Knights vs Raiders @ EAS Game Thread

[Serc]

I had one of those nights where I was only slightly unhappy with my team and just had to hold my hands up and say we were beaten by a better team. The Knights were great I thought, really impressive especially considering the Mullen injury and the entire start.

I realise that the Raiders season is pretty much gone now but we've had some real positives with blooding young players. However i'd love to see my side moving more towards how the Knights play in the future. They have been mighty impressive this year every time i've seen them, a real dark horse. They can adapt to a forwards dogfight or partake in a game where the ball is thrown around like crazy. As much as I dislike Brian Smith, I take my hat off to him.

I'll put it on record as saying that my team can't do anything in this comp so i'd like to see the Knights give it a shake. Not that I particularly like or dislike the Knights, I just like the way they play their footy. Good luck Newcastle.

Thanks mate

Must say i felt a bit better last night after the spanking your mob gave us at the end of last year... speaking of which we have to make a visit to Bruce yet!

 

[Frederick]

Happy with the second half effort and as said, Rogers kicking game was good under the circumstances. My mate's dad was really impressed with the length of kicks where he was booting them from our twenty down to their thirty and sometimes twenty. We're lucky that Rogers turned up last night and managed to not put a foot wrong.

Sure he got good length, but the only problem is most of the kicks went straight down the throat of Dugan

 

[Karmawave]

Sure he got good length, but the only problem is most of the kicks went straight down the throat of Dugan

Dugan is all class. That kid might reach the top of our game.

What a gutsy kid. 19 years of age. All the skills. Pure guts. He got smashed how many times last night, and kept getting back up, until he was rested near the end when the game was over and he was carrying some injury.

I'm not sure what else Rogers could have done with his kicks seeing as though he was really the sole option until Hilder was clearly told to take the focus off him later in the game.

The 2 kicks that mattered were the ones from deep that earned us line drop outs, and that more than made up for it.

 

[Liam]

Dugan played on a busted ankle for around 30 minutes before coming off when the game was over.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

One of our great defensive triumphs last night. The rest of the comp is on notice. We are going to be right at them at the end of the year. Rogers was terrific bar his so so kicking game which actually improved as the match progressed. Young McDonnell deserves another contract, either here or elsewhere. He was superb.

 

[Karmawave]

Dugan played on a busted ankle for around 30 minutes before coming off when the game was over.

Yeah he is a gun talent.

The Raiders have the best young talent in the NRL, and if they are able to keep the group together, they'll have a top future.

I feel sorry for the Raiders a bit. Add a top young playmaker to that team ( insert Todd Carney ), and they are a Top 6 team. They'd built that side from a long time within their own junior system, and it was all coming to fruition when Todd Carney buggered it up for them.

It's a shame for their supporters, because it would have been a young team that would be competitive for years to come. They probably still will, as their junior system right now is packed with talent.

 

[strewth_mate]

Thought Dugan was fair last night, he was gifted a lot of kick return metres thanks to his team keeping us pinned on our line for most sets, but certainly has guts.

First time I've seen him play though, I'll be interested to see how he goes.

 

[Karmawave]

Thought Dugan was fair last night, he was gifted a lot of kick return metres thanks to his team keeping us pinned on our line for most sets, but certainly has guts.

First time I've seen him play though, I'll be interested to see how he goes.

He made a joke of playing in the Under 20's last year and this year. Carves teams up.

His first grade career has impressed me so far as well. I was more impressed with his attack in general play last night, not his kick returns. He kept turning up and busted the line there before Alan Tongue ruined the chance of scoring for them. Again.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

He made a joke of playing in the Under 20's last year and this year. Carves teams up.

His first grade career has impressed me so far as well. I was more impressed with his attack in general play last night, not his kick returns. He kept turning up and busted the line there before Alan Tongue ruined the chance of scoring for them. Again.

If he can play 30 mins with a busted ankle then the kid has all the courage that is required to play a solid grade career. I agree. He is one to watch. Raiders will win a premiership in the next five years if they keep that team together. Furner has BBQ'd that team as far as fluency goes. They were in my top four at season's start.

