Brock Lamb

[Pedge1971]

With Hodko I feel like it doesn't really matter how he's going at that level. He is a known quantity and these days in the NRL he doesn't have any tools at his disposal to hurt teams.

He's like a solid Group 3 winning horse running in the Melbourne Cup and coming 20th. He's not in the top class, so reserves form is largely meaningless.

It's different with young halves who have potential because their lower grade form offers a glimpse of what they can do.

I get your analogy but Hodko is class 5. Never ever imply he is a group horse again. The Melbourne Cup is Origin.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I didn't have a massive issue with Lamb being dropped for a week or two provided the purpose was to take a bit of pressure off him and help him get his confidence back while getting an idea of how he would go with Cogger. That being said Hodko was deplorable and showed why he was dropped in the first place, and Feeney wasn't much better.

The halves combo for the rest of the season simply must be 6. Lamb 7. Cogger. Assuming we don't sign anyone new in the halves for next year then we can stick with those two plus Pythian to create competition for spots.

 

[slotmachine]

If that's the 2018 combo we get a fourth spoon and Brown is sacked.

 

[macavity]

Don't understand why people are putting stock in Phythian. He has played what, 100 minutes of first grade?

Sure, he might be competent and hold down a spot (and not get injured). But more unlikely than likely.

Cogger is a dead set midget.

 

[K-Man]

If that's the 2018 combo we get a fourth spoon and Brown is sacked.

100% agree. You can't have two below average halves in the NRL and be competitive. Lamb or Cogger or Phythian with a top quality half, not even necessarily a rep player, but someone very good (Norman, Taylor). Next runf down would appear to be someone like Watson who is unproven but clearly very, very talented.

And a few rungs below that is what we have. 5 of them in fact.

 

[Alex28]

If that's the 2018 combo we get a fourth spoon and Brown is sacked.

And what contribution to the forum will you have then? Your wish will be granted!

Or will you deathride the next coach?

 

[Glendale]

So, Lamb and Cogger are gonna guarentee us a spoon but spending an absurd amount on an unproven Watson is gonna save us? Right...

 

[Sacrolishes]

best way to look at it is this. Looks like A option isn't going to work. (Cronk, Maloney, Watson). So work with halves we have currently (Cogger and Lamb being first choices). Next plan b recruitment to make 2018 be successful for knights is to recruit strong to great players around the halves and hooker. Ponga was the first big tick there, Moga, SKD, Guerra and Esse will be big improvements, now we need to aim for front towers who can provide a go forward and able to turn momentum around when we need to. If we are on back foot, we need players to turn the momentum around offensively and defensively, so it gives the halves a chance to play some footy.

From that Brown needs to show that he can coach a team out of a tight spot, train them mentally to be up for big games when they say they are going to be. To be fair, the fight mentally from this team to rally from behind many times this year has been a huge improvement from past couple years, they have just been unable to go on with it. That 100% needs to change next year.

Example. Recruiting Graham and Lewis next year would be perfect players to teach team how to turn a game and apply blowtorch at right time.

A proven, great Half/5/8 would be great yes, but won't do much unless he has the support base around him to execute. Game mangers in front row, backlkne & back row is what we need next year.

And when an opportunity comes for a top line playmaker to be in market, then we go hard for them again.

 

[Still Nutty]

If that's the 2018 combo we get a fourth spoon and Brown is sacked.

Slots - if that ends up our first option 2018 halves pairing, then Mooney and Brown haven't done their job.
I don't care how much cash we have in the bank because we've not paid overs, not spending it (including overs) on at least 1 decent half is professional suicide for these 2

Don't understand why people are putting stock in Phythian. He has played what, 100 minutes of first grade?

Sure, he might be competent and hold down a spot (and not get injured). But more unlikely than likely.

Cogger is a dead set midget.

Mac, I agree that Cogger does not have the size to carry a first grade role for long periods but I want this pair to at least be given an opportunity to try and run the FG squad as a halves combination because this weeks' option was pretty abysmal...and there needs to be consequences for that.

I personally think Feeney and Lamb have been our best 'tried' combination this year and Cogger may only get 1 crack at it next week but their combination form in Reggies and Feeney's poor game this week warrants a change for me to let them try.

On Phythian...I think it may be rose coloured glasses but for that 100 minutes he did stand up and showed kicking and organisational skills better than pretty much anything else we've seen this season - at least with him, the promise hasn't yet evaporated into mediocrity and plod.

 

[Old dog]

It was nice to read some common sense in the above, don't have to agree entirely but it's nice to be positive for a change.

 

[Burwood]

http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2017/07/03/woolford_praises_isp.html

Back together again, halves duo Brock Lamb and Jack Cogger were unstoppable in the halves.
Woolford says their exciting combination allowed the team to control the game.
“They have played a lot of footy together and I was excited to watch those two guys play together in the flesh for the first time,” he said.
“You could certainly see they’ve played quite a bit of footy together.
“They laid on a try for each other with their nice little kicks so they just fell straight back into controlling the team like they have done in the past.

