this year. I would have considered Musgrove before we saw how diabolical he was in his time in FG this year

Who's that other guy who scored a tonne of tries before the comp was stopped?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

People were thinking nothing of Walsh and Walker. Let's not get out hopes up but Hodgson is supposed to be a special player.

Well both had plenty of wraps playing in Qld and NSW cup respectively, especially Walker when there was a tonne of speculation as to when he would get a FG run

No-one outside of Knights fans even knows Hodgson exists

 

[slotmachine]

For the record Cliff is actually the same size as Brandon Smith. A Hooker who plays middle forward or lock. Strengthens our attacking options right across the park.
If we aren’t recruiting skilled forwards then we better create our own. Best needs to be made to work. All for him moving to the forwards.

And im bigger than either of them and as much chance of getting moved to lock for the Knights

 

[Johns Magic]

I can see this happening at some stage. If we did have another centre to play right, (Sasagi, Young, To’a…. anybody not named Mann, my preference is to leave Hunt on the wing), we could play left with Ponga to Best/Gagai/Tuala. Could be lethal without Fitzgibbon or Barnett taking the all important crash balls, even if Best is playing that role.

Yeah I just think Best at second-row could add another dimension to our attack. It’s not a knock on him as a centre, it’s a nod to how dynamic he could be there like Angus Crichton.

 

[Yosh]

Yeah I just think Best at second-row could add another dimension to our attack. It’s not a knock on him as a centre, it’s a nod to how dynamic he could be there like Angus Crichton.

I know Best is a big boy but is he forward big or just big for a centre?

 

[Johns Magic]

I know Best is a big boy but is he forward big or just big for a centre?

Without doubt he is big enough for second-row in my eyes. I could rattle off a bunch of names of good players he mixes it with in stature. Whether he is up for the workload I’m not sure.

I hope Krystian Mapapalangi comes on this year. Meant to be a classy young centre/five-eight.

 

[Choppy91]

Ponga isn't a 6. He doesn't have the game management or kicking game. At least not yet but I didn't see any evidence of it all this year. Pearce has to go. I'm sick of seeing attacking kicks hit the shins of the opposition. Leaves a decent halback, CHT from warriors would be on my radar considering the lack of options.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Ponga isn't a 6. He doesn't have the game management or kicking game. At least not yet but I didn't see any evidence of it all this year. Pearce has to go. I'm sick of seeing attacking kicks hit the shins of the opposition. Leaves a decent halback, CHT from warriors would be on my radar considering the lack of options.

Neither does Luai and he just won a premiership

I think you're confused on the role of a 5/8 as opposed to a halfback

 

[Yosh]

Ponga isn't a 6. He doesn't have the game management or kicking game. At least not yet but I didn't see any evidence of it all this year. Pearce has to go. I'm sick of seeing attacking kicks hit the shins of the opposition. Leaves a decent halback, CHT from warriors would be on my radar considering the lack of options.

I think these days the organization comes a lot from the halfback and hooker. I'd even argue the fullback has more of a say than the 6 these days.

 

[Spot On]

Ponga wouldn't be much worse at 6 than he is at 1.

His fullback play is extremely poor in many areas. Surely many see that.

 

[Choppy91]

I think these days the organization comes a lot from the halfback and hooker. I'd even argue the fullback has more of a say than the 6 these days.

The experiment of Ponga at 6 didn't work, being in the front line of defence he's a target and just takes away his effectiveness. If we had another running half and a player that can ask questions to the defense then It just takes a little bit of focus away from our strike weapon. Its too predictable the way we play at the moment.

 

[Burwood]

So Ponga is blacklisted as a 5/8 because in 2019 he didn’t excel in the position after 3 weeks when he had 20 odd games of experience?

If, by the start of 2023 at latest, Ponga isn’t seen as Clifford’s partner in the halves, I think it’s time to move him on from the club. He’s progressively gotten worse at fullback since he’s been here.