Good season

[BG]

Their key players > our key players

True, and our depth has proven to be better, which is my point. We've had 6 or 7 out at times this year including the likes of Gids, Mullo, Cross and Patto and remained competitive. No team is immune to Karma's suggestion that long-term "key" injuries can result in a slide to the cellar. But I'd say we're less reliant on one or two players than many other clubs.

 

[Misanthrope]

The problem is, even with our big names on the field, we have next to no mental toughness. We were up against it all night tonight because we were playing a better team and because we continually made stupid decisions in attack and defence. We needed somebody out there to shout some sense into the boys and fire them up.

I don't question Kurt's passion or ability - but is he really the kind of leader we need motivating a side of young guys?

 

[shane1970]

I don't think Evarn Tuimavave meets the 'class front rower' tag, either.

.
I'd be taking him over Mark T at any day or game. (With Cross and Tolar back next year) - which real NRL team did he get sponsored to ????? Cause thats where he'll be spending the vast majority of the year

 

[Karmawave]

How many top-liners do any teams really have outside their top 18 or 19?

The difference between the Newcastle Knights, and the rest of the NRL, is lack of depth in high quality under 20's who can step up to fill the void if needed.

We don't have an Aiden Tolman or Dave Taylor stepping in for when Ben Cross or Dan Tolar goes down injured.

The Knights don't have a Josh Dugan or Jarrod Croker to step in for an rep duty Gidley or injured Mad Dog.

We don't have a Matt Prior or a Warea Hargraves coming through the NYC to take over from an injured Simmo or a depressed Patto.

We don't have an Alex Glenn coming off the bench instead of Wes Naiqama or Marvin Karawana.

We don't have a Keiran Foran or Daniel Mortimer stepping into the halves in lieu of Ben Rogers/Scott Dureau.

There's the kind of differences between the strength of squads from the Knights to the rest of the NRL. And its not changing in 2010.

 

[shane1970]

The difference between the Newcastle Knights, and the rest of the NRL, is lack of depth in high quality under 20's who can step up to fill the void if needed.

We don't have an Aiden Tolman or Dave Taylor stepping in for when Ben Cross or Dan Tolar goes down injured.

The Knights don't have a Josh Dugan or Jarrod Croker to step in for an rep duty Gidley or injured Mad Dog.

We don't have a Matt Prior or a Warea Hargraves coming through the NYC to take over from an injured Simmo or a depressed Patto.

We don't have an Alex Glenn coming off the bench instead of Wes Naiqama or Marvin Karawana.

We don't have a Keiran Foran or Daniel Mortimer stepping into the halves in lieu of Ben Rogers/Scott Dureau.

There's the kind of differences between the strength of squads from the Knights to the rest of the NRL. And its not changing in 2010.

.
HOLY sh*t!!!!!!!!!! - a reply from Karma that I have to agree with totally 100%

 

[Alex28]

Is it that we don't have enough faith in the juniors coming through and we are not giving them the chances that other clubs do (in finding the Mortimers and Crokers and Dugans), or is it that our stock are just not good enough?

It's pretty disheartening to think we could be 3 or 4 years away from finding some decent juniors to flow through to first grade...

 

[Karmawave]

Is it that we don't have enough faith in the juniors coming through and we are not giving them the chances that other clubs do (in finding the Mortimers and Crokers and Dugans), or is it that our stock are just not good enough?

The latter. The talent level in our under 20's this year was poor.

Pete Matautia is an option for 2010, but where does he play?

Having said that, I can't imagine Con Mika being a worse option than Wes or Marvin.

 

[shane1970]

I actually thought Mravins efforts of late have been pretty good

 

[Apey]

MacDougall and Simpson are past it.

:crazy:

Doogs has been one of our best players if not the best this year. Simpson is a bit past it in some ways.. however his defence is still very good.

 

[Alex28]

He's a centre? Put him in for Doogs. I don't get the hard on that everyone has for him. He is old and slow - yes he shows an effort week-in-week-out, but that is not enough. Every other team in the 8 has an outstanding centre, yet we are happy to let Doogs trod around the park for another 2 years?

Let's develop ourselves a gun centre - we have the prospects of a very good player here. We're wasting him by playing Doogs instead of him.

 

[aqua_duck]

Doogs will be injured every 2nd week that will give us a chance to ease Pete in slowly. I agree with what Karma said (btw Matt Prior never played NYC, he's the same age as Pato) but I'm going to be positive and look at it from a point of view that our NYC team next year will be alot better. We've got Ethan Cook who made the Aust schoolboys team as a year 11 student and will be a 1st grader within 2 years IMO, Pete Mata'utia is the best centre prospect I've seen at the club for 10 years, Josh Ailaomoi played almost an entire year in NYC as an underaged front rower and at times towelled up blokes 2 years older than him, Jake Finn made every junior rep team under the sun this year, and the likes of Tetevano, Tyrone Roberts and Tyler Sullivan could all be future 1st graders

 

[Karmawave]

Tyrone Roberts

Agree with almost every opinion on the players you mentioned - except him.

What do you see in Tyrone exactly? Serious question, I've been trying to see it in his performances.

