Match Discussion: Round 1 vs Warriors @ Sky Stadium, Wellington

[perverse]

With so much bad stuff to talk about (and there is so, so much) ... I guess the one thing we're not really talking about is how Kalyn went. It was actually one of the few silver linings for me. I think he handled the game as well as could be expected, and may well have pulled it out of the fire in the last 10 had he been there. It would have papered over what was a really awful performance - but i can see growth in Kalyn.

Even watching him at the presser - he looks bigger and a bit more focused on where he's at and what he needs to do as a marquee and a captain. He is one you can see has done his extras over the off season and got himself in the best possible place he can to succeed this year - he's actually committed to the switch. That could all go away if we keep losing, but I do see some hope in him where I haven't in a while.

I don't want to talk him up too much based on what we've seen, but if we can just get some sort of competance around him I think he might have big things in him this year. That's a huge, huge if... but I guess my point is I do think he's doing his part in it.

 

[Spot On]

Ponga was good.

No brainer having him at 6 instead of fullback.

 

[Alex28]

Ponga was good, and the rest of the team was clunky around him, but you only had to look at the Bulldogs yesterday to see there are more than a few teams with new faces in them that will take a little time to click.

We haven’t kicked up a big enough fuss - and blamed him at the time for it - for the officials pulling him from the field with 10 to go. It handed the Warriors the game. We might not have won, but it certainly lost us the game.

If the officials are going to police head knocks to Kalyn harder than other players, we should get some sort of Roosters style dispensation to the cap. We aren’t getting the same out of him as other teams get out of their marquee players. It isn’t fair.

 

[Spot On]

I'm on a facebook Knights group and by now it appears Knights fans are split in to two groups, one group willingly call out the rubbish that they see, and for the other group it's non stop stupport never criticise unless your out their playing the game types!

This. And I’m not aiming the following at you 76…

I don’t see discussing the obvious weakness of the club, coach, players and system as criticism. We compare what we see when our team plays to that of a successful one. We’re now approaching 20 years of that comparison. And we aren’t yet seeing the necessary change to climb into the top 8 regularly or god forbid, the top 4.

We all hope the team improves over the season and maybