Knights v Warriors Post Match Talk

[Alex28]

they are absolutely f***ing diabolical in the last 15 minutes - completely lost the plot when Johns went off...

they showed some heart this week but lacked direction when it counted...

 

[Nuffy]

What can you say about professional footballers, other than we have a group that just can't seem to do the simplest things right.

I was at the game and the wheels were falling off before Johns was injured. For everything we did right in the first half, we did wrong in the second.

Missed tackles, zero ball security, no enthusiasm, the second half had it all.

Did you notice the Warriors game plan, its the same one employed by every team against us this year, hold the ball, kick long and wait for the mistake, it worked a treat in the second half.

As for the turning point, it was early in the second half with the long ball to Salkeld, in the absolute clear, he spills the easiest pass, a couple of minutes later, the NZW's score and its a 12 point turnaround, its only the kids second game so thats OK, but it was a critical play.

 

[m0j0]

I was listening to the call and haven't seen the game. From the call, it was fairly evident that Cooper was struggling with injury for something like the last 10 mins (mayne a little less), yet he was kept on the field. The way I heard it, it was because he was struggling and limping that he couldn't get across in cover quick enough to prevent the winning try being scored. My question - why was he kept on the field when he was so obviously in difficulty? If it's because there were no interchanges left, then fair enough.

 

[rourkster]

I coughed up $60 for grandstand tickets for the wife & 2 kids. We all put our Knights jerseys on & were there at 10.30am for all three grades. We thought that today, of all days, the Knights would show the necessary pride & determination to get their first win. Everything was there for them to do so. Unfortunately I got to sit in a first class stadium & watch a third class team make the same mistakes they've been making all year.
Simple dropped balls in our half on tackles 1, 2 or 3, lazy marking & inside defence, silly penalties late in the tackle count & a lack of level-headedness. Johns did everything he could to win that game & when he went off with 13 mins to go we were up by ten, yet we still managed to concede 14 points inside ten minutes. Same old same old...........

 

[TooheysNew]

We were running out of players to interchange with.

Johns was off, abraham was off... i'm not sure what happened, but that narrows your options right there.

 

[aqua_duck]

As far as I'm concerned the whole fitness and conditioning crew should be sacked, they obviously aren't doing their job, we also need a sports psychologist, Joey was saying how they didn't drop a ball in training all week but they can never apply it in a game, its got to be a mental thing.

 

[antonius]

Cooper wasn't replaced because we had used all our interchanges. The Warriors did the obvious, ran at his side, he had no hope of getting there, he was on one leg. Warren Ryan pin ponted the fitness problem on the ABC broadcast, and he wasn't even at our game.

 

[astrogirl]

I haven't read any other posts so apologies if I repeat what has already been said.

I was a miserable girl when I left the game yesterday but on reflection I realised that I was disappointed with the result, not the team. We started the game well - good field position, reasonably good handling, good kick chase - we looked like we were in with a chance. Then Abes left the field, and I thought we coped quite well with that.

But IMO closing out the game without Joey in the last 15 was a big ask. We had nothing as far as last tackle options were concerned. You might argue that that's not good enough (and it probably isn't) but I'm prepared to cut the boys some slack. Presumably Kurt will train at halfback this week and we will be better for it.

I think we will be in the contest next round against the Buldogs. Danny got through the game yesterday which is awesome, and I don't think we can underestimate his effect on the team. Carmont defended well during the second half. I thought Tanner put in a great effort, as did Simpson (nothing unusual there),

If the boys go on to win next week, I think looking back we can take some positives from yesterday.

 

[Jobdog]

Well said astro, i, for one saw enough yesterday to see that a win is just round the corner. A much improved effort yesterday from the Souths game. I think that we hav got the Bulldogs at a relatively "good" time. The reason for this is there will be no Sonny Bill, no Willie and they hav 5 players backing up from the test. In comparison, we hav no one in the test, so our boys will be fresher. Another positive is the fact we go better when we are underdogs. That will be the case next weekend. No one bar the most ardent fan (and that is me :lol: )will give the Knights much hope. If they start as well next week as they did yesterday, the confidence will skyrocket. And lets hope no more injuries next week to cruel us like yesterday. Hopefully there will be a big crowd there as well.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Jeez I feel for you guys, I was glad that we good the win but it didn't feel as good as normal because of what the game cost your team, it must've been absolutely gutting. You were looking great for most of the first half with Johns and Bedsy both firing.

 

[Doctor]

Missed tackles, zero ball security, no enthusiasm, the second half had it all.

I agree with the need to seriously look at missed-tackles and ball security -- it's really frustrating to watch how little improvement is being made.

What's interesting though is that the Knights are statistically one of the better teams from Round 6. If you go back and have a look, I think we had about the 2nd lowest missed-tackle count. I think we also fared reasonably well in total errors.

Our completition-rate is atrocious though. I don't see why a side can't maintain an 80-85% completition-rate. At the moment we're consistently polling in the mid to late 50s, and early 60s. This is an unacceptable stat, when combined with the tackling and lack of fitness.

