Knights v Manly Post Match Talk

[antonius]

For all your AFTER match talk.

 

[Misanthrope]

Well, that game was lost in the first fifteen minutes of the second half. The radio callers called it 'schoolboy like defence', and that's what it sounded like. Up 10-8, and then we're suddenly down 36-10. Some decent performances, but in the end we were our own worst enemies. A kick-off out on the full, dropped ball in space, dropping a kick-off...... frigging rookie sh*t.

Our best players were Simpson, Newton (came up with a great try-saver on Alberts), Thaidy (he's developing nicely). Aside from that, the worst two were easily Carmont/Quinn. Leaking points like nobody's business, and then Quinn got himself sin-binned to boot.

Something needs to change.

 

[strewth_mate]

Well for one I'm happy for Kennedy, good on the big fella.
From the sounds of it we actually played well. We started the best team, and finished somewhat positively. Besides of course the fact we almost got 50 run up against us, but that can be attributed mainly to the 5 straight tries when Manly split us up. Again it was the fringes, but with players like Chris Hicks and especially Brett Stewart (a star)... Nice to hear Newto again stop a certain try by chasing with loads more heart than any of our three-quarters.
The halves were on song, and controlled the team well it seems, and on a better day who knows what would have happened. Thaiday seems to be improving as well, and I wouldn't mind seeing him in a much stronger team.
A big loss, but it's certainly better than 50-0. The best thing for me is that we didn't let them run away after their glut of tries; we weren't exactly shellshocked and seemed to fix up some of the mistakes (even though Manly took their foot of the pedal towards the end). I know it's sad to take a positive out of not conceding 50, but you have to take it a week at a time and I'm (again) looking forward to the coming weeks.
And Simpson is a hero.

 

[Misanthrope]

Take out the first twenty minutes of the second half, and it was one of our best performances of the year. Unfortunately, we can't take that out - so we're just going to have to work on improving our defence.

 

[thuganomics]

This is a challenge for Hagan now. You could not have a moer perfect example on how the Carmont/Quinn struggle in defence. We will see if he has the balls to cut them.

 

[strewth_mate]

Agreed. But ordinarily they would have run in another 4 or 5 tries with the Knights longing for half time. But they actually did defend in stages. There's no doubt that the boys have lost the mindset required to actually play for the whole game, so I suppose they're just going to have to fluke it one of these weeks. But from there I think we'll come good. That said, we have had reason to be confident quite a few times this season, and have come agonisingly close a number of times in a row, with nothing eventuating. Now we can just wait to see who got injured.

 

[Jono078]

I swear, sometimes I wonder what Hagan says in the sheds at H/T .

 

[antonius]

BK played the full 80 Minutes on the back of Wednesday nights effort, and rub the salt in scored the last try. On the basis of this game if Kidley gets back in at 5/8th when he returns then Hagan needs hanging. Mullen is improving every game, made a few errors but more than made up for them in his overall game. Brown seemed to have an impact from the moment he came on, Simmo seems to have been our MOTM listening to the commentary. The commentator was again critical of Carmonts defence, cost (according to him) at least two soft trys. Thaiday is starting to show what he can do from fullback, still a ways to go, but he can be a dynamic returner of the ball. Even though we lost, I reckon we can take some heart from the game in particular the effort of Mullen.

 

[strewth_mate]

I don't know what Hagan says, but he needs to kick them up the arse on a regular basis. Either that or the players themselves need to stand up and realise what they have to do for themselves, and not listen to him if he's ineffectual. I can imagine some of our forwards stepping up and going off their nut in the sheds, and I wish it would happen.
Thaiday may be electric with the ball in his hands but I think he's got a bit to learn about positional play; last week he had to run to every ball that was put deep and pick it up with his back to the opposition. I have seen him under the high ball in PL and he can be absolutely fantastic, and he's a mongrel in defence when he hits them. Here's hoping.

 

[Misanthrope]

Thaiday may be electric with the ball in his hands but I think he's got a bit to learn about positional play; last week he had to run to every ball that was put deep and pick it up with his back to the opposition.

Realistically, I don't think Thaidy is ever going to be a first (or even second) choice option at fullback. Were Seage and/or Cooper fit, I'd like to see him on the wing.

 

[TooheysNew]

I swear, sometimes I wonder what Hagan says in the sheds at H/T .

I answered this is another thread. Today a half time he said "Now go out there and do what you do best."

 

[antonius]

Realistically, I don't think Thaidy is ever going to be a first (or even second) choice option at fullback. Were Seage and/or Cooper fit, I'd like to see him on the wing.

