Knights vs Bulldogs PL team

[Pika]

so whats wrong with Scot Derau??

Do you mean injury or not being slected?

He is certainly not carrying any injuries.

 

[freeridermx]

so did he not get picked ? i was thinking he was going to lead this team this year . isn`t walsh still able to play flegg? anyway i think that scott is a better player then walsh any way from what i have seen not saying walsh isnt good to but i think scotty is the better of the too.

 

[Burwood]

I don't really see the point of Kidley at lock because I don't think that he can rack up the amount of tackles that people expect, while continuing to make quality runs. He may be one of the fittest players in the league, but there have been plenty of players who have shown that it isn't a simple matter of doing both in the game throughout an entire season. Smith's history with Hindmarsh probably makes him more qualified to realise this than most.

So the way I see it, Smith had the option of putting Kidley in at lock to make lots of tackles (which will ultimately blunt his attack), or he could play him in the backline somewhere and get much more out of him in attack whilst relying on another forward to fulfill the "tackling machine" role.

 

[keeney]

Reynoldson sin't the most penetrating of runners, but he can certainly tackle if he wants to. I've always been sold on the Kidley at Centre idea more than any other position.

 

[Burwood]

Reynoldson sin't the most penetrating of runners, but he can certainly tackle if he wants to.

Yep, this is what we'll be seeing him do this season. He might be lucky to make half a dozen runs each game, but he will be freeing up the likes of Simpson, Newton and Abraham to make more damaging runs like we know they are capable of.

 

[BG]

not saying the side he is playing on sunday is a bad side i just think we could of picked alot better a side then the one.

Smithy has made it perfectly clear that the side for round 1 is not likely to be the side we'll see in a couple of weeks time let alone the remainder of the season. For the opener, he has largely gone with players who are most forward in their preparations. I'm sure he knows how good Thaiday is. But he wants to try the Gidley experiment at fullback. And MacManus has been killing it in training and the trials so he's giving him a chance on the wing. Thaiday had back and ankle ops in the off-season and gets a chance to run into a bit more fitness/confidence in prems. I doubt he'll be there for long.

As for Uate, he was training with the top squad and given 2 trials. Smithy's hardly been ignoring him. MacManus impressed the more and got the nod. What sort of message would it send to MacManus, Uate himself and the rest of the squad if Smithy had just thrown Uate in because he's supposed to be the "next big thing"? I haven't seen the kid play, but many of his fans round here were expressing skepticism that he'd be ready for first grade before midway through this season at the earliest anyway. I'm sure Smithy is excited about him and will give him his chance at the right time. Smithy has a fantastic record with bringing through the youngsters. The Hayne scenario stands as an exception but I wouldn't take any notice of what went on at Parra during the first half of last year; there were a hell of a lot of ructions and politics going down.

 

[roopy]

You have to remember that Uate was a sprinter playing a bit of park footy in Woy Woy two years ago.
He only got a bit of time in Ball during the 2005 season and only scored one try all season. I watched about half the games of Ball in 2005 and never saw him make a tackle.

In the 2006 pre-season he was on the wing in Flegg and it was bloody obvious that both Walsh and Dureau were telling him where and when to run and setting the play up to get him involved. Rip Taylor put a huge amount of work into this kid to turn him into a footballer in half a season - and he was really impressive in PL at the end of last season - but compare him to McManus who has been playing interstate games since he was 14 (for NT) - gone through the NT institute of sport programme, been at the Knights since he was 17 where he has played 30 or 40 games of PL including nearly every game last season and is two years older than Uate.
McManus has served his apprenticeship and is ready. Uate has more natural talent than anyone except Johns probably - but he has a tenth of the experience of McManus.

 

[League_God]

I don't really see the point of Kidley at lock because I don't think that he can rack up the amount of tackles that people expect, while continuing to make quality runs. He may be one of the fittest players in the league, but there have been plenty of players who have shown that it isn't a simple matter of doing both in the game throughout an entire season. Smith's history with Hindmarsh probably makes him more qualified to realise this than most.

So the way I see it, Smith had the option of putting Kidley in at lock to make lots of tackles (which will ultimately blunt his attack), or he could play him in the backline somewhere and get much more out of him in attack whilst relying on another forward to fulfill the "tackling machine" role.