 

[Iafeta]

OK back to the game. We were awesome in the first half, Abes playing wide was absolutely rolling them on the fringes, Johns was looking his old self. I'm not going to make excuses here, but I thought the injury to Abes was a turning point, and let me say a couple of Smiths rulings in the second half were dumbfounding, one where he awarded the Warriors a penalty on our line for carrying on with the tackle was absolute bull, at no stage did he call Price held, and Price was still struggling towards the line, out of the blue he blows a penalty and they score. Johns goes off with a busted jaw, and we fall to pieces. Have to say amongst it all, I thought Simmo was great The man that really stands tall though is Craig Smith, He might be playing in an ordinary team but he looks head and shoulders over the rest of them, great defence, great work ethic. We deadset must have killed twenty Chinamen to deserve the deal we are getting at the moment. Until Abes and Johns were injured I thought we just might have turned the corner, now I'm shattered like the rest of you. I have to say also anyone who watched Premier League couldn't fail to notice Nathan Hinton at fullback, he is a class act and will be a top class player inthe future, Spiteri also stood out. All in all though a grim end to what looked like being a top opening for the new stand.
How P!ssed was Costa????

He had called held. Quite clearly.

Price was trying to get them off him to play the ball. Simpson was holding onto the ball to get back to marker. Lucky not to be binned, really. Guarantee if its Brint Wubb its 10 minutes in the bin.

 

[Iafeta]

From a Warriors perspective;

The man of the match for mine was Steven Price. 200 metres. No one got within a bulls roar of the go forward he provided. He is the difference this year from last year. Jerry Seu Seu an ill disciplined unfit prop with no impact v Steve Price who plays 75 minutes and lets the pack go hard at it around him safe in the knowledge he'll keep going, and going, and going.

Manu Vatuvei is a terrific prospect. Too many Warriors fan were too quick to write the kid off last year. He pulled off one or two terrific defensive plays on Tighe, then also scored a try against 4 players from a no win situation, then hooped in a terrific try.

Sione Faumuina is starting to get back to his 2003 form. Very encouraging again to have some impact in the backrow rather than journeymen defenders.

Toddy Byrne is no soccer player, that was the funniest mis kick I've ever seen :lol: Made a real bad read defensively rushing up and in 20 metres when the ball was on the spread.

As far as the Knights go, they looked good when they went to the fringes with Steve Simpson to Stacey Jones in D. Stacey generally got him, but usually its a low tackle that gives away a quick play the ball for Buderus to get out on.

Johns was excellent while he was on, nice to see power in the knee, it was evident he had power in it with some good stepping and changes of direction, and power in his D.

Buderus will be better for the run. Great player.

I think like the Warriors there are issues out wide defensively at the Knights - the defensive pattern doesn't look particularly strong. Fitness also seems an issue.

Great game, sad to see the Knights go through this, we've certainly been there, done that, we were in that predicament last year with a year of so much expectation. Perhaps a trip to the player market just to buy one outside back and a Steven Price type go forward calming influence might take some pressure away from the reliance on Johns/Buderus?

Keep your chin up Newcastle fans, there are many Warriors fans who jumped off the boat last year, but when we taste success (it'll happen - there's too many good juniors over there) it'll be all the more sweeter for those who've experienced the pain than those who passed up this experience. Its like a marriage, for better, for worse, and there'll be better times. Chin up, and good luck.

 

[antonius]

Well all I can say is I was sitting right in front of it, and I didn't hear him call held. In fact the Knights players stood there waiting for to call it, or at least that's what it looked like.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

Did Kemp start a player that wasn't listed? If so, did anything come of it?

 

[Iafeta]

Well all I can say is I was sitting right in front of it, and I didn't hear him call held. In fact the Knights players stood there waiting for to call it, or at least that's what it looked like.

He was very clear on it.

Also, Simpson's tussle with the ball comes while he's offside at marker, slowly trying to get back to marker. Clear penalty.

 

[antonius]

Well all I can say is I was sitting right in front of it, and I didn't hear him call held. In fact the Knights players stood there waiting for to call it, or at least that's what it looked like.

He was very clear on it.

Also, Simpson's tussle with the ball comes while he's offside at marker, slowly trying to get back to marker. Clear penalty.

Fair enough, I just didn't hear it.

 

[eelandia]

f**ck fat ass off and buy a decent halfback who wants to play for the knights.

bet you werent saying this when he was playing like the best player in the world...you idiot

I reckon Joey proved once again he was the best player in the world with his performance against the Warriors. Absolute joy watching him lay it on beautifully. His kicking was perfect and his defence was back to its best. What about his passing game - it was back.

He'll be back - no dramas there.

 

[douglasallen91]

We were running out of players to interchange with.

Johns was off, abraham was off... i'm not sure what happened, but that narrows your options right there.

well around the 45th to 50th minute (before johns was gone) the warriors had used 4 interchanges while the knights had used eight. that tells its own little story.