Gee, Leilua and Tapine look good

[slotmachine]

John Quayle, Mark Fitzgibbon and Phil Gardner don't know or understand the game?

Why is it the NRL's job to make the Knights successful? They don't do it for the other 15 clubs. They could have just taken the licence and moved it to Ipswich or Perth.

 

[Burwood]

I blame the NRL for our club not being top 4 every year. TPAs clearly favour the big clubs who can attract the additional money to make the most out of their salary cap space.

But are the NRL to blame for our club consistently overpaying fringe first graders and us occupying the bottom rungs on the ladder? Hardly their fault. Most of the other clubs seem able to manage their salary cap.

 

[macavity]

Yeah, the NRL actively wanting us to be shit is a bit of a stretch for me. I don't think they care much one way or another as long as we can pay the bills.

More to the point, they own us but have done nothing to advance our cause.

Neglect is the point, not malice - they don't think about us enough to form any malicious intent.

Alex hit the nail on the head - they take it for granted we will still turn up.

 

[slotmachine]

Are the NRL doing worse than how the club was run pre-tinkler?

They just seem like a large and convenient target for a multitude of failings imo.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

None of these players are what we want. For sure they have talent but they don't fit into any longer term plan for the club. We'd go backwards with them.
We are going to lose more of the guys we have exposed to the NRL. some we may have wanted to keep and some just won't fit.
I'm not concerned how Tapine and BJ go.

 

[Noname36]

BJ has always played good games. Physically he's a beast playing in the centres. His problem is his tiny brain and he will lose you as many as he wins you. He's only started to find form again in recent weeks.

We all know Tapine's skill set - so I'd prefer not to harp on it because it's just depressing. Chased the money after everything the club has done for his development + looking after his mother and keeping his arse out of prison.

To be honest not many players would turn their back on their club in that situation so I don't think Tapine is a fair representation or another reason to cry about the unfairness of the game.

And I don't miss BJ at all.

 

[Noname36]

Why do the NRL owe the Knights anything?

There are 16 teams in the NRL last time I checked. The Titans are also NRL owned and are going alright. The Raiders exist in a much smaller market and have got their business in order.

The cap/TPAs are an issue no doubt, but it's all too easy for the Knights to throw their hands in the air crying foul rather than look at what they are doing wrong.

To be fair the NRL are the club's owners and governing body.

No they do not owe the Knights any more than the other 15 sides however as the ones owning the club I think we do have a right to question whether we're being run correctly.

In the 2 years since the NRL have owed us they've apparently put a very qualified board in place that we've heard absolutely nothing from since while nothing seems to be improving.

No we don't deserve anything more than the other 15 teams but we do have the right to question how our owners are running the club (even if they are the NRL).

 

[Alex28]

John Quayle, Mark Fitzgibbon and Phil Gardner don't know or understand the game?

Why is it the NRL's job to make the Knights successful? They don't do it for the other 15 clubs. They could have just taken the licence and moved it to Ipswich or Perth.

Quayle - past it, Manly.
Fitzgibbon - sponsor. Not really aware of his football credentials.
Gardner - the same guy who offered to buy the club for $1? He's got great motivation to make the club worth $20M...

It's the NRL's job to make the Knights successful because they OWN THE CLUB. How else do they make it worth $20M and get the thing sold?

 

[slotmachine]

In the 2 years since the NRL have owed us they've apparently put a very qualified board in place that we've heard absolutely nothing from since while nothing seems to be improving.

Who are better candidates for the board that would actually do it? McGuigan and his magic beans are an embarrassment, but the rest appear highly qualified. Are the NRL meant to keep an eye on them like naughty school children to make sure they're doing their homework?

Improving in what areas? Midley says we have the 4th highest commercial revenues in the comp, that seems an excellent result. Will probably break even this year if people keep going to games. If you're talking about the squad, you obviously understand the cap situation is f**ked. What can the NRL do about that, other than look the other way while we cheat for a few seasons? :lol:

 

[Noname36]

Who are better candidates for the board that would actually do it? McGuigan and his magic beans are an embarrassment, but the rest appear highly qualified. Are the NRL meant to keep an eye on them like naughty school children to make sure they're doing their homework?