NEWS FLASH! kurt gidley was never the best attacking player, its hard not to make a clean break every now and then with Joey aswell as Mullen in the side. we simply need a tackling machine to take pressure off players such as Simmo who normally have a high workrate, because he is a great attacking player. i know people think reyno is the answer but if what a saw last year from him was anywhere near his best, he still has a long, long way to go. he had one great game last year b4 crumbling.

we dont need attacking players with Joey, Mullen, Buderus, Thaiday, Doogs, Tighe, Perry,Simmo in the side aswell as Jnr's such as Uate, Walsh, Patto, Snowden etc coming through.
All we need from Kidley is a high workrate similar to hindmarsh not expecting as good, but this will help to keep our attacking weapons fresh.

 

[League_God]

Smithy has made it perfectly clear that the side for round 1 is not likely to be the side we'll see in a couple of weeks time let alone the remainder of the season. For the opener, he has largely gone with players who are most forward in their preparations. I'm sure he knows how good Thaiday is. But he wants to try the Gidley experiment at fullback. And MacManus has been killing it in training and the trials so he's giving him a chance on the wing. Thaiday had back and ankle ops in the off-season and gets a chance to run into a bit more fitness/confidence in prems. I doubt he'll be there for long.

As for Uate, he was training with the top squad and given 2 trials. Smithy's hardly been ignoring him. MacManus impressed the more and got the nod. What sort of message would it send to MacManus, Uate himself and the rest of the squad if Smithy had just thrown Uate in because he's supposed to be the "next big thing"? I haven't seen the kid play, but many of his fans round here were expressing skepticism that he'd be ready for first grade before midway through this season at the earliest anyway. I'm sure Smithy is excited about him and will give him his chance at the right time. Smithy has a fantastic record with bringing through the youngsters. The Hayne scenario stands as an exception but I wouldn't take any notice of what went on at Parra during the first half of last year; there were a hell of a lot of ructions and politics going down.

sum good points raised for sure.

 

[Burwood]

NEWS FLASH! kurt gidley was never the best attacking player,

He has always been a good attacking player. He has never been a good playmaker.

 

[League_God]

You have to remember that Uate was a sprinter playing a bit of park footy in Woy Woy two years ago.
He only got a bit of time in Ball during the 2005 season and only scored one try all season. I watched about half the games of Ball in 2005 and never saw him make a tackle.

In the 2006 pre-season he was on the wing in Flegg and it was bloody obvious that both Walsh and Dureau were telling him where and when to run and setting the play up to get him involved. Rip Taylor put a huge amount of work into this kid to turn him into a footballer in half a season - and he was really impressive in PL at the end of last season - but compare him to McManus who has been playing interstate games since he was 14 (for NT) - gone through the NT institute of sport programme, been at the Knights since he was 17 where he has played 30 or 40 games of PL including nearly every game last season and is two years older than Uate.
McManus has served his apprenticeship and is ready. Uate has more natural talent than anyone except Johns probably - but he has a tenth of the experience of McManus.

My cousin (also a winger) is a good mate of aku's and played against him in the Yamina Bunnies vs Woy Woy in 2005 or 04 not sure i watched that game and they absolutely tossed him around like a rag doll. he was something like 74kg then, he is now 90 something. Thats obvisouly helped his confidence, that and the fact that he played australian schoolboys footy last year. im sure smithy has worked with his defensive game.

I agree though after alot of thinking that McManus deserves his spot by rights.

 

[BG]

NEWS FLASH! kurt gidley was never the best attacking player, its hard not to make a clean break every now and then with Joey aswell as Mullen in the side.

News Flash! Gidley is as good (if not better) at making a clean break out of nothing than any other outside-back in the side. You're a fan of Hinton's (and so am I to a lesser degree) but in this regard--at this stage of their careers--there is simply no comparison. Case in point, Hinton had an excellent game in first grade against the Sea Eagles last year. But the two highlights of his game in attack were a long break that was set up for him by a brilliant inside ball from Joey and a try under the posts that was an easy catch off a brilliant Joey bomb. In contrast, did you notice Gidley's acceleration, angles and footwork in the final against the Broncos last year even though the team was getting smashed?

 

[benno]

Surely Derau hasnt been dropped based on form..he killed in the gf..let alone the entire year..just walsh didnt back him up!!(in the gf)..he's either injured, or done somethin wrong over the weekend and getting diciplined for it!!

 

[Pika]

Scott had groin sugery in the off season, so it was far from ideal prep.

He played in a couple of trials.