 

[Karmawave]

If he can play 30 mins with a busted ankle then the kid has all the courage that is required to play a solid grade career. I agree. He is one to watch. Raiders will win a premiership in the next five years if they keep that team together. Furner has BBQ'd that team as far as fluency goes. They were in my top four at season's start.

Furner is messing it all up persisting with Tongue as a ball player. They signed Stuart Flanagan from the Tigers who was a former Australian junior representative hooker and stuck behind Farah to play 9 for them, but he's hardly been sighted.

Wonder why...

 

[Whats Doing]

Sure he got good length, but the only problem is most of the kicks went straight down the throat of Dugan

When you are kicking from within your own 30 metre zone for most of the game, you are trying to get length and as such most kicks are often caught by the back 3.

Overall I was happy with his kicking and his general play was brilliant. He has that X factor iwhich can win the game and it is this consistency which he needs to bring to the table each week.

 

[otori]

When you are kicking from within your own 30 metre zone for most of the game, you are trying to get length and as such most kicks are often caught by the back 3.

Overall I was happy with his kicking and his general play was brilliant. He has that X factor iwhich can win the game and it is this consistency which he needs to bring to the table each week.

Exactly what I meant. Fred's expecting a lot of Rogers if he want him to clear 50 or 60 odd metres with a kick from inside your own twenty and then have it avoid the backs.

 

[Jobdog]

Good solid win, boring game to watch. Kicking game absolutely terrible and please boys, run with a bit of purpose

Why didn't we try a chip kick or two during the game? Dugan was a good 40 metres behind the defensive line.

Rogers was good, I'll give him that, as much as it pains me to say it ;-)

 

[Pika]

Good solid win, boring game to watch. Kicking game absolutely terrible and please boys, run with a bit of purpose

Why didn't we try a chip kick or two during the game? Dugan was a good 40 metres behind the defensive line.

Rogers was good, I'll give him that, as much as it pains me to say it ;-)

Geez Jobber, we must be on other planets.

I thought the game was a nail biter, very enjoyable.

Kicking game was outstanding by Dodge. Two long range dead in goals, and the depth he found when he was kicking insode his own 30m was great. Not much more he can do with those.

Run with purpose? Camped in your own 10m zone with a fresh defence, I thought the pack and outside backs did well under the circumstances.

Chip kick? Mate, under those circumstances, had he chip kicked and put us under more pressure, his own forwards would have tore him apart.

 

[Jobdog]

Geez Jobber, we must be on other planets.

I thought the game was a nail biter, very enjoyable.

Kicking game was outstanding by Dodge. Two long range dead in goals, and the depth he found when he was kicking insode his own 30m was great. Not much more he can do with those.

Run with purpose? Camped in your own 10m zone with a fresh defence, I thought the pack and outside backs did well under the circumstances.

Chip kick? Mate, under those circumstances, had he chip kicked and put us under more pressure, his own forwards would have tore him apart.

Yeah, I dunno, I just felt it was very flat - both the team and the crowd, and also the fact we were camped in our own half wasn't the most enjoyable thing to be watching

And with the kicking game, there were a few good kicks from Rogers, but most went to Dugan on the full, so they started most of their sets on the halfway line. If said chipkick didn't come off, they wouldn't have lost that much ground and who knows, if they did come off, Dugan may have come up a little shallower, allowing for the longer kick ;-)

 

[chinorocks]

Agreed last time Rogers chip kicked in a tight game was crucified for it.

 

[Jobdog]

Agreed last time Rogers chip kicked in a tight game was crucified for it.

Difference with that was the fullback wasn't 40m behind the defensive line ...

 

[perverse]

lol.. i thought the crowd was great. i also thought the game was fantastic and a well earned victory.

 

[Jobdog]

Maybe now we're a top-eight side, my standards are a little higher

 

[Jono078]

We're in the top 4 right now if you put it down as every team has had a BYE.