Improving in what areas? Midley says we have the 4th highest commercial revenues in the comp, that seems an excellent result. Will probably break even this year if people keep going to games. If you're talking about the squad, you obviously understand the cap situation is f**ked. What can the NRL do about that, other than look the other way while we cheat for a few seasons? :lol:

I didn't say they weren't a qualified board. What I said was that since they've been appointed we've heard nothing from them and nothing is improving. You say we may break even this year but that's only because we're being operated on a shoe string compared to everyone else. I don't think that's anything to crow about. Midley is the original whipping boy but really he's only a figurehead and cops it for being useless because he's the only one we ever hear from (other than McGuigan).

I think we could cop this period much better if they actually came out and told us specifically what this NRL appointed board are actually doing.

 

[slotmachine]

what should they be doing?

 

[The Showstopper]

I actually believe despite the cloak and dagger outside appearance of the club's inner workings The NRL is fully aware Newcastle needs to be strong for this game to stay strong. They will sooner launch another franchise here than not have a side at all. This is about getting it right. The scepticism is warranted from us all but if the porfitability results are as good as has been suggested then the next buyers/investors will see us as worth pouring money into.

It is a simple plan. Retain the top local juniors and buy the quality players to keep them winning. The crowds will be huge every week regardless of result. It could be argued the knights have that one anomaly in their favour more than any other club. As long as the side competes hard the crowds will turn up win, lose or draw.

 

[macavity]

Why the assumption we still matter? The Hunter is already Foxtel saturated. The Knights going won't mean many boxes being sent back, what with the kids hooked on Disney channel and mum keeping up with the Kardashians (is that still a thing?)...

Look at the NRL's support of the Titans v treatment of us. Tells you all you need to know.

I find your breezy confidence that all will forever be ok more than a bit disturbing. Skepticism well and truly justified here.

 

[macavity]

And yes, the NRL certainly takes our crowds for granted, you have that right. But honourable losses don't breed the next generation of fans. We have lost the town already, we just refuse to believe it.

 

[slotmachine]

Look at the NRL's support of the Titans v treatment of us. Tells you all you need to know

What are the nrl doing for the Titans that they aren't doing for the knights?

 

[macavity]

What are the nrl doing for the Titans that they aren't doing for the knights?

You can't see any difference in the resources allocated and personnel put in place?

 

[slotmachine]

No, that's why I'm asking.

 

[Whats Doing]

You can't see any difference in the resources allocated and personnel put in place?

Living on the Gold Coast I can assure you that the Titans don't get any more special treatment than the Knights. They don't even have a home training base and have been nomads for the last few years although this will change next year.

What they do have is a new very good proactive board who have actually started delivering results including significantly increasing income through sponsorships. The Board (and in particularly the Chair) is very good at building good connections in the community which is where their new training home has resulted from.

I just see that the new Titans board is far superior in actually improving the club in all aspects of operations which is starting to show through with results on the field.

 

[slotmachine]

Our commercial revenues are ranked fourth in the NRL based on our 2015 financial performance.

It seems that side of the business is OK.
The Knights have a shiny new training base at Wests Mayfield.
Crowds are still pretty good even though we are terrible on the field.
Memberships are a concern.

It seems that most people's issue is that our squad is absolute garbage. That's on Midley, Hages and Stone and there is zero the NRL can do about it.

 

[Noname36]

They showed the other (and just as big) sides of their games tonight: lazy and stupid.

TPJ on the other hand was depressing to watch tonight. The type of mongrel we need.

Imagine him lining up next to the Saifitis at the moment. And yet we end up signing some kid that can't make the Raiders side instead. I know the Raiders chased him hard (like they did Tapine) but we need to be smarter with our junior retention.