Difference like Knight and day

[Jobdog]

First-round win over Bulldogs gives huge lift to Newcastle Knights

By Dean Ritchie

WHAT a difference 13 days makes.

Yesterday they were confident and excitable, a carefree team bristling with youthful exuberance after they achieved one of the finest victories in Newcastle's 22-year history.

There are fears the Knights might let their round-one heroics go to their heads after they strutted around without a care in the world at their Mayfield training base.

But the sobering call went out just moments after the Knights' upset 20-16 win over Canterbury at Olympic Park on Saturday evening: Let's not get carried away.

Newcastle coach Rick Stone and some senior players, including former Australian second-rower Steve Simpson, reminded the young group of players to "stay grounded".

"It is only round one," Simpson told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.

"And we do have Melbourne this Saturday night. Our next win won't be gift-wrapped."

First Danny Wicks was hit with drugs charges, then Houston.

They'd also lost captain Kurt Gidley for a month to injury and then key players Isaac De Gois and Adam MacDougall joined him on the sidelines.

Newcastle somehow overcame those two front-page scandals and an off-season from hell to record an improbable win over the Bulldogs, last year's preliminary finalists.

It was the upset of round one, if not the upset of the year.

"We were always confident going into the game. We backed ourselves," Simpson said.

"The Bulldogs are relentless and keep coming at you.

"We just tried not to let it [the off-field dramas] affect us.

"We were all happy after fulltime but a few boys spoke about not getting carried away straight after the game.

"The Storm are a very consistent side though and we will have our work cut out. But it will be a great first-up game at home for us.

"We can still fix a lot of little things. There are plenty of areas to improve on. We have to work hard and work for each other."

Newcastle are expecting injured hooker De Gois back for the Storm game.

He successfully played half a game for the Knights' feeder club, the Central Coast Centurions, over the weekend.

Bustling centre Junior Sau, though, has a rib injury and is looking at missing one game - although officials believe he could recover just in time for Melbourne.

Off contract after this season, Simpson, 30, is hoping for a new two-year deal with Newcastle.

With a young team emerging, Simpson's experience, toughness and guidance will be vital to the Knights' ongoing success.

"I still feel good," Simpson said.

"Hopefully I can get a couple more years. I don't really want to go overseas. There is a fresh feel at the club now and I want to stay and be part of that."

LINK

 

[Joker's Wild]

If Simmo can stay fit and keep producing performances like Sat nights, Ill have no issues with offering him a 2 year deal

 

[keeney]

Reduced rates though. I couldn't stand losing about 22 of our top 25 in order to retain him. Fact is, he is old. Looked marvellous on sat but hasn't played to a consistent high standard in years.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Agreed. 150-200K would be the mark

 

[aqua_duck]

I'd have no objections with giving Simmo a 200k deal, the bloke has been one of the greatest servants, would be great to see him finish his career as a one club man

 

[Stranger]

You blokes are nuts!

After one good game you are ready to throw 200k+ at him? Remembering that he did miss a third of the season last year.

Great player, Legend infact, but sometimes it is just time to let a player go.

 

[Rolla]

You blokes are nuts!

After one good game you are ready to throw 200k+ at him? Remembering that he did miss a third of the season last year.

Great player, Legend infact, but sometimes it is just time to let a player go.

Simmo proved in his limited appearances last year that the quality is still there, this match wasn't a one off by any stretch. Don't get me wrong I wouldnt throw 200k at him tomorrow. However i think that the knights should see the season through and if he can keep his body on the park than he is a 200k player at least, if not then im sure he will call it quits or gladly accept a cut. Either way Simmo should not be shown the door, the knights owe him that.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

220K would be the max I'd offer him and anything under around 190k would be a slap in the face to him. I wouldn't bother with contract talks for a couple of months anyway. If he can stay on the paddock then I'd be more than happy to sign him for another year, with the 2nd year in the clubs favour if he become injury prone or loses form.

 

[Burwood]

The club would be crazy not to give him some of Wicks' and Houston's money from this year. I seriously can't see it going towards any new signings for 2010, so we may as well put it towards a great cause like Simmo without it costing us another of our players or a possible big-name signing next year.

 

[Rolla]

The club would be crazy not to give him some of Wicks' and Houston's money from this year. I seriously can't see it going towards any new signings for 2010, so we may as well put it towards a great cause like Simmo without it costing us another of our players or a possible big-name signing next year.

I don't know that he needs a pay rise, just use the money he is on already

 

[Burwood]

I don't know that he needs a pay rise, just use the money he is on already

It wouldn't be a pay rise. We'd be paying him extra in 2010 so he'd be happy to take unders in 2011/2012.

 

[Rolla]

oh ok. could use that tactic on a few players i suppose, just forward pay them for next year to free up cap space... is it legal?

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Simmo deserves it. He is like BK in that he is super consistent and can hit the ground running returning from injuries. That is more heart than anything.

 

[Serc]

is it legal?

Yep, lots of clubs do it, often freely reported in the media too.

I think a good example was the 2008 Bulldogs players loading up on extra money so they could keep their 2009 player splurge under the cap.

 

[Rolla]

Yep, lots of clubs do it, often freely reported in the media too.

I think a good example was the 2008 Bulldogs players loading up on extra money so they could keep their 2009 player splurge under the cap.

Great, so we would be mad not to do this? assuming a mid year transfer is not on the cards.

 

[Joker's Wild]

You blokes are nuts!

After one good game you are ready to throw 200k+ at him? Remembering that he did miss a third of the season last year.

Great player, Legend infact, but sometimes it is just time to let a player go.

Well I did say if he stayed fit and kept producing those types of performances mate

 

[Bensen]

Playing out wider was the Simpson of old. I,d like to see him keep playing in the back row and kept away from the heavy duty work n the middle. Who can forget his tries in the 2001 GF ( I am counting the one where Harrigan should have had it checked) running out wide over smaller defenders.

I was never fussed with him playing front row and thought he was wasted barging up the middle.

 

[Burwood]

I'll never forget his try saving tackle in the first half of that game.

 

[perverse]

Playing out wider was the Simpson of old. I,d like to see him keep playing in the back row and kept away from the heavy duty work n the middle. Who can forget his tries in the 2001 GF ( I am counting the one where Harrigan should have had it checked) running out wide over smaller defenders.

I was never fussed with him playing front row and thought he was wasted barging up the middle.

in my opinion simpson has played some of his best football for the knights from the front row over the past couple of years in the few games he played there, and 2001 was 9 (yes, NINE) years ago now... so i have to disagree with you. i don't think he is wasted up the middle at all... in fact his run-straight-forward no nonsense approach is perfectly suited to the middle of the park, especially in this day and age of skillful, ballplaying second rowers. both paterson and taia fit this mould perfectly, however simpson does not.

ive said all along it will probably never happen, and the main criticism of simpson playing up front is - and should be - that his body simply can't handle the workload and intense physicality of the front row anymore. that i do somewhat agree with... but that doesn't mean i have to like it, and i still really would love to see it given a shot. if we wanted to name our best starting pack possible, then simpson would have to move to the front row... because i think taia and paterson are the future and i think they create more attacking opportunities on the fringes. i think simpson can do the same job of putting the ball under his wing and belting it forward in the middle of the park.

 

[Stranger]

* cough *

Yep its easy to heap praise on a player after and awesome game.

Just as easy to heap sh*t on them when they have a terrible game.

You boys offering 200K+ to Simpson is the same as trying to resign Cross for 350K.

There is potential for it to be a bargin... but the risk facter is way to huge...