Match Discussion: Round 1 vs Warriors @ Mt Smart Stadium

[K-Man]

Heartbreaking. Doesn't even last one game. He was looking great too.

It sounds weird because he's just a rookie, but I actually think this will really hurt us. Pete Mat is going to offer nothing creatively or ball playing wise, whereas Phythian seemed set to put some spark back in this key position for us.

I guess we won't know how much it impacts us because we didn't get to see enough of him. But it feels like a major blow.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

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.

I agree, he didn't show much in this game. He's got big raps on him so I assume that he's had a good junior career. I assume his strength is in his kicking and passing because he doesn't look like a ball runner at this point, but his passing end kicking today was poor so he'll need to show some big improvement. He deserves to get a decent crack at the #6 jersey considering we don't have anyone else there who's knocking on the door. Hopefully with a bit of time in first grade we'll see him rise to the level he needs to be at.

 

[perverse]

Heartbreaking. Doesn't even last one game. He was looking great too.

It sounds weird because he's just a rookie, but I actually think this will really hurt us. Pete Mat is going to offer nothing creatively or ball playing wise, whereas Phythian seemed set to put some spark back in this key position for us.

I guess we won't know how much it impacts us because we didn't get to see enough of him. But it feels like a major blow.

It hurts him too, he had all year to make a case as a first grader. Ponga comes in now and he's back to a utility with no home.

Pretty gutted for him.

 

[Knight76]

Sigh, I almost wish we lost that Canberra trial as it would have prepared me better for this lol.

I honestly didn't expect us to win before kickoff, but when we get our noses in front and are in a dominant position nearing the end, and we find a way to throw it away it can be tormenting to the soul.

For mine, Hodkinson was the biggest disappointment. Why on the last tackle is he not the default choice?

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Heartbreaking. Doesn't even last one game. He was looking great too.

It sounds weird because he's just a rookie, but I actually think this will really hurt us. Pete Mat is going to offer nothing creatively or ball playing wise, whereas Phythian seemed set to put some spark back in this key position for us.

I guess we won't know how much it impacts us because we didn't get to see enough of him. But it feels like a major blow.

Agreed, the only thing that Pete Mat really brings to the table is a bigger frame and possibly a bit more solid when making one-on-one contact in defence. In attack it's pretty clear that he doesn't have much of a playmaking game and no kicking game which hurts. I wonder if Brown will look at someone else at FB for the rest of the year?

 

[Swarzey]

Ross is the only person I can see worth putting back there.

Either that or we launch another bid to get Ponga here for the cutoff.

 

[perverse]

Ross is the only person I can see worth putting back there.

Either that or we launch another bid to get Ponga here for the cutoff.

I'd say we're probably launching that bid every other day anyway.

 

[Alex28]

That is a massive call not to give the Knights a penalty after the Warriors clearly started that fight with 3 minutes to go, 40 metres out...

 

[Glendale]

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.

Ponga will be next to feel that curse.

 

[Johns Magic]

That is a massive call not to give the Knights a penalty after the Warriors clearly started that fight with 3 minutes to go, 40 metres out...

As I said in the game day thread...we weren't supposed to win so the ref keeps the whistle in his pocket to avoid controversy there.

 

[Knight76]

Lets try this post again, not sure why it needed to be deleted.

The warriors "strategically and intentionally gained an unfair advantage" (I could think of another word for this type of action, but am refrained from using it) by pretending the injury to Simon Mannering was a concussion injury with the trainer signalling HIA assessment for a neck injury., and gaining a free interchange.

There we go I didn't use the sensitive word this time.

 

[perverse]

Lets try this post again, not sure why it needed to be deleted.

The warriors strategically and intentionally gained an unfair advantage by pretending the injury to Simon Mannering was a concussion injury with the trainer signalling HIA assessment for a neck injury., and gaining a free interchange.

There we go I didn't use the sensitive word this time.

Didn't notice that, but you'll see it all the time with the current rules.

 

[K-Man]

Sigh, I almost wish we lost that Canberra trial as it would have prepared me better for this lol.