He is the biggest ball hog I've ever seen in a young footballer - even more so than Byron Fruen.

Does he have a skill set that can be improved to compensate for his individualism?

Is it possible his woeful individualism greed this year was simply a direct result of the kind of coaching approach the Under 20's had overall and that it can be rectified by good coaching?

 

[aqua_duck]

Agree with almost every opinion on the players you mentioned - except him.

What do you see in Tyrone exactly? Serious question, I've been trying to see it in his performances.

He is the biggest ball hog I've ever seen in a young footballer - even more so than Byron Fruen.

Does he have a skill set that can be improved to compensate for his individualism?

Is it possible his woeful individualism greed this year was simply a direct result of the kind of coaching approach the Under 20's had overall and that it can be rectified by good coaching?

He's an enigma, I know his manager and as he would put it "Tyrone can win you a game and he can lose you a game". I'm not saying he'll play for Australia but he could be a 1st grader, he's got alot of flair and with a good coach could be a useful footballer

 

[The Smokey]

We cant afford to buy top line strike players and have depth. We need depth that is why we were still competitive this year without our two starting front-rowers, our starting winger, bench second-Rowers and origin players in/out. Alot of other teams without depth do struggle and thats why they dont make the eight. You need to make the eight to play finals!

In the past we struggled without depth before Smith fixed that up. I do think we can afford to let Wicks go on the coin he is on and buy a better prop one that can tackle better and do the hard work.

The players are improving from last year and if they can improve again next year which i think they can we will be up there.

 

[Yosh]

Meh okay season, did well enough to make it to 7th. HOWEVER did we have to play so terrible last game of the season? That was a horrific performance and one area that definately needs improving is direction/leadership.

On the bright side there is always next year ^^

 

[Spike]

I think you need to find new predicitons Yosh

 

[BG]

The difference between the Newcastle Knights, and the rest of the NRL, is lack of depth in high quality under 20's who can step up to fill the void if needed.

We don't have an Aiden Tolman or Dave Taylor stepping in for when Ben Cross or Dan Tolar goes down injured.

The Knights don't have a Josh Dugan or Jarrod Croker to step in for an rep duty Gidley or injured Mad Dog.

We don't have a Matt Prior or a Warea Hargraves coming through the NYC to take over from an injured Simmo or a depressed Patto.

We don't have an Alex Glenn coming off the bench instead of Wes Naiqama or Marvin Karawana.

We don't have a Keiran Foran or Daniel Mortimer stepping into the halves in lieu of Ben Rogers/Scott Dureau.

There's the kind of differences between the strength of squads from the Knights to the rest of the NRL. And its not changing in 2010.

What have players like Taylor, Tolman, Glenn, Prior and Croker got to do with the tail end of a squad's 25-player depth? They're in their teams' top 17.

OK, maybe it's disappointing that we didn't debut anyone exciting from our under 20s this year but that's a change of subject. It's easy to cherry pick one or two exciting youngsters from clubs here or there. Not many teams produce a clutch of them each and every season and these things go in cycles. Mata'Utai could be an exciting prospect next year, and, personally, I haven't given up on Aku either. You would have to admit we have at least had some nice young talent come through or been brought to the club by Smith over the past couple of years: Vuna, Sau, Patto, McManus (and a little older but still on the upward incline of their careers: Taia, Faas, De Gois, etc.).


Edit: Also, most of the clubs you've referenced--Broncos, Eagles, Storm, Raiders--have all coped far worse than us at the times when they've been struck by more than one or two injuries.

 

[Nuffy]

The difference between the Newcastle Knights, and the rest of the NRL, is lack of depth in high quality under 20's who can step up to fill the void if needed.

We don't have an Aiden Tolman or Dave Taylor stepping in for when Ben Cross or Dan Tolar goes down injured.

The Knights don't have a Josh Dugan or Jarrod Croker to step in for an rep duty Gidley or injured Mad Dog.

We don't have a Matt Prior or a Warea Hargraves coming through the NYC to take over from an injured Simmo or a depressed Patto.

We don't have an Alex Glenn coming off the bench instead of Wes Naiqama or Marvin Karawana.

We don't have a Keiran Foran or Daniel Mortimer stepping into the halves in lieu of Ben Rogers/Scott Dureau.

There's the kind of differences between the strength of squads from the Knights to the rest of the NRL. And its not changing in 2010.

The Canberra aspect is the most illustrative, those guys have come into a rubbish team and done well. Lets see how they go next year.

As the for the rest I would say that each of those players are coming into teams heavy with experience and quality players, that really aids their development and allows them the support to shine.

 

[Johns Magic]

In the end injuries killed us the most.

I don't see how.

Cross and McManus were the only real absentees last night through injury. Tolar and Ciraldo would have made no difference.

Yeah Taia and De Gois went into the game injured, but I would say our injury run was pretty kind this year.

 

[Jono078]

I don't see how.

Cross and McManus were the only real absentees last night through injury. Tolar and Ciraldo would have made no difference.

Yeah Taia and De Gois went into the game injured, but I would say our injury run was pretty kind this year.

Exactly, injuries killed us in the end. If we had fit players playing at least we would have had a better chance in the finals.