Knights V. Sharkies - post match thread

[keeney]

We're winning, and while that's good, it won't be enough come finals time. We have an easy run in, and it's possible for us to win all of them, even playihg rather mediocrely as we did last night. While it'll get us into the 8, I hope we find whats been missing (for an entire game) since essentially the Cowboys game, or we won't get much further than that.

 

[Alex28]

Haha, there would have been an uproar if that had been disallowed! You can't be serious!?

There are only 5000 of those a game which aren't pulled up, and in any case, he did attempt to touch it and got within a whisker of doing so, this is allowed by referees.

If the video ref is going to look at it and it is highlighted in the footage he is looking at - why not dis-allow the try. It's either a penalty or it isn't...

 

[Ben]

I believe the referee was looking if there was a knock on by Kearney in dummy half. West confirmed that there wasn't a knock on and so awarded the try. He wasn't looking for any play the ball infringement.

 

[Doctor]

Good win.

A few ref issues I wanted to raise though.

1. In the first 10 mins Cronulla kick downfield, Quinn carries back, is pushed backward, ref calls "held" and the ball come loose, Vagana's hands are all over it. Outcome: Knock on

Last 10 mins Knights put in a kick, Vagana runs back is pushed back by defence, ref calls "held" and the ball comes loose, one of our backrowers hands are around the ball. Outcome: Penalty

2. Thaiday knock on.... no explanation needed

3. Markers not square. Bedsy was penalised for not being square.
NOTE TO ALL LEAGUE PLAYERS:
If the marker is making plenty of tackles, stand up and before playing the ball step to one side. The marker is no longer square.
What a joke

Last one
4. Inside the last 5mins Bird runs the ball, Joey makes a tackle around the ankles and kinda comes loose, bedsy stands over and puts his hands on him, ref calls "THATS ONE" Bird continues his run, Bedsy appeals, referee calls "PLAY ON" Outcome: WTF????? Leaves me and probably the players confused.

On a good note, wonderful defence by all and a hard fought win that was well deserved. Lets just try and hold onto that ball.

Good notetaking there Big Tim -- I'm glad someone was taking notes.

Add:
5. Thaiday was found to have knocked on when the ball had actually hit his knees (quite clearly so). I noticed the commentators making reference to the Brett Hodgson incident in Origin -- why that is play on (and a try), but Thaiday has knocked on with his knees. Ridiculous.

6. Matt Gidley was found to have impeded the runner at one stage. The ref called a penalty for a shepherd, but replays confirmed that the two Sharks defenders had made great efforts to ensure they tackled Gidley -- a wrap-around, that would have seen us score, was instead called back because the Sharks defenders tried to tackle the wrong man and then blew up when they realised their mistake.

I don't normally blow up at decisions during the game, but I reached my most animated when the "play on" call was heard. The irony is that the SMH's Brad Walter saw fit today to say the Sharks were hard done by on a few calls... not sure which game he was watching. Yes, the Sharks had several decisions go against them (George Carmont's try particularly), but the monumental stuff ups listed above (six of them), all added to the mistakes made six weeks or so ago when we lost in controversial circumstances against the Sharks, make any dud decisions last night seem minor.

Truth be told, the Knights played well and overcame a lot to win. Not a super win, a bit scrappy too, but to hang in there when the referee persists with dodgy rulings and against a team equally desperate for points and when you've lost your star 5/8th and are playing a makeshift 5/8th with a blown-out hammy -- I'd say it equates to a very gutsy win. I'm chuffed that we won a close one and overcame all the difficulties we faced.

 

[Big Tim]

Good notetaking there Big Tim -- I'm glad someone was taking notes.

Add:
5. Thaiday was found to have knocked on when the ball had actually hit his knees (quite clearly so). I noticed the commentators making reference to the Brett Hodgson incident in Origin -- why that is play on (and a try), but Thaiday has knocked on with his knees. Ridiculous.

6. Matt Gidley was found to have impeded the runner at one stage. The ref called a penalty for a shepherd, but replays confirmed that the two Sharks defenders had made great efforts to ensure they tackled Gidley -- a wrap-around, that would have seen us score, was instead called back because the Sharks defenders tried to tackle the wrong man and then blew up when they realised their mistake.

I don't normally blow up at decisions during the game, but I reached my most animated when the "play on" call was heard. The irony is that the SMH's Brad Walter saw fit today to say the Sharks were hard done by on a few calls... not sure which game he was watching. Yes, the Sharks had several decisions go against them (George Carmont's try particularly), but the monumental stuff ups listed above (six of them), all added to the mistakes made six weeks or so ago when we lost in controversial circumstances against the Sharks, make any dud decisions last night seem minor.

Truth be told, the Knights played well and overcame a lot to win. Not a super win, a bit scrappy too, but to hang in there when the referee persists with dodgy rulings and against a team equally desperate for points and when you've lost your star 5/8th and are playing a makeshift 5/8th with a blown-out hammy -- I'd say it equates to a very gutsy win. I'm chuffed that we won a close one and overcame all the difficulties we faced.

Os,
My point 3 is your point 5.... I just didnt think I needed to explain it as it was pretty f**king obvious.

The refereeing in general was woeful. But as I have one Blue eye and one Red I have just highlighted what went against us.... I am sure Sharks fans have done the same.

