Knights Vs Eels Monday 30/5/16 Hunter Stadium

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Im not upset about the loss (i was just happy to finally feel a bit of tension watching the Knights). After they went to 20-18 i knew we were done, we just didnt have the experience to claw back. We almost got the miracle with Ross, but that was just a great individual effort; the team was collapsing around him...

The one player id single out was Mamo. This game has earned him at least a few more runs in the 1. Gags can take Dennis's spot on the wing

 

[Zoidberg]

No way will Gags be put into a wing spot. Likely to be fullback, if not, centre.

 

[1qaz]

Hopefully the penny has finally dropped for Brown.
The Knights aren't going to win games playing a conservative brand of footy.
Their best form of defense is attack.
I lost count the number of times the Knights are leading by 4 or 6 with 20 mins to go and they eventually get beaten by trying to grind out a win.
Their ruck defense isn't just good enough to grind out a win/protect a lead.
The only way the Knights are going to win games is by scoring back to back to tries to put them at least 2 converted tries up with 10 mins to go.
I can't remember the last time Knights have lead by 12 or more during a game.

It was refreshing to see Hodkinson actually throw some passes straight to the centres instead of constantly throwing short balls to the backrowers.
Especially since Ross was up against a makeshift half and centre pairing and Sione was up against a fill in centre.
Even Mullen was around for the past few seasons, his little short balls to Rochow/Sims weren't troubling anyone.
Hopefully the penny has finally dropped for Brown and the team and he lets them play some footy.

 

[K-Man]

Can anyone remember the last time a young forward has stepped up for us the way Daniel Saifiti has of late?
Funny thing is watching him and his brother in NYC and NSW cup, I always thought Jacob was the better of the two

Exciting thing is we still don't for sure that Jacob is not the better of the two. It's such early days.

I am pretty blown away by what Daniel is doing out there, but there's no reason Jacob won't start doing something similar later this season or next year. I never saw much of them as juniors, but in the first few games they both played this season I thought Jacob had a bit more to offer, which is amazing now that I see Daniel only a few months later as clearly our number one middle forward. What a rise.

 

[K-Man]

Hopefully the penny has finally dropped for Brown.
The Knights aren't going to win games playing a conservative brand of footy.
Their best form of defense is attack.
I lost count the number of times the Knights are leading by 4 or 6 with 20 mins to go and they eventually get beaten by trying to grind out a win.
Their ruck defense isn't just good enough to grind out a win/protect a lead.
The only way the Knights are going to win games is by scoring back to back to tries to put them at least 2 converted tries up with 10 mins to go.
I can't remember the last time Knights have lead by 12 or more during a game.

This would have to be the most I've ever agreed with you. I can understand that early on Brown just wanted the young team getting the basics right, but I did feel there were games that it was just embarrassing us trying to 'grind' with the opposition. I feel very strongly that we should not have taken the penalty goals either. We needed to get that big lead to feel that our dominance was reflected on the scoreboard. 4, 6, 8 point leads are nothing for us. We should be backing ourselves when the tide is going our way, trying to blow the game wide open.

I constantly debate with friends about the concept of attack being the best form of defence. I don't believe that in any sport, particularly NRL, that the two are mutually exclusive. It's never as simple as we attacked okay in parts but defended badly.

Defensive lapses that cost tries often stem from attacking lapses first - that kick that goes dead in goal for a 7-tackle set, that silly knock or forward pass, that inability to force repeat sets when you have the chance, that frustration from not scoring a try when you've had all the ball for the last 15 minutes, etc. The general to and fro of the game being played, and every little one percenter that takes place as it happens, leads to the concession of points.

Sure, sometimes a bloke just misses a tackle. Bad defence. But more often conceding a try is the byproduct of both attacking and defensive failures over the previous few minutes.

Control the momentum of the game, control the scoreboard. We're clearly a team who needs a bit of luck to go our way, but I don't think we can get lucky unless we play like we did last night. It was great to watch, it gave us a chance.

What is the worst that could happen from this approach? Lose by 50 because we keep dropping the ball? Well we already lose by 50. when we play safe.

 

[The Showstopper]

Play what you see. That is what Joey built this club's golden run on. There was no structure. Move the ball. That is when we are at our best.