I honestly didn't expect us to win before kickoff, but when we get our noses in front and are in a dominant position nearing the end, and we find a way to throw it away it can be tormenting to the soul.

For mine, Hodkinson was the biggest disappointment. Why on the last tackle is he not the default choice?

Watching Norman take control and easily roll the ball into the in goal on the last really drives the point home. Hodkinson didn't step up at all in the second half even after Phythian went off.

 

[perverse]

Hodko is just shit. He always was. We're getting nothing now that couldn't have been seen years in advance.

Stone let us down in getting him, and Brown lets us down by either boofing him or getting blackmailed by him. Got no idea why he has no pressure on him. Captain Does-Nothing McUseless.

 

[Zoidberg]

Grrr so frustrating. If that game was in Newcastle, we win. A few things not called against them, very "flat" passes, every try of ours went to video ref, that takes away a bit of momentum you are building, waiting around an extra minute or 2.
Hokko cannot get another contract with us. He's only here until the end of next year right?
He doesn't take charge, or organise, when he gets the ball on the last 95% of the time he passes it on for the next person to kick, and I'm not totally disappointed in that because when he does kick, his kicks are pointless and offer no threat. That last set we had, 1 minute to go, he needed to spread the ball and look to create a hole, straight up the middle we went.
I don't know what happened in that 15mins before half time but that obviously lost is the game. We need to get rid of those periods full stop. We still won't beat the better teams but we can compete better and win a few more.
Start again next week guys.
And what a blow with Pythian. Damn.

 

[Sydney Knight]

Lets try this post again, not sure why it needed to be deleted.

The warriors "strategically and intentionally gained an unfair advantage" (I could think of another word for this type of action, but am refrained from using it) by pretending the injury to Simon Mannering was a concussion injury with the trainer signalling HIA assessment for a neck injury., and gaining a free interchange.

There we go I didn't use the sensitive word this time.

I noticed that but I didnt think you get a free interchange when going off? Isn't it just a free one for that player to come back on if cleared?

They didn't even attempt the concussion test when he went off

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I'm not saying that Hodko was great but we lost the game with the 15 minutes of rubbish errors before half time. And Hodko wasn't responsible for that. Agreed that he can take charge a bit more especially when attacking the goal line but we made about 5 or 6 errors in that 15 minute period and the Warriors cashed in and put us to the sword.

If that period of play hasn't happened and we'd won the game then I don't think too many people would be blowing up about Hodko. He's our highest paid player and our captain so I get that he needs to step up and take charge but now that we've gotten rid of a few of our old favourites it looks like he's the new whipping boy.

Let's put it down for what it was, we looked like a decent team for about 60 minutes and looked like absolute garbage for the rest of it.

I won't defend Hodko if I think he's genuinely responsible for a shit performance but we lost that game because too many guys dropped the ball in consecutive sets. Not because of Hodko.

 

[Zoidberg]

I get what you're saying and I agree somewhat. He didn't lose it for us but he didn't put his hand up to help us win it. He is captain and halfback, that is his job.

 

[Noname36]

The game wasn't nearly as bad as you lot are making out. We're clearly a better side than we were this time last year and that's the most important thing at the moment. We were so far out of our depth last year that we were never going to come out after one off season and start putting wins on the board. I feel our trial win has raised some people's expectations too much. Composure cost us in the end and not difficult to see why when you look at the age and experience of the squad.

I am devastated for Pythian however. The kid is a footballer. There's really nothing to be excited about in regards to Pete playing fullback all year *shudder*

 

[Knight76]

I noticed that but I didnt think you get a free interchange when going off? Isn't it just a free one for that player to come back on if cleared?

They didn't even attempt the concussion test when he went off

You get a free interchange when the player goes off, and a free interchange when they come back on is my understanding.

I think to get the second free interchange they have to come back within the 15 minutes. I can't find any official information from the NRL on it. But they get the free interchange for him coming off in the first instance.

Maybe all injury replacements should be a free interchange. As we spent an interchange when Pythian came off.