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2023 off season

PhilGould

Bench
Messages
3,316

Article on Temple Kalepo. It says he appears to be the next ‘genuine’ hooker in the club’s ranks if Randall is released as expected. No mention of Mann or Crossland but they’re options as well obviously.

Joined the club last season but never got on the field and it was never revealed why. Turns out he tore his hamstring off the bone early last year while still with the Warriors before the Knights picked him up for 2022. Had surgery and 6 months of rehab only to find out the surgical reattachment hadn’t worked and had to repeat the whole process. Now back training again and doing pre-season with the NRL squad.
 

Jono078

Referee
Messages
21,112
Jesus. Must be pretty decent if we took on an injured bloke. Fits in well here to be honest. Won’t be long until he’s sharing a strawberry shake with Ponga and Mann on the sidelines.
 

Nuke

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,996
Now THERE'S a thought:
On the back of the success of the Wheelchair RLWC recently, maybe the Knights pioneer the Wheelchair NRL comp. Give all our injured fellas something to do..!
 

PhilGould

Bench
Messages
3,316
Former Wallaby Berrick Barnes has joined the coaching staff in a part-time role. The title they give him is "coaching consultant" working with the halves and outside backs but from his own comments it sounds like general play kicking is his main focus.

 

Jono078

Referee
Messages
21,112
Perhaps it’s just me, but this bothers me a little:

“I got a phone call from Adzy (Adam O’Brien) out of the blue actually,” Barnes said.

“We’ve got mutual friends in the coaching world, and he must have thought I could help in some way.

Like AOB just decided to give a random bloke who is a mate of a mate a call and offer him a job.

Hope he’s good but not sure why we got him when we have Johns? Or do we not have Johns anymore..
 

ryan.a87

Juniors
Messages
645
Perhaps it’s just me, but this bothers me a little:



Like AOB just decided to give a random bloke who is a mate of a mate a call and offer him a job.

Hope he’s good but not sure why we got him when we have Johns? Or do we not have Johns anymore..
Johns is here a couple a days a week to work with the halves

this other fella must of some other “specialty “ coaching role
 

Nuke

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
4,996
I was wondering the same thing. If it was a choice between the greatest halfback of all time with a passion for the Knights vs the fella who in his NRL career was a part-time first-grader from Queensland, I know who I'd go for.

Having someone there all week working with the halves, PLUS having a specialist there a couple of days a week as well is so much better.
 

Spot On

Coach
Messages
13,897
Johns does not seem to be the halves coaching messiah some automatically believe he is.

Interestingly O’Brien, for all his shortcomings, believes he needs more help than the Great Johns to get first graders kicking and catching well.
 

PhilGould

Bench
Messages
3,316
Joey is definitely still in the picture working with the halves (including kicking I'm sure) and having his say on the attack as a whole.

By the sounds of it Barnes is working specifically on developing the kicking techniques of playmakers across all grades. Ponga will need to carry his weight of the kicking duties now which has never been the case before so I don't think it hurts having someone there focusing on that. Also he started his career in the NRL and then went on to play 51 tests for the Wallabies as a renowned kicker (and goal kicker) so not exactly just some bloke AOB met at the pub.
 

Bdubs

Juniors
Messages
142
Joey is definitely still in the picture working with the halves (including kicking I'm sure) and having his say on the attack as a whole.

By the sounds of it Barnes is working specifically on developing the kicking techniques of playmakers across all grades. Ponga will need to carry his weight of the kicking duties now which has never been the case before so I don't think it hurts having someone there focusing on that. Also he started his career in the NRL and then went on to play 51 tests for the Wallabies as a renowned kicker (and goal kicker) so not exactly just some bloke AOB met at the pub.
is he helping in just general kicking or will he work with the goal kickers as well?

I see it as a positive getting Barnes to help
 

PhilGould

Bench
Messages
3,316
"I think we're in good hands now if you've got Andrew Johns coming in to work with the halves and Berrick Barnes coming in and complementing Joey with our kicking - the technical side of our kicking and the technical side of our goal kicking," Parr told the Newcastle Herald.

 

Knight Tales

Juniors
Messages
2,345
You have to appreciate the effort Parr is putting in. He understands the depth of detail required to get us anywhere near the top sides. Barnes was a very smart footballer. Will compliment Joey well.
 

Loose Cannon

Bench
Messages
3,462
"I think we're in good hands now if you've got Andrew Johns coming in to work with the halves and Berrick Barnes coming in and complementing Joey with our kicking - the technical side of our kicking and the technical side of our goal kicking," Parr told the Newcastle Herald.

Would love to know how the “technical side” of our kicking has failed for a decade (plus?).
 

Frederick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
27,533
‘He’s a leader’: Wallabies great impressed with Knights’ ‘alpha male’ recruit


Staff Writers from Fox Sports
December 19th, 2022 11:09 am
Former Bronco and Wallabies great and current Knights assistant Berrick Barnes has been very impressed by Newcastle’s latest recruit, halfback Jackson Hastings.

Every fortnight Barnes spends two days with the Knights as a kicking coach focusing on goal-kicking and kicking in general play.

While Hastings has only been at his new club for just over a month his presence has already made an impression on Barnes.

“You look through the stats last year and Newcastle were just about on bottom with every kicking stat,” Barnes told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“They will make kicking a priority this year, and I’m just there to help reinforce that with the players and work with a few of them.

“Most of the stuff so far has been general-play kicking. I’ve enjoyed working with Jacko — he challenges you, he challenges the coach, but the good thing about him is he’s willing to drive a team, and confident in his own ability to do that.

“He’s been great for the environment so far. Jacko is an alpha male, he’s a leader in his own right and believes in what he thinks ... he’ll be a good fit for Newcastle.”

Barnes has over 50 Wallabies Tests to his name, a feat Hastings brought up with the former Wallaby when the pair first met on the training paddock.

“He came up to me and said, ‘hey mate, I’m Berrick Barnes’, and I was like, ‘I know mate, I’ve watched you play about 50 Tests for the Wallabies,” Hastings said.

“I used to love watching him with his long blond hair and the headgear.

“He’s not teaching us how to hold the ball or kick the ball, it’s when to kick it, how to set yourself up, hand position ... it’s about putting ourselves in the best position to get a clean kick away and land it in the right spot.

“He’s a really positive guy.”

Barnes also admitted that the prospective combination of Hastings and Kalyn Ponga has him excited, however he warned that success won’t occur over night.

“With Jacko and ‘KP’ you get a right and a left-footer, and as a kicking coach that’s your dream because you can open up the field and put the back three under pressure,” Barnes said.

“You want Jacko leading you around the park, and you want KP to jump on an opportunity when he sees something. They’re both lucky to also have the ‘Eighth’ [Andrew Johns] there helping them as well.

“Newcastle fans just need to be patient. Penrith’s Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary have been together since they were 14, and that’s 10 years together.

“Whatever combo Newcastle go with, there will be teething problems, but hopefully not for too long.”

 
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