Can anyone answer this question for me:

[aqua_duck]

It's not a race thing. We've certainly had Polynesians, kiwis, Fijians, etc that have kicked on and been the goods, as we've had Caucasian blokes that haven't been.

There's no denying though that our junior recruitment under Smith's reign revolved around the mentality of signing as many big Polynesian kids as we could to fill the sides regardless of skill level. Sure the Caucasian kids we had in the sides didn't kick on but maybe we'd have more of a chance of some locals kicking on if they weren't kicked out of the sides for bigger and often less skilful imports that also didn't kick on. The more locals we have in our junior sides the more chance we have of finding the talent. Not saying we shouldn't import blokes, but it should be for their skill (I.e. Tapine) and not simply because they're big and Polynesian like we did.

I do think we have an issue producing our own forwards that are capable of making the step up though and it's something we need to look into because it's been a very long and on-going issue.



We were on the right track in the late 90s early 2000s. Produce our own stars but then make a few astute signings (like BK) to fill the gaps we can't ourselves.

I think that's what we should (and seem to be) aiming for in the future. Give ourselves every opportunity to produce our own talent and whatever money we can save by producing blokes that want to stay in Newcastle, salary cap exclusions for juniors/long-term club players etc, we can put towards throwing at signings we need that we'd struggle to get to Newcastle.

To me it comes down to having a weak crop of locals. It was painful to watch sometimes as the pick of our local talent would just get beaten in submission week in week out in NYC.

 

[Noname36]

I certainly think we were having a dry patch talent wise in the the juniors when Smith and co came in but I'm not sure we went the right way about replacing them. We've got a heap of imports in the junior teams now like Tapine, Pondekas, etc but they've been specially selected for their skills which is something I don't think we were doing for a long time.

 

[Knight Vision]

I mean, it's a step up from that frigid shithole with its non-existent night life, but yeah - it's still no Sydney, Brisbane, or Melbourne.

We should be better able to compete with North Queensland and the Warriors though. Auckland is a dump and Townsville is basically Newcastle with shit beaches.



I mean, money certainly would go a long way towards convincing people otherwise, especially given the relative shortness of the commute if a player did want to spend more time in Sydney.

I can't recall us ever throwing big money at a player and losing out. We're always fiscally conservative, which isn't really an option when people don't want to live in Newie.

Things must have changed a lot then. As a young bloke in the Army Townsville was my first posting. I almost cried upon arriving.The first thing I saw in the main drag was a drunk and a full genius....it wasnt a good look and I remember it vividly today. Having been born in the old Newy hospital overlooking the beach and bred on its shores it was a horrifying situation I found myself.

 

[Misanthrope]

Things must have changed a lot then. As a young bloke in the Army Townsville was my first posting. I almost cried upon arriving.The first thing I saw in the main drag was a drunk and a full genius....it wasnt a good look and I remember it vividly today. Having been born in the old Newy hospital overlooking the beach and bred on its shores it was a horrifying situation I found myself.

Sounds like Windale...

 

[Belly007]

What has Wayne achieved in his time here?

He has assembled a team which, on paper, should be able to make the top 4 consistently.

However, what we actually have is an old, slow, boring group of players who seem completely incapable of sticking to a game plan, if there even is a game plan.

Wayne has actually done what I thought was impossible. He has made me hate watching us play.

I don't doubt that he is a smart coach, but I really have to question what his grand plan for us is

Tbh....this isnt a Wayne Bennett issue. This has been a Newcastle Knights issue since 1988 (apart from 1997 - 2001). We've always, apart from the very early years put decent looking teams on the paddock...but for some reason....we just dont deliver. I would expect that a coach of Bennett's calibre should be able to figure this issue out and resolve it....but who knows....I dont know why it happens and I certainly dont know how to fix it

 

[kiwipete]

I don't know why anyone would think we have a top 4 team on paper. We have a classy 1-7 but our forward pack is one of the worst in the comp as a whole. We have a couple of good ones but it's mostly shit. At the end of the day your backs can be as good as they want but if you don't have the pack it doesn't matter. All I can say is thank God Clydesdale and Sims are coming through.

