Match Discussion: Round 1 vs Warriors @ Mt Smart Stadium

[perverse]

Losing close to the shit teams

We'll get belted by the good ones

Its 2016 again

The Warriors are hardly a shit team. They weren't at full strength today, though.

 

[perverse]

Warriors are never going to be more beatable than that. No Vatuvei, Luke and Mannering off and we still can't do it.

No Matulino or Foran, either.

 

[Glendale]

I can't wait for those Pete Mat plays all year.

If Pythian is gone for the year I'm gonna find it really hard to watch this year. He brings so much to the team and was really looking forward to watching him develop through the course of a season.

But I forgot the Knights can't have nice things.

 

[K-Man]

If Pythian is gone for the year I'm gonna find it really hard to watch this year. He brings so much to the team and was really looking forward to watching him develop through the course of a season.

But I forgot the Knights can't have nice things.

It really hurts. I was pumped to watch his development. Love what he was bringing with his kicking game and general footy brain. It's actually shattering if he is out for a long period.

 

[macavity]

Phythian is our best kicker by miles. Was always going to be tough once he went off. There's a case to be made for him as a 5/8th. Who knows when we'll see him after that injury, though.

Lamb was pretty disappointing today.

Phythian was good. Lamb was terrible. Can only get better.

Still can't work out what Phythian hurt - didn't go for his knee and the action didn't look like he tore anything. Hopefully just a cork or something.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Seriously, what are we paying Hodko for. Doesn't kick in general play - and when he does they're terrible - and missed two clutch goal kicks. All this after being a 'matchwinner' at the Bulldogs.

This.

The missed goals I can cop, but if you're halfback, captain, and have two kids as backup, the plan should be 90% coming from his boot. Why give rookies further responsibilities they just don't need, especially within this structure rebuild? Give them a chance to develop confidence in other aspects, without overloading them.

Bugged me all game, even in the first 20, and despite the 40/20.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Now that I've calmed down a bit and had a few minutes to think I've realised that there are so many positives that we can take out of that:

- We were good for about 55-60 mins of this game and we were probably the better team during these minutes, lack of composure definitely cost us in the end

- Our attitude was so much better than last year, obviously there was that bad patch before half time but we fought our way back and probably should have won it at the end there. If that had been last year we would have lost by 30

- I felt that our forward pack really stood up, the Saifitis were good and Barnett was a beast, Buhrer was heavily involved and Sione was looking strong! Also impressed with Stockwell who was busy and looked like he's got the hunger back.

- Phythian was really good until he got injured, hopefully it's not a long term injury.

- We looked so much fitter than last year didn't we. Ross chasing down Lolohea to save a try was good to see and we were all over them for most of that second half whereas in 2016 our second halves were always terrible.

It's always super frustrating when you know that we could have won the game but the score board tells a story. We were right in this game but just not good enough to win it when we had the chance.

If we can replicate that second half throughout the year we'll definitely get a few more Ws next year. Bring on our first home game next week!!!!

 

[Spot On]

There was enough good stuff to suggest we won't cop as many thrashing as last year (I hope).

However. it's going to be a trying season for everyone involved.

Best we can hope for is limited injuries, the young blokes continually improving and a couple more decent signings.

 

[Caped Crusader]

The Warriors are hardly a shit team. They weren't at full strength today, though.

They were awful today mate. We were just worse

 

[Spot On]

I wish Mrs Saifiti had quadruplets too.

That would help enormously.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

They were awful today mate. We were just worse

I will put part of that down to us throwing them off their game a bit. We definitely out enthused them for long periods in this game.

 

[slotmachine]

You'd think Sione and Pete had met on the flight over the way they were out of sync in defence.

Agree it's weird hodko defers kicking to the kid with 5 first grade games.

All the middle guys did their jobs.

Better than the 50 we would have given up last year.

 

[Swarzey]

Alright, this merkin Hodkinson goes for the two right away in the first half when we had momentum...chooses to tap when the game came to a halt and we lost our momentum. Take the two and we win; I'm almost positive of that. Our spirit was up considerably, we were playing well with the ball and would have been able to defend the final 10 minutes.

Just f**king frustrating. Warriors played like arse for much of it and we constantly shafted ourselves with poor mistakes. It's round 1, I'm not completely ready to jump on the "2016 all over again" bandwagon but it's not encouraging. Barnett was f**king fantastic, Buhrer had some great runs but should have been there to stop Hoffman (which I'm adamant he lost the ball into Lamb). Still feel like a ship without a real captain, no direction and no structure. If Phythian is out for the season then f**k I'll be gutted. His kicking game was fantastic and we desperately needed it; Hodkinson and Lamb didn't challenge the back three of the Warriors but Phythian did. And I wonder who we replace him with. Our forwards were top notch; starting pack tore up the field and got us into good position time and time again. Bench is a real worry.

Just a disappointing day. I think there's plenty of positives in individual performances but it's going to be a long, long year.

 

[Tom155]

Of course, absolutely no luck at all.

 

[the seagull]

The last try by warriors shouldn't have been allowed as the warriors five/eight was pushing hoffman towards the line and rule that seems to be policed when they think of it - I can recall numerous occasions. Bunker can't handle more than one decision at a time, its too confusing.
Difference between teams- johnson's arse (pass on half time was throw and hope) the warriors full backs involvement, and the warriors experience players knowing how to win

 

[steven p white]

Lots of dumb basic mistakes cost us again, dropping the ball cold, kicking straight down their throats, backs defence was deplorable with players in no mans land( a la Uate) constantly, can anyone teach these guys how to defend? on the plus side Barnett shows what can be done with a bit of fire in the belly, Stockwell had a bigger go than I have seen from him for a long time & Phythian is a serious footballer who, if he hasn't sustained a long term injury should be moved to 5/8th replacing the hapless Lamb. As always, watching a Knights game is an emotional rollercoaster, not of the feint hearted! P.S Ross never gives less than his best!

 

[Caped Crusader]

That is terrible news about Pythian

 

[perverse]

Wow, ACL for Phythian is horrible news for him and the club. You could see as soon as he went down that it was bad.

Supporting us is hard.

 

[perverse]

Lamb is going to have to start showing something at some point. I'm pretty unconvinced. He has time, but he's not strong or fast... so he's really left with smart and brave to make up for it. Haven't seen much smart.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

That injury basically sums up the last 15 years of rotten luck for this club. Whenever it looks like we've got something good that we can work it gets ripped from our grasp.