Match Discussion: Finals Week 1 vs Rabbitohs @ ANZ Stadium

[Haffa]

When's the last time you could say our pack intimidated their oposition through physicality Yosh? Hitting guys hard and often throughtout the 80 mins, forcing them into errors, hurting/stinging ball carriers, hunting like 'a pack' etc??

That part if the game is missing for us when playing the better sides.

We have been thoroughly thrashed too often in the latter part of the season - when it really counted.

Stats are great in some ways but surely you see the lack of physicality in our side?

Out of all the losing packs this week ours was the least intimidating.

 

[Spot On]

Out of all the losing packs this week ours was the least intimidating.

100%

 

[Spot On]

On a different note... who would be your guess for our player of the year?

Not something that is easy to pick at this club.

 

[Knight76]

On a different note... who would be your guess for our player of the year?

Not something that is easy to pick at this club.

I'm thinking Kurt Mann will get it.

 

[Spot On]

I'm thinking Kurt Mann will get it.

He should get it... but will he?

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

On a different note... who would be your guess for our player of the year?

Not something that is easy to pick at this club.

As left field as it sounds, I'd give it to Andrew McCullough. He's the only player I can think of who massively exceeded expectations. He consistently played with immense pride and have his all for a club he had no history/emotional ties to. He improved the team. Imo, he is a true professional and I can't think of many others I'd say the same for. Never embarrassed himself or the club.

 

[mozza91]

Klemmer or Jacob Saifiti for mine.

 

[Seage]

I bet Kalyn Ponga gets it. He did enough flashy things in attack that would be noticed.
Too bad he can't do basic things like catch or tackle, but I doubt that will stop him getting the award.

Or Mitch Barnett. He seems to win it regardless of form or talent.

 

[Reflector]

Watched the game yesterday with a Souths fan and a Knights fan. At 14-0 I said that the Knights had to be careful they maintained composure if Souths scored a couple of tries but it's difficult to judge them when Souths literally had 100% of possession from when they scored their first try to their third. That knock on ruling against Edrick in the second half by Cummins was a terrible call and a pivotal one considering Knights looked like they might be on the verge of getting back into the contest if they could score a try, but it wasn't what cost them the game-

It all came down to leadership. You look at Souths and they had Walker and Cook running the show for them. Where was the direction for Newcastle? The game really summed up the difference between a player like Pearce and a player like Cook, because a guy like Cook takes control of a match and leads by example the same way guys like Chief, Joey or Buderus used to (plus it helps he's an awesome player). But Pearce has never looked the same since Origin 3 last year. It's like he finally got that monkey off his back and got to hold the Origin shield and he's been phoning it in ever since. A guy like that is toxic to the mentality of a club, let alone when he's meant to be your captain.

But looking ahead the Knights have plenty of potential to be a great side- a good forward pack with Frizzel on the way, a talent like Ponga and also Best who looks to have a big future ahead of him too. It seems like every regional club that goes through a golden period (Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, Knights) then has a lean period with players and staff coasting off past glories and a half-arsed attitude seeps in that can take seasons to rectify. The Broncos and Cowboys are both there at the moment, the Raiders have come out the other side and Newcastle (provided the key decision makers correctly identify and rid the club of the individuals holding it back) could do what Canberra and Penrith have done the past 18 months or so.

If O'Brien shows some balls and cuts certain players in that squad who don't appear to care and don't show the leadership required of them, I reckon there would be a notable difference in where the Knights finish and how they perform in pressure games like yesterday.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Watched the game yesterday with a Souths fan and a Knights fan. At 14-0 I said that the Knights had to be careful they maintained composure if Souths scored a couple of tries but it's difficult to judge them when Souths literally had 100% of possession from when they scored their first try to their third. That knock on ruling against Edrick in the second half by Cummins was a terrible call and a pivotal one considering Knights looked like they might be on the verge of getting back into the contest if they could score a try, but it wasn't what cost them the game-

It all came down to leadership. You look at Souths and they had Walker and Cook running the show for them. Where was the direction for Newcastle? The game really summed up the difference between a player like Pearce and a player like Cook, because a guy like Cook takes control of a match and leads by example the same way guys like Chief, Joey or Buderus used to (plus it helps he's an awesome player). But Pearce has never looked the same since Origin 3 last year. It's like he finally got that monkey off his back and got to hold the Origin shield and he's been phoning it in ever since. A guy like that is toxic to the mentality of a club, let alone when he's meant to be your captain.

But looking ahead the Knights have plenty of potential to be a great side- a good forward pack with Frizzel on the way, a talent like Ponga and also Best who looks to have a big future ahead of him too. It seems like every regional club that goes through a golden period (Cowboys, Broncos, Raiders, Knights) then has a lean period with players and staff coasting off past glories and a half-arsed attitude seeps in that can take seasons to rectify. The Broncos and Cowboys are both there at the moment, the Raiders have come out the other side and Newcastle (provided the key decision makers correctly identify and rid the club of the individuals holding it back) could do what Canberra and Penrith have done the past 18 months or so.

If O'Brien shows some balls and cuts certain players in that squad who don't appear to care and don't show the leadership required of them, I reckon there would be a notable difference in where the Knights finish and how they perform in pressure games like yesterday.

You summed this up well. I agree re Cook. If we had someone like him we might have given it a better go.