Maybe if Wayne hadn't cleared out a lot of the up and coming, and dear I say it, local talent in the past few years we might have some future stars but he chose to transplant aging Dragons players and others on the way down. We lost Joel Edwards, Ethan Cook, Sam Anderson,Will Smith and many others to Sydney teams when they would rather have stayed here and played for their city with their mates. There's also a too small kid who was told by Onslow that he would never play first grade plying his trade at the Bulldogs, I'm sure Josh Jackson is having a grin about that...while he plays for Country this weekend.

 

[Spot On]

Are those players better than what we have now???

 

[Noname36]

Maybe if Wayne hadn't cleared out a lot of the up and coming, and dear I say it, local talent in the past few years we might have some future stars but he chose to transplant aging Dragons players and others on the way down. We lost Joel Edwards, Ethan Cook, Sam Anderson,Will Smith and many others to Sydney teams when they would rather have stayed here and played for their city with their mates. There's also a too small kid who was told by Onslow that he would never play first grade plying his trade at the Bulldogs, I'm sure Josh Jackson is having a grin about that...while he plays for Country this weekend.

We gave Edwards enough chances in FG and apart from a couple of good hits he was consistently underwhelming. He's been good for the Raiders but he produced very little for us and he had enough chances. For as much as they were talked up as juniors I've barely heard of Cook or Anderson since we let them go so they can't be going too well. Seriously, where are they even playing now? Same with Smith. He was a half/fullback/centre if I recall and you can't seriously tell me he's better than what we already have in those positions. I do rate Jackon but there's also a hell of people that don't...and I'm sure Jackson himself will be putting his CC debut into perspective when Robbie Rochow in his stellar form is there with him.

I get you're shitty that these local kids were told to move on but you can't tell me they're any better than what we already have. They're certainly not stars or have the potential to be.

The one bloke I'm disappointed in is Paterson. So much bloody potential. We could have used his ball playing ability so much at the moment. So sad he had to go and get himself tied up in that Team Mundine bullshit. I think Bennett could have worked wonders with him. From what I've been told when Bennett came on board Pato was told that Wayne was happy to work with him as long as he dropped the Mundine stuff but Pato refused. Such a shame, he had so much potential and tbh I don't even know where he's ended up.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Maybe if Wayne hadn't cleared out a lot of the up and coming, and dear I say it, local talent in the past few years we might have some future stars but he chose to transplant aging Dragons players and others on the way down. We lost Joel Edwards, Ethan Cook, Sam Anderson,Will Smith and many others to Sydney teams when they would rather have stayed here and played for their city with their mates. There's also a too small kid who was told by Onslow that he would never play first grade plying his trade at the Bulldogs, I'm sure Josh Jackson is having a grin about that...while he plays for Country this weekend.

What no name said. If you are going to be sad about players we let go, at least back up what you said with examples go players performing well after they left.most of your list involves players that I haven't even heard of playing first grade. When we lose another player like greg bird then I'll agree with you.

 

[RHCP]

Not every player who leaves Newcastle is 'lost'. $$$ talks - apparently the money Cordner got offered when he was 15/16 by the Roosters was absolutely insane. No fault on our part.

It ain't easy picking which kids are going to be stars. I'm sure all of us know people we played with in juniors who were superstars but never kicked on.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Maybe if Wayne hadn't cleared out a lot of the up and coming, and dear I say it, local talent in the past few years we might have some future stars but he chose to transplant aging Dragons players and others on the way down. We lost Joel Edwards, Ethan Cook, Sam Anderson,Will Smith and many others to Sydney teams when they would rather have stayed here and played for their city with their mates. There's also a too small kid who was told by Onslow that he would never play first grade plying his trade at the Bulldogs, I'm sure Josh Jackson is having a grin about that...while he plays for Country this weekend.

lol What? Aside from Edwards who was universally panned in his last year here, how many of those guys are playing FG again? Please remind me

Turn it up mate, jeezus

 

[Apey]

Maybe if Wayne hadn't cleared out a lot of the up and coming, and dear I say it, local talent in the past few years we might have some future stars but he chose to transplant aging Dragons players and others on the way down. We lost Joel Edwards, Ethan Cook, Sam Anderson,Will Smith and many others to Sydney teams when they would rather have stayed here and played for their city with their mates. There's also a too small kid who was told by Onslow that he would never play first grade plying his trade at the Bulldogs, I'm sure Josh Jackson is having a grin about that...while he plays for Country this weekend.