It will be interesting to see the referee's report this week.

 

[Serc]

Not sure if its been mentioned already - but the Gidley "offside" at the end when we were attacking the Sharks line was ridiculous. Was gold when you could see the mystified look on his face when the ref called him offside...was 2m onside btw.

 

[aqua_duck]

It was good to get the win but lets not forget Cronulla haven't won a game for a while, we definately hit them at thr right time.

 

[Master Vippo]

I just hope we can back it up next week. And the next etc. etc.

 

[CJKnight]

We play roosters next week... that in itself is like playing the bunnies all over again.

we will have to make sure Carney doesn't come off his wing against Amos Roberts...

 

[Doctor]

Os,
My point 3 is your point 5.... I just didnt think I needed to explain it as it was pretty f**king obvious.

The refereeing in general was woeful. But as I have one Blue eye and one Red I have just highlighted what went against us.... I am sure Sharks fans have done the same.

It will be interesting to see the referee's report this week.

Yep, you are right. I was a bit mystified to start with though because your point 3 is about markers not square... I think you meant point 2 about Thaiday. I know what you mean though -- no explanation necessary... just an oversight on my part.

 

[Ben]

The NRL needs a lot of improvements at the moment. There are a couple of rules that i am baffled about, most prominently the double-movement ruling. But Gallop or Finch needs to get some work done with the referees. This year, some of the calls have been atrocious. Not only that, but the players, except for the captain, can't say anything to the referee at all. I just don't want a referee to stuff up big time when it comes to semi-final time because the game these days are so close that one incorrect decision could mean whether a team stays in the finals series or not.

 

[millersnose]

yeah congrats knights

too good even when yopu were carrying injuries and we got some fortunate refs calls

hitting form at the right end of the season

 

[Burwood]

Looks like Mullen will be doing everything possible to play against the Roosters next Sunday. He had 16 needles in his chest on Friday night to help get rid of the pain from his sternum injury!! He said that he will wear a special chest guard and needle up again to make it for the Roosters clash. That's right Jarrod, make Kidley fight for his place in the number 6 jersey!!

 

[Jono078]

Looks like Mullen will be doing everything possible to play against the Roosters next Sunday. He had 16 needles in his chest on Friday night to help get rid of the pain from his sternum injury!! He said that he will wear a special chest guard and needle up again to make it for the Roosters clash. That's right Jarrod, make Kidley fight for his place in the number 6 jersey!!

Unless Hagan just says 'You take a rest mate, we have Kidley back' :roll:.

Would like to see Mullen 100% and ready to play though.. He really is improving with each match and I love how much pressure he takes off of Johns.

 

[Medievalknight]

Unless Hagan just says 'You take a rest mate, we have Kidley back' :roll:.

Would like to see Mullen 100% and ready to play though.. He really is improving with each match and I love how much pressure he takes off of Johns.

Thats EXACTLY what supercoach WILL say :sarcasm:

 

[keeney]

I dunno, I remain optimistic. I'm pretty sure Joey prefers Mullen now.

 

[Burwood]

I dunno, I remain optimistic.

As do I.

I'm pretty sure Joey prefers Mullen now.

I think this has been the case for a while, but I also think that Joey is only just beginning to learn how to play in a team with another legitimate playmaker in it. A lot of talk since the clash on Friday night has been about how Johns is starting to take a back seat for the majority of the match, and then take the game by the scruff of the neck when/if needed. It is definitely true that Johns has taken a leaf out of Fittler's book and is starting to think about prolonging his career and making an impact in a game when it is really needed- not every time he touches the ball.

If Kidley comes back into the five-eighth role then the style of footy that Johns has been playing for the last 4-5 weeks will no longer be possible. Even this is obvious to Hagan. I expect Kidley to ease his way back by taking the injured Lowries place and coming off the bench.

 

[Ben]

It's no wonder that our free-flowing game has comeback at the time when Kidley got injured. Johns is given so much more time on the ball because the defenders now know that they have two guys to rush at instead of one. Johns was cramped for space and it was no wonder that when Kidley got the ball, he did nothing with it anyway. The way Johns has been playing has really surprised me.

We all know that Johns isn't the type of player that sits back and watches the play formulate around him. He injects himself wherever possible, sometimes touching the ball everytime in a set of six. But now with Mullen in the team, Johns has been able to do things that we haven't seen in a while. Most particularly, run at the line. We haven't seen him do this for quite a while because he has been down on confidence and has been rushed everytime he touched the ball.

I still remember the day when Johns broke the club point scoring record. Every one of the four tries he scored were pretty much exactly the same. Use his strength and agility to get over the line running from ten metres out. We saw him score a similar try against the Sharks.

 

[Big Tim]

Yep, you are right. I was a bit mystified to start with though because your point 3 is about markers not square... I think you meant point 2 about Thaiday. I know what you mean though -- no explanation necessary... just an oversight on my part.

Well, I made an oversight too!

I cant even remember my own points....

 

[CJKnight]

One other thing that Mullen brings to the team: he is a left-footer.

That way on the last tackle bedsy can pass it either left or right from the center of the field. The WHOLE line pretty much has to run up to pressure the kickers.

Mullen plays on the left side of the field, Joey on the right. Kidley can hang back behind both of them incase it doesn't go according to plan.