 

[Zoidberg]

While I really liked our improved attack last night, we have to remember 2 of our 3 tries were off "trick shots". The one from the scrum and after that short side run from the kick off and Parra were on the back foot for that whole set of 6.
Opposition teams will be more aware of this now so we need to keep trying new things and keep working on those backline movements. I think if Gagai was our fullback last night, with that much space, we would've scored another try or 2.

This is a feeling I haven't had much lately, hope. We saw some good things last night. Hope we can keep it up... Oh yeah, next game is Cowboys #-o

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

No way will Gags be put into a wing spot. Likely to be fullback, if not, centre.

Gags is the one "reputation player" we still seem attached to...

He gets rag-dolled with every run, and he doesnt trouble anyone with his passing game.

We have better/cheaper prospects elsewhere and Gags was not built for this team; he doesnt lift a team, but he plays well off the back of a dominant one. He'd be way more value in a side with a decent pack lacking the spark around the edge (Souths come to mind)....

 

[Caped Crusader]

Mate, you've just described Mamo as well

Not sure what Mamo did last night that was any better than what Gagais been producing. Mamo will be lucky to get a wing spot over Dennis

 

[Spot On]

Gags is on 575K and Mamo is not.

Part of the Brown methodology atm is to keep players who are on no money to do the same job as players on f**king insane money.

People in this forum kept shitting themselves for years when Kade Slowden was out of the side. He got suspended a few seasons ago for the last 8 or 9 rounds and the team went on a winning streak almost getting into the GF. Most people were crying that our season was over wthout him. :crazy: Now we have a baby racking up numbers Snowden could only dream of in his prime.

Happy for Brown to get rid of every overpriced underperformer we have and keep promoting and developing whatever else he can get his hands on.

Will it make us a Premiership force??? Who knows. But I'm enjoying watching what he is unearthing and also what he is moving on.

Gagai might be a fullback but I just don't see it. I definitely don't see 575K of it and I don't think Brown does either.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Mate, you've just described Mamo as well

Not sure what Mamo did last night that was any better than what Gagais been producing. Mamo will be lucky to get a wing spot over Dennis

The difference is that Mamo is not on $.5million and, even if his natural talent is only comparable, he showed way more heart than Gags ever has.

There was one moment in the game when Mamo put in that grubber near Parras line. After the kick, he rans from one side of the field to the other and was the guy to keep Parra ingoal.

It doesnt matter how naturally gifted players are if they only jog around the field. Mamo looks like he wants to be the first there every time...

Edit: even if Gags is the better fullback (marginal at best), he is not worth the money he is on and i doubt he would accept a downgrade. Given that, id rather move him on and focus on the guys that give decent value for money.

 

[Spot On]

No way will Gags be put into a wing spot. Likely to be fullback, if not, centre.

Well apparently he's one of the very best wingers available to the QLD origin side. May as well shove him there for his club side. His debut was rated as one of the greatest in QLD history. All on the wing. ;-)

 

[Caped Crusader]

The difference is that Mamo is not on $.5million and, even if his natural talent is only comparable, he showed way more heart than Gags ever has.

There was one moment in the game when Mamo put in that grubber near Parras line. After the kick, he rans from one side of the field to the other and was the guy to keep Parra ingoal.

It doesnt matter how naturally gifted players are if they only jog around the field. Mamo looks like he wants to be the first there every time...

Edit: even if Gags is the better fullback (marginal at best), he is not worth the money he is on and i doubt he would accept a downgrade. Given that, id rather move him on and focus on the guys that give decent value for money.

I agree with the price tag comment, it's certainly a fair point

Don't agree with suggesting Gags shows less ticker though. He has been one of the only guys to give 100% in plenty of games in 2016. Sure he's a ball hog and has less than stellar defence but inferring he's not putting in is just straight up BS

 

[1qaz]

Mate, you've just described Mamo as well

Not sure what Mamo did last night that was any better than what Gagais been producing. Mamo will be lucky to get a wing spot over Dennis

It's pretty funny.
If Gagai put in a performance like Mamo last night, there would be people calling him to be dropped to NSW Cup.
But somehow Mamo has cemented his spot with his performance last night, and let's be honest it wasn't even that good to begin with..
It was just better than the rubbish he has dished up this year.