Knights Land Gagai

[Woosh]

His performance was great but the whole backline seems to have gone up a notch in terms of confidence and organization. Gagai during the off season must have helped.

Ponga mentioned Gagai was like another half on the field yesterday telling him what to do.

Gagai sparks Knights to sensational upset win

'The best player on the field'

www.google.com.au

Gagai starred in his first match for Newcastle since 2017, and was named "the best player on the field" by NRL legend Cooper Cronk on Fox League's coverage.
Knights skipper Kalyn Ponga was thrilled by the 31-year-old's performance, lauding his impact on Newcastle's youngsters.

"He's been awesome for us to be honest," Ponga told Fox League after the match. "It's good to have him back in these colours.

"He brings so much experience to this group. He's an outside back but he's like a half when he's on the field, he's telling me what to do.”

 

[The Axe of Druss]

In my mind I liken it to an experienced Adam MacDougall mentoring a young and dynamic Akuila Uate. Uate was at his best when Mad Dog was his centre.

I said to one of my mates on Saturday that Gags reminded me of Maddog when he returned to us later in his career. The way he skipped to the outside of his man, fended then put Young away a few times was very reminicent of many of the plays we saw between Maddog and Uate back then

 

[Woosh]

Joey named his dream backline the other week.
Surprisingly he didn’t name Hoy but he did name a washed up Gagai calling him “unbelievable student of the game”

"Working with Gags this year, he is an unbelievable student of the game," he said. "He knows his game, he knows how he wants the ball, never stops talking."

NRL: Andrew Johns snubs James Tedesco, includes Selwyn Cobbo in dream backline

JOEY'S DREAM NRL BACKLINE

Fullback: Tom Trbojevic

Wing: Selwyn Cobbo

Wing: Xavier Coates

Centre: Latrell Mitchell

Centre: Dane Gagai

Five-eighth: Jack Wighton

Halfback: Nathan Cleary

 

[Jono078]

Cobbo is getting an awful lot of hype this year and just so far what I’ve seen I don’t think he is Inglis or Latrell level special.

 

[Apey]

Jack Wighton

 

[Yosh]

Jack Wighton

From Joey's point of view, Wighton would have been his perfect partner.

Left footed
Strong runner
Great defender
Fierce competitor

He is basically Captain America Sean Rudder.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Cobbo is getting an awful lot of hype this year and just so far what I’ve seen I don’t think he is Inglis or Latrell level special.

Really? Against Souths he was busting them at will and only a few rookie level mistakes cost him from some very special highlights

The kid is still raw but hes got everything

 

[Jono078]

Really? Against Souths he was busting them at will and only a few rookie level mistakes cost him from some very special highlights

The kid is still raw but hes got everything

I'll admit I've not seen much of him but what I have seen nothing screamed superstar to me.

 

[PhilGould]

Time to revisit yet?

 

[Sir Galahad]

Hard to fly like an Eagle when surrounded by Turkeys.

 

[perverse]

Time to revisit yet?

Outside backs aren't the problem. Whatever you call the farce going on inside them is.

 

[PhilGould]

Certainly not the only one struggling but
- Leads the comp for missed tackles
- Right edge has conceded the most tries in the comp
- Today: 15 tackles made, 10 missed, 3 innefective

His defence is a problem no matter how you look at it. Yardage runs have disappeared too.

 

[Jono078]

Certainly not the only one struggling but
- Leads the comp for missed tackles
- Right edge has conceded the most tries in the comp
- Today: 15 tackles made, 10 missed, 3 innefective

His defence is a problem no matter how you look at it. Yardage runs have disappeared too.

It's a byproduct of everything going on at the club. We saw in the first 2 rounds what he's capable when he and the team are flying high. We see what he does for Qld. What he did for the Rabbitohs too.

It's not great how he's going now, especially for an experienced guy you want them to be leading the way, but I don't see him at the top of our Newcastle Knights Issues Pyramid. He's on the bottom tier.

 

[Yosh]

He wasn't brought in to be a specialist defensive centre. We all knew that he wouldn't be a tackle machine. He came as a mentor and to bring experience first and foremost. I think Gagai is one of those players who would do really well in a better system.

Ftizy on the other hand would be terrible wherever he goes.

 

[Spot On]

Time to revisit yet?

Normal programming resumed.

Missed 9 in Origin Wednesday night too.

But that is because of the Turkeys playing inside him.

Oh and the fact Latrell was opposing him.

Wait, that was last year’s Origin - and he missed 25 that series.

But again, that’s not his fault - that’s due to the turkeys he was playing with.

 

[Spot On]

He wasn't brought in to be a specialist defensive centre. We all knew that he wouldn't be a tackle machine. He came as a mentor and to bring experience first and foremost. I think Gagai is one of those players who would do really well in a better system.

Ftizy on the other hand would be terrible wherever he goes.

It’s fair to say nearly all players ‘do really well’ in a better system Yosh. That is a no brainer.

Any player would be absolutely backed in the forum for missing double digit tackles in 1 game. Unheard of.

But of course, not his doing.

Remember Alex Johnson wasn’t going to cross the try line for South’s this year without the Great Gags.

Hmmm.

 

[Apey]

Well we always knew he was pretty garbage in defence but I do think his attacking skills have largely disappeared because of how shit the team is just in general.

 

[Old dog]

Gags makes tackles from kick restarts, rushing in to jam players, might miss but causes the attacker towards the likes of Friz and Klem who get them. Gags may be responsible for Friz and Klem etc getting good tackle counts. It’s close to our line that he misses more but the damage is done earlier with missed tackles and overlaps.
Defending on our right to the stronger attacking left means more chances, maybe we should put him on the left where defence and attack are reversed in strength

 

[aqua_duck]

this signing is starting to look like a potential disaster. I predicted a drop off in years 2 and 3 of his deal but he's already there halfway through year 1

 

[Spot On]

Bump

Yeah, f**king bump again.

Surely that was rock bottom from Super Gags last night?

His season has been in a death spiral since R3 when torn apart by the Penrith rookie but he must be due a first grade standard performance soon?

That South’s left side winger just hasn’t looked the same without the world class centre playing next to him. Only 25 tries so far for the season.