He is right to play, though I am not aware of any discipline indescretions.

Walsh has been training in the NRL squad, and until he was hampered by a hamstring injury, would have played half back for NRL against Penrith in Darwin.

 

[Timmah]

The team that will clobber your lot:

The Premier League team to play Newcastle this weekend has been announced:

1 Adam Fielder
2 Josefa Namila Davui
3 Cameron Phelps
4 Andrew Emelio
5 Tom Kerr
6 Nathan Wynn
7 Billy Ngawini
8 Charlie Farah
9 Adam Perry
10 Jon Green
11 Aaron Wheatley
12 Nick Kouparitsas
13 Lee Te Maari


INTERCHANGE
14 Adam Brideson
15 Daniel Green
16 Frank Winterstein
17 Fred Briggs
18 Jeremy Gordon
19 Damon Alley-Tovio

We have a premiership-winning hooker in our team

 

[Frederick]

What a bunch of nuffies

 

[Yosh]

I personally think he is an excellent attacking play Kidley is. For me I used to think he would be an ideal lock, with his unbelievable work rate in defense, and he could always be the first to chase down any kick we do. However, thinking over, I think he would best suit a centre. He can break the line, can step and can set up a winger. I for a while last year he was near the top of the try assists tally and was deadly 20 metres out. Also, I think we need 5 big forwards making plenty of metres of the team, not just 4. With one less big man I think we will struggle against bigger sides and we definately have the enough quality big men to fill up 5 starting spots plus 2 or 3 on the bench. With Kidley there he wouldnt make any line denting runs.

Kidley should play centre. For me I would like to see by mid season:

1. Thaiday
2. McManus
3. Doogs
4. Kidley
5. Tighe/Uate
6. Mullen
7. Joey

9. Buderus

14. Seu Seu

That backline plus our hookers will be able to have an amazing strike rate.

 

[CJKnight]

I personally think he is an excellent attacking play Kidley is. For me I used to think he would be an ideal lock, with his unbelievable work rate in defense, and he could always be the first to chase down any kick we do. However, thinking over, I think he would best suit a centre. He can break the line, can step and can set up a winger. I for a while last year he was near the top of the try assists tally and was deadly 20 metres out. Also, I think we need 5 big forwards making plenty of metres of the team, not just 4. With one less big man I think we will struggle against bigger sides and we definately have the enough quality big men to fill up 5 starting spots plus 2 or 3 on the bench. With Kidley there he wouldnt make any line denting runs.

Kidley should play centre. For me I would like to see by mid season:

1. Thaiday
2. McManus
3. Doogs
4. Kidley
5. Tighe/Uate
6. Mullen
7. Joey

9. Buderus

14. Seu Seu

That backline plus our hookers will be able to have an amazing strike rate.

I have to agree with you there Yosh.

Even though I am confident Kidley would kill it at lock with his running game and solid defence. I think he would lose alot of his attacking firepower in the forwards. Playing him at centre (we know he can cover fullback or 5/8 if injury hits too) would let him use those talents but still give him the opportunity to score double-figures tries.

I prefer Doogs at centre as well, he HAS slowed down a bit, but his strength is still enough to run over the oppositon flanks. Having both Doogs and Kidley in the centres will provide us with some experince out wide, allowing Smith to play some young wingers like Uate.

 

[League_God]

I personally think he is an excellent attacking play Kidley is. For me I used to think he would be an ideal lock, with his unbelievable work rate in defense, and he could always be the first to chase down any kick we do. However, thinking over, I think he would best suit a centre. He can break the line, can step and can set up a winger. I for a while last year he was near the top of the try assists tally and was deadly 20 metres out. Also, I think we need 5 big forwards making plenty of metres of the team, not just 4. With one less big man I think we will struggle against bigger sides and we definately have the enough quality big men to fill up 5 starting spots plus 2 or 3 on the bench. With Kidley there he wouldnt make any line denting runs.

Kidley should play centre. For me I would like to see by mid season:

1. Thaiday
2. McManus
3. Doogs
4. Kidley
5. Tighe/Uate
6. Mullen
7. Joey

9. Buderus

14. Seu Seu

That backline plus our hookers will be able to have an amazing strike rate.

i can see where you are coming from for sure, either way though i would be happy (Kidley at lock or centre), just get thaiday back in the side!

 

[Johns Magic]

We won "34-18 or 36-18 or something" apparently