 

[Spot On]

I bet Kalyn Ponga gets it. He did enough flashy things in attack that would be noticed.
Too bad he can't do basic things like catch or tackle, but I doubt that will stop him getting the award.

Or Mitch Barnett. He seems to win it regardless of form or talent.

... and that's why I asked the question. There's been a few head scratchers in the past with this award.

 

[Spot On]

Klemmer or Jacob Saifiti for mine.

Both should be up there... surely.

 

[Alex28]

You summed this up well. I agree re Cook. If we had someone like him we might have given it a better go.

The thing is that we have made the decision to go with potential and the future over older heads and leadership. We have a pretty young fullback and hooker, no 5/8, a young set of backs (that are realistically going to get younger with the likes of Dom Young and Starford Toa), and forward leaders but no one with captain potential.

We absolutely need two strong halves, not just one. We can’t lump everything on Pearce. I know everyone (literally everyone) doesn’t rate him - but if you look what’s around him, there isn’t much experience and even less leadership.

 

[Zoidberg]

The thing is that we have made the decision to go with potential and the future over older heads and leadership. We have a pretty young fullback and hooker, no 5/8, a young set of backs (that are realistically going to get younger with the likes of Dom Young and Starford Toa), and forward leaders but no one with captain potential.

When you put it like that it reminds me of the Broncos side this year, and look at how they went.

 

[Knight Vision]

A guy like that is toxic to the mentality of a club, let alone when he's meant to be your captain

This

If O'Brien shows some balls and cuts certain players in that squad who don't appear to care and don't show the leadership required of them, I reckon there would be a notable difference in where the Knights finish and how they perform in pressure games like yesterday.

I agree, we have a good squad, we're lacking a halfback and leader,

Imagine if Joey had the opportunity to play behind our pack and have a backline with Ponga and Best in it ?........Premiership number 3

 

[Knight Vision]

When you put it like that it reminds me of the Broncos side this year, and look at how they went.

Or how the Panthers are going with the east NRL experience in the comp.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...t/news-story/b91b449b1a2e0ffec4ccca146fa98f95

It could just come down to getting the mix of characters right - I remember an interview with Mann and he said words to the effect " I tend to overthink things in the game and get flustered easily" - not the right character to be outside Pearce surley.

 

[Alex28]

Or how the Panthers are going with the east NRL experience in the comp.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...t/news-story/b91b449b1a2e0ffec4ccca146fa98f95

It could just come down to getting the mix of characters right - I remember an interview with Mann and he said words to the effect " I tend to overthink things in the game and get flustered easily" - not the right character to be outside Pearce surley.

I know a guy who is a current first grader for Penrith, and another guy who left the Panthers for another club this year.

The culture at the Panthers is miles above most other clubs in the comp. I think so many locals in the team helps, but the other club in question is miles away from success, and you can see it how they act around each other.

The Panthers are also all in in what the Cleary’s are doing there - from the top all the way down.

How this relates to us? The players aren’t all in for Mitch like they are Nathan. They also don’t play with anywhere near the enthusiasm and belief (in my opinion) that they do. We need that, and it probably doesn’t happen with Mitch at the helm.

 

[Yosh]

When's the last time you could say our pack intimidated their oposition through physicality Yosh? Hitting guys hard and often throughtout the 80 mins, forcing them into errors, hurting/stinging ball carriers, hunting like 'a pack' etc??

That part if the game is missing for us when playing the better sides.

We have been thoroughly thrashed too often in the latter part of the season - when it really counted.

Stats are great in some ways but surely you see the lack of physicality in our side?

Am I saying we have the best pack in the league? No. But would I prefer our pack (not including hooker obviously) over 12 other NRL sides. Yes.

Our forwards literally hit it up one out 99% of the time. I would argue our middle forwards have the most difficult job in the league. They know they are going to get smashed as teams know we don't spread the ball. The service from dummy half is nothing special either. We never kick early so opposition players just aim up and hit hard.

I guarantee that once we get some attacking flair in the side (especially coming out from our own end), our middle forwards will be killing it week in week out.

 

[Knight Vision]

How this relates to us? The players aren’t all in for Mitch like they are Nathan. They also don’t play with anywhere near the enthusiasm and belief (in my opinion) that they do. We need that, and it probably doesn’t happen with Mitch at the helm.

This is probably very accurate.

We as fans can see the issues surrounding Pearce so I can only imagine what it must be like for the players on the field and to have that nagging feeling of doubt in the leaders ability to deliver.

Just watched the highlights again and the lack of enthusiasm and desperation in the team is really the saddest part for me.

 

[Knight Vision]

Am I saying we have the best pack in the league? No. But would I prefer our pack (not including hooker obviously) over 12 other NRL sides. Yes.

Our forwards literally hit it up one out 99% of the time. I would argue our middle forwards have the most difficult job in the league. They know they are going to get smashed as teams know we don't spread the ball. The service from dummy half is nothing special either. We never kick early so opposition players just aim up and hit hard.

I guarantee that once we get some attacking flair in the side (especially coming out from our own end), our middle forwards will be killing it week in week out.

Our forwards have been outstanding in mtrs gained this year and given us good field position. Sure they could improve and have done so on last year.

We've failed miserably in capitalizing on that