He might surprise you. I think Cooper would better serve us at Centre or wing. Thaiday (like I said in the post) has a way to go, but he's learning fast, and is vastly improved on the first game I saw him play in premier league, and has improved every game since. He is electric with a bit of space.

 

[Jono078]

If anyone wants another positive out of this game, we scored the most points by a losing side this week lol.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

coopers safer under the kick but takes for ever to get across to the ball. Thaiday offers more spark when running the ball back. I'd like to see cooper as a centre/winger.

 

[thuganomics]

I think with Johns's kicking game, Cooper could tourture wingers with his height under the high ball.

 

[Johns Magic]

Salkeld was bloody appalling in defence today. Absolutely useless. How many times did Alberts or Donald get outside of him? He single-handedly gifted them about 2 tries.

 

[Alex28]

After watching the game - there are very very few positives to take out of the game at all.

The first half was OK. Defended well, but had a cyclone behind us and didn't do enough in attack. It is fair to say the breeze advantage was worth more than 2 points.

But it isn't fair to say it was worth 24 points. The Knights were awful in the second half. Terry Hill came up with the sledge "you are a reserve grader - you are lucky to be playing against me" - it was a shame he said it to Clint Newton, because it really applied to every player in the squad except for Newton, Simpson, Smith and Campbell. The rest genuinely played like they should be in Premier League.

Here is the rundown for Manly's tries:

Try 1 – Hill – Missed tackle by Carmont, Quinn
Try 2 – Donald – Missed catch by Salkeld (Donald was off-side though)
Try 3 – Stewart – Failure by Tighe and Salkeld to mark players
Try 4 – Monaghan – Missed tackle by Carmont, Worth
Almost Try 5 - Hicks – Missed tackle by Carmont
Try 5 – Hill – Missed tackle by Carmont, Quinn
Try 6 - Hicks - Missed tackle by Carmont, Smith (on the wing, where was Quinn?)
Try 7 – Donald – Missed tackle by Tanner
Try 8 – Monaghan – Missed tackle by Tolar, Woolnough, Simpson
Try 9 – Kennedy – Missed tackle by Carmont, Campbell, Newton

Anyone notice a theme running here? 5 tries let in by Carmont - thats a new record! Well done George - you have taken the embarrasment I feel in watching the Knights every week to a new level. NRL Stats had Quinn and Carmont missing 5 tackles each - I am very sure it was more than that...

A few positives - Thaiday played pretty well at Fullback, Smith, Newton and Simpson played with alot of heart and lead by example - but that simply isn't enough. They need to motivate the other players and not just do their job well. Campbell played pretty well I thought, Mullen had an indifferent game (kicking game is just booming, however passing and defensive was ordinary), the rest of the backs were awful - even Tighe who we heaped praise on earlier in the season...where did all that talent go?

Terry Hill is an absolute flea - we all know that. But they are professional footballers and they should know better than to get sucked into his sledging game. I thought Quinn's sinbinning was a bit harsh but reacting like that is exactly what Hill wanted - just schoolboy bullsh*t.

We don't look like going close to winning a game this year without Johns and Buderus - thats pretty much clear. However, if the outside backs keep giving up 7-8 tries a game we wont win a game this year at all.

 

[RABK]

Try 1 – Hill – Missed tackle by Carmont, Quinn
Try 2 – Donald – Missed catch by Salkeld (Donald was off-side though)
Try 3 – Stewart – Failure by Tighe and Salkeld to mark players
Try 4 – Monaghan – Missed tackle by Carmont, Worth
Almost Try 5 - Hicks – Missed tackle by Carmont
Try 5 – Hill – Missed tackle by Carmont, Quinn
Try 6 - Hicks - Missed tackle by Carmont, Smith (on the wing, where was Quinn?)
Try 7 – Donald – Missed tackle by Tanner
Try 8 – Monaghan – Missed tackle by Tolar, Woolnough, Simpson
Try 9 – Kennedy – Missed tackle by Carmont, Campbell, Newton

That's deadset disgraceful, i'm sending that to the club.

 

[Alex28]

I'm fairly sure Hages doesn't watch the video - he might need the notes. He'll be getting two copies then

 

[Ryan]

Guys - I'm a Manly fan, and thought Carmont wasn't actually that bad. He's a power centre, and like Matai & Alberts from Manly, hits hard in defense, but just sometimes doesn't stick. All the commentators this year have been saying that Carmont has been one of your most consistent players, and I tend to agree.

Look, you can't really take much out of today, because all your most important positional type players, 1,6,7 & 9 were ALL out. If you had them all in, the game would have been completely diffierent.

You had me VERY worried in that 1st 1/2, and if I was Michael Hagan, that's what I'd be showing to the players by way of video.

PS:- I hope like hell you guys win next Saturday night!!