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Match Discussion: Round 1 vs Warriors @ Mt Smart Stadium

Who will win? Round 1: Warriors v Knights

  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
Johns Magic

Johns Magic

Referee
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21,654
Rick Stone's son to debut for Knights

The son of former Newcastle coach Rick Stone will debut for the Knights in next weekend's opening-round NRL clash against the Warriors.

Stone's successor, Nathan Brown, has confirmed the former mentor's son, Sam, will make his debut next week.

"He's obviously been around football all his life with his dad," Brown said.


"The game is obviously something he understands very well being around it all his life."

Rick Stone was sacked by Newcastle midway through the 2015 season, his second stint as head coach at the club.


He has since shifted to Huddersfield in the English Super League, however his son Sam remained in the Hunter region.

The back-rower impressed in the Auckland Nines, and will likely come off the bench in next weekend's clash.

He and Luke Yates will become the 12th and 13th players to make their NRL debuts at Newcastle in the past year since Brown has arrived at the club.

Of those, only two haven't been locals.

"This time last year I wouldn't have thought he would be playing first grade," Brown said of Yates, a 21-year-old lock.

"But he's that determined and that hungry and that keen that he toughed it out last year and I don't think he had a day off in the pre-season.

"September and October when the club was not officially training, I don't think he missed a day's training ... and all his hard work has paid off."


Read more at http://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/02/25/14/36/rick-stone-s-son-to-debut-for-knights#wjCqurU1vzkp0tS1.99
 
Johns Magic

Johns Magic

Referee
Messages
21,654
@K-Man Turns out no bench hooker for now but that will change when Kostjasyn comes in. Will be interesting to see how much Levi has established himself by that point though - may not be many minutes for Kostjasyn to steal at hooker, decent chance he plays some at lock too.

I don't see Stockwell lasting long on the bench. Tupou gets that spot soon IMO but then again I'm a Tupou fan.

Bring on the season already!
 
K

K-Man

Bench
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3,171
Johns Magic said:
@K-Man Turns out no bench hooker for now but that will change when Kostjasyn comes in. Will be interesting to see how much Levi has established himself by that point though - may not be many minutes for Kostjasyn to steal at hooker, decent chance he plays some at lock too.

I don't see Stockwell lasting long on the bench. Tupou gets that spot soon IMO but then again I'm a Tupou fan.

Bring on the season already!
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No real surprise after you flagged it the other day, the more time passed the more it started to a) make sense, and b) seem to be what Brown was thinking too.

I rate it. Randell can't impact a game enough to justify a place. I imagine that Kostjasyn would take the position of Yates and then act as cover for both Levi and Barnett. He possibly will fill both roles in the one stint e.g. coming on for Barnett before half-time and staying on to play dummy half when Levi takes a break early in the second half. Or something like that. I doubt we'll see Kostjasyn only getting 10-15 minutes per game, but anything's possible.

I also very much doubt Mataora is fully NRL fit yet, or he'd be playing ahead of Stockwell. Surely our best prop from last season hasn't slipped behind our biggest forward flop during the off season. Mataora is not even old, so it's not a 'changing of the guard' issue. I expect to see Mataora on the bench pretty soon to be honest. Not that I'm a massive fan, I just think he's done enough to be picked ahead of Stockwell and/or rookies. He was very solid last year.
 
K

K-Man

Bench
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3,171
Yeah that's great to hear about Stockwell. Hope he has a massive season. Pretty handy as a month or so ago I thought he was still so out of favour that we wouldn't really hear about him. Almost like a new signing if he plays well this year.
 
Caped Crusader

Caped Crusader

Juniors
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1,721
Toohey said on Twitter that Stone would come on for 15min while Buhrer will spell Levi at hooker

Yates to give Barnett a 20min break at lock

So pretty much what JM surmised
 
H

Hardcore_Fan

Juniors
Messages
1,489
Good team.

Stockwells new found motivation is just a credit to Nathan brown and the attitude and commitment he demands from his players. One year in and everyone knows what it takes to make out first grade team.
 
SpaceMonkey

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
40,488
K-Man said:
Warriors could be missing a few forwards too which is handy. Matulino, Thompson, Hoffman carrying niggles I think. Manu possibly too.
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Matulino is definitely out for 4-5 weeks. Manu should be be fit for round one, Thompson is racing the clock. Hoffman went offi the last trial and there was a rumour of an injury but the fact that nothing has been announced makes me think it's more likely he's ok.
 
K

KennyPowers

Juniors
Messages
5
Is Foran cleared to play? If so, we will be facing the best backline in the comp, and the best backline the NZ warriors have ever fielded
 
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