Get them into first grade ASAP. If you look at the makeup of our side, you'd have to think that the majority of players would have gone through the junior system with both Lamb and Cogger as their halves, so many other combinations would be there as well. It seems a no brainer.

 

[Sacrolishes]

http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2017/07/03/woolford_praises_isp.html


Get them into first grade ASAP. If you look at the makeup of our side, you'd have to think that the majority of players would have gone through the junior system with both Lamb and Cogger as their halves, so many other combinations would be there as well. It seems a no brainer.

I think this was Browns idea, give them maybe a couple games to see how they go and get their combos right and bring them in for final run of the year.

I just don't think he though Trent would fail as bad as he did. The whole team failed miserably making everyone's job harder on wkend. I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves Trent in for one more game and debut Cogs and Lamb at a home game, I also wouldn't be surprised he just says "f**k it, what do we have to lose" and throw them both into FG this week.

 

[Still Nutty]

That's a pretty strong wrap from Woolford...maybe he is doing the spade work for the FG side announcements tomorrow

Edit - just saw you post above Sacrolishes and I hope he goes with the latter...that was supposed to be Hodko at his best, unencumbered by his knees an in good form from the Reggies.


My biggest disappointment was his kicking game - he actually seemed to kick to advantage the Tigers?!...and that has nothing to do with anything other than crap execution

 

[Sacrolishes]

That's a pretty strong wrap from Woolford...maybe he is doing the spade work for the FG side announcements tomorrow

Edit - just saw you post above Sacrolishes and I hope he goes with the latter...that was supposed to be Hodko at his best, unencumbered by his knees an in good form from the Reggies.


My biggest disappointment was his kicking game - he actually seemed to kick to advantage the Tigers?!...and that has nothing to do with anything other than crap execution

100%. Trent basically played himself out of FG. That was an unforgiving performance. I hope Brown puts them both in as well. I just personally won't be putting my entire hopes on them both and if we lose rip them to shreds. I believe they were the preferred choice originally, but with Cogger injured for so long g it's just been delayed. I think. Other has only been back for 3 weeks. Hopefully he is a confident enough player to be ready. He'll struggle physically but hopefully attack wise keeps himself poised with Lamb and co

 

[Choppy182]

This was the most garbage decision Brown has done. Surprise surprise, attack was non existent. Hodgkin son has to go for good. We piled on over 20 points against a team who has been in top 4 majority of the year in one half and yes fell away in a second half of footy but, give credit to the dragons maintaining 70% possession to get them back in it. Did not warrant dropping any of the halves after 1 bad half of footy especially when they have been doing three times the job hodgko has done since he came to newcastle.

 

[Alex28]

Pinning that on Browny when he has been given a licence to experiment isn't really fair.

What about the $700K reserve grader who is supposed to be a leader to the young blokes who couldn't step up at all?

Only thing he did wrong was pick the wrong halves, and to be fair if Hokko couldn't play his way into form against the Tigers he isn't being genuine to the club.

And perhaps giving Lamb some time against weaker competition to find some form next to Cogger is good in the long-term...

This is McGuigan looking for an easy answer. What has he got once he burns the coach?

 

[Joel-22]

Mac, I agree that Cogger does not have the size to carry a first grade role for long periods

Cogger is a dead set midget.

Cogger is taller than Isaac Luke, Adam Reynolds, Apisai Koroisau, Jake Granville etc.

He's the same height as Peter Wallace, James Maloney, Jake Friend, Anthony Milford and Connor Watson.

Another off-season of weight training and proper nutrition and his size won't be a factor at all

 

[Joel-22]

He also showed in the Canberra game that he is courageous as f**k. Had Papalli running at him all game, didn't miss a tackle and made like 30 or something. I would look up the actual stats but I don't have the know how

 

[perverse]

He also showed in the Canberra game that he is courageous as f**k. Had Papalli running at him all game, didn't miss a tackle and made like 30 or something. I would look up the actual stats but I don't have the know how

14 Tackles, 1 1-on-1, 1 missed, 1 ineffective - according to nrlstats.com.

To be honest, I thought his numbers would be a bit better than that on that day, too. He aimed up for sure.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

This was the most garbage decision Brown has done. Surprise surprise, attack was non existent. Hodgkin son has to go for good. We piled on over 20 points against a team who has been in top 4 majority of the year in one half and yes fell away in a second half of footy but, give credit to the dragons maintaining 70% possession to get them back in it. Did not warrant dropping any of the halves after 1 bad half of footy especially when they have been doing three times the job hodgko has done since he came to newcastle.

I couldn't help noticing Antonius liked your post.

Welcome back @antonius