We? You appear to be a Panthers' fan.

 

[kiwipete]

No a footy fan. I especially follow teams where any of our, (I am from Newcastle, ) local juniors end up playing. Unfortunately there seem to be more of them playing at penrith than here at Newcastle. I want nothing more than our own players to represent our team. Guys like Tyler Randall, Chad Redman, Chris Adams should have been given a fair chance at playing nrl by now but Wayne seems to look everywhere except under his own nose. Disagree? ?

 

[Noname36]

No a footy fan. I especially follow teams where any of our, (I am from Newcastle, ) local juniors end up playing. Unfortunately there seem to be more of them playing at penrith than here at Newcastle. I want nothing more than our own players to represent our team. Guys like Tyler Randall, Chad Redman, Chris Adams should have been given a fair chance at playing nrl by now but Wayne seems to look everywhere except under his own nose. Disagree? ?

Yes. You just named a 5/8 and two hookers. Why would Randall, Redman or Adams be promoted when Mullen and Clydesdale are better players? Penrith signed a lot of our blokes that were struggling to make FG here...and most of them are struggling to make or maintain FG spots at Penrith too. What does that tell you? It tells me these blokes aren't good enough for FG regardless of where they are. Why should they play FG for us just because they're juniors when they wouldn't be good enough to play FG for anyone else? I bet you loved Hagan as coach. Persisting with juniors that had no right to be in FG was his speciality.

 

[aqua_duck]

No a footy fan. I especially follow teams where any of our, (I am from Newcastle, ) local juniors end up playing. Unfortunately there seem to be more of them playing at penrith than here at Newcastle. I want nothing more than our own players to represent our team. Guys like Tyler Randall, Chad Redman, Chris Adams should have been given a fair chance at playing nrl by now but Wayne seems to look everywhere except under his own nose. Disagree? ?

Those guys have to earn a spot with good displays in the lower grades, like Adam Clydesdale. Randall and Redman just don't have a position, both guys are utility players in the Riley Brown mould, Adams is 29 already and has never really done much.
Our NYC teams have been terrible for the past few years, there's a reason for that, lack of talent. All those guys you mentioned who sought greener pastures, how many are regular first graders?
I was disappointed to lose Ethan Cook and Peter Mata'utia in particular but both just haven't really kicked on after making Australian schoolboys.

 

[RHCP]

Randall, Redman and Adams or Roberts, Clydesdale and Tetevano?

 

[kiwipete]

Yes. You just named a 5/8 and two hookers. Why would Randall, Redman or Adams be promoted when Mullen and Clydesdale are better players? Penrith signed a lot of our blokes that were struggling to make FG here...and most of them are struggling to make or maintain FG spots at Penrith too. What does that tell you? It tells me these blokes aren't good enough for FG regardless of where they are. Why should they play FG for us just because they're juniors when they wouldn't be good enough to play FG for anyone else? I bet you loved Hagan as coach. Persisting with juniors that had no right to be in FG was his speciality.

Yep, loved Hagan. From memory won a debut year gf? And Wayne has done......crickets!

 

[League_God]

I think there were enough Caucasians around for at least a few to come through, the problem for me is a lot of guys who were suppose to be good just never developed, guys like Ethan Cook, Jake Finn, Callan Richardson, Chad Redman, etc all junior rep players, all highly rated combined to play a grand total of 0 first grade games for us.

The club should sign this bloke. Played starting front row for Wests all year last year and absolutely killed it. Won man of the match in the grand final and is still only 22. Could be a fantastic pick-up

 

[aqua_duck]

Unfortunately I think he lacks the size we need

 

[Noname36]

Yep, loved Hagan. From memory won a debut year gf? And Wayne has done......crickets!

Yeah, with a side another coach built, before he ran the club completely into the ground...