2022 Team

[Knight Tales]

Pearce and Watson go. We add a origin class Centre. A massive weak spot. Have three origin level forwards. Drop to 14. Makes sense……….

 

[Jono078]

It’s amazing how much value the Pearce name holds despite him actually being well below average the last couple of years. We lose his leadership aura and effort. But actual ability I think Clune is a step up for sure.

Clune has already shown good vision, passing and speed. Just question marks over his defense and perhaps actually taking the line on every now and then.

Anyway long story short, Pearce is not the loss the media makes him out to be in justifying tipping us at the bottom. Even if we finish 14th it won’t be because Pearce isn’t here.

 

[Knight Tales]

Clune is not going to die wondering.

 

[Yosh]

Why does the media always seem to call him Chad Randall? It's not the first time

Because he is a giga Chad.

 

[Sir Galahad]

It’s amazing how much value the Pearce name holds despite him actually being well below average the last couple of years. We lose his leadership aura and effort. But actual ability I think Clune is a step up for sure.

Clune has already shown good vision, passing and speed. Just question marks over his defense and perhaps actually taking the line on every now and then.

Anyway long story short, Pearce is not the loss the media makes him out to be in justifying tipping us at the bottom. Even if we finish 14th it won’t be because Pearce isn’t here.

I agree with this, for mine Pearce was a flop - I thought that at the Rorters ( so did they ) though so nothing changed.

His loss is vastly over rated.

We did re-sign some tried and true, through and through nuffies though, in a solid nod to mediocrity and woeful decision making imo.

 

[Woosh]

It’s amazing how much value the Pearce name holds despite him actually being well below average the last couple of years. We lose his leadership aura and effort.

Pearce’s leadership the last couple of years is very questionable with his off field antics.

In any case what you lose in Pearce, Newcastle has gained in a Dane Finucane Gagai according to Walker.

"That's the great thing about our squad - we've got guys who are well-established first graders now who only came in in the past couple of years. Keaon Koloamatangi and Campbell Graham are great examples of that," Walker said.

But it's a now-departed alumni of that patented Souths left edge that's still having an influence around Redfern.

"Dane Gagai worked on his game religiously - and the one thing you'll see in this pre-season is Campbell Graham, Jaxson Paulo, Taane Milne doing the same things because they saw Gags doing them.

"It's obviously a big loss for us but his mindset around wanting to get better was second-to-none and these guys have picked that up."

NRL 2022: Cody Walker focused on future, not grand final pain

amp.nine.com.au

 

[Jono078]

Clune has already shown good vision, passing and speed. Just question marks over his defense and perhaps actually taking the line on every now and then.

Tootin me own horn.. Nothing wrong with him taking the line on!!

 

[Johns Magic]

Leo Thompson was encouraging again yesterday. Good energy, tough and has a great passing game for a prop which makes sense as an inside centre in union. I’d like to see if he can make some proper metres in the middle. If he can I think he knocks Sue off our full strength bench.

It seems to me that O’Brien wants Mann/Randall/Crossland to share the full 160 minutes in the 9/13 role. I wonder if that’s the same when Brailey returns or Brailey plays the full 80.

Either way that leaves Klem/Dan/Jacob/Barnett sharing the prop role, where I thought Barnett excelled yesterday against JWH and SST where he had a big job to do.

In the presser yesterday a journo asked about the benefit of having size out wide referring to Young. O’Brien responded pretty quickly that we still have Lee to come back, and he then made sure to add Hymel as well which felt polite. So I do think the plan is for Lee to slot in on a wing when fit.

1. Ponga
2. Young
3. Gagai
4. Best
5. Lee
6. Clifford
7. Clune
8. Klemmer
9. Brailey (Randall)
10. Dan
11. Frizell
12. Fitzgibbon
13. Mann

14. Jacob
15. Barnett
16. Thompson
17. Crossland

Not sure if Thompson will get many minutes there so we don’t really need them.

If an outside back goes down Mann goes out there and Barnett to lock, Thompson prop.

Barnett covers a second row injury with Thompson covering prop again.

Halves and hooker covered by Crossland.

Next cabs off the rank:

Fullback - Baker/Hodgson
Wing - Tuala
Centre - Hunt or even Lucas
Halves - guess Crossland
Hooker - Randall
Middle - Sue, Momoisea
Second row - Momoisea

Skinny depth in the halves and second row

 

[slotmachine]

Mann/Randall/Crossland to share the full 160 minutes in the 9/13 role. I wonder if that’s the same when Brailey returns or Brailey plays the full 80.

Crossland dropped like a sack of potatoes and Randall to 14.

Clune showed more in 80 minutes than Crossland has in his entire career.

 

[Sir Galahad]

Leo Thompson was encouraging again yesterday. Good energy, tough and has a great passing game for a prop which makes sense as an inside centre in union.

saw on a Knights website interview as a kid he played halfback.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Leo Thompson was encouraging again yesterday. Good energy, tough and has a great passing game for a prop which makes sense as an inside centre in union. I’d like to see if he can make some proper metres in the middle. If he can I think he knocks Sue off our full strength bench.

It seems to me that O’Brien wants Mann/Randall/Crossland to share the full 160 minutes in the 9/13 role. I wonder if that’s the same when Brailey returns or Brailey plays the full 80.

Either way that leaves Klem/Dan/Jacob/Barnett sharing the prop role, where I thought Barnett excelled yesterday against JWH and SST where he had a big job to do.

In the presser yesterday a journo asked about the benefit of having size out wide referring to Young. O’Brien responded pretty quickly that we still have Lee to come back, and he then made sure to add Hymel as well which felt polite. So I do think the plan is for Lee to slot in on a wing when fit.

1. Ponga
2. Young
3. Gagai
4. Best
5. Lee
6. Clifford
7. Clune
8. Klemmer
9. Brailey (Randall)
10. Dan
11. Frizell
12. Fitzgibbon
13. Mann

14. Jacob
15. Barnett
16. Thompson
17. Crossland

Not sure if Thompson will get many minutes there so we don’t really need them.

If an outside back goes down Mann goes out there and Barnett to lock, Thompson prop.

Barnett covers a second row injury with Thompson covering prop again.

Halves and hooker covered by Crossland.

Next cabs off the rank:

Fullback - Baker/Hodgson
Wing - Tuala
Centre - Hunt or even Lucas
Halves - guess Crossland
Hooker - Randall
Middle - Sue, Momoisea
Second row - Momoisea

Skinny depth in the halves and second row

Id like to see Thompson get some reps at 2nd row, maybe in reggies. He has a real Talaki/Tuilagi/Olakau'atu/Koloamatangi feel about him and i think we could use a guy with his size and energy out wide

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Crossland dropped like a sack of potatoes and Randall to 14.

Clune showed more in 80 minutes than Crossland has in his entire career.

Crossland isnt a half now though so comparing him to Clune is a bit pointless

I think Phoenix did very well in his stint at lock after coming on for Mann

I love Randalls work ethic but Crosslands skill and utility is better. Its a 50/50 call between them for 14 for me

 

[slotmachine]

By "did very well" do you mean tried to throw the game away by being sent to the bin?

Standard Crossland game, defended ok but did nothing with the ball.

I'll take Randall every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

By "did very well" do you mean tried to throw the game away by being sent to the bin?

Standard Crossland game, defended ok but did nothing with the ball.

I'll take Randall every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

We clearly watched different games.

Played the link man well when at lock and took on the line quite a few times.

 

[slotmachine]

Without looking at the stats I'd say he had 2 runs for 15m and 15 tackles.
Completely anonymous apart from the sin bin

 

[Jono078]

I was happy with Crossland’s involvement yesterday. He, like Fitzgibbon, looked to do things with a bit more purpose.

He knew when he wanted to run, when to pass, backup etc. only played like 20 minutes but was happy with what he did replacing Mann in that time.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Crossland was barely noticeable.
And with good reason. He wasn’t there for half his stint, and offered nothing for the rest of it.

Randall is such a better 14 option when Brailey is fit.

 

[Yosh]

Randall is the safer options but Crossland definitely has the higher ceiling.

If I had to take only one into a grand final, I'd take Randall. However, we have the whole season so I would like to see Crossland keep the 14 when Brailey gets back.

 

[TooheysNew]

Randall is the safer options but Crossland definitely has the higher ceiling.

If I had to take only one into a grand final, I'd take Randall. However, we have the whole season so I would like to see Crossland keep the 14 when Brailey gets back.

And lower floor.

 

[Yosh]

And lower floor.

Hence the comment about Randall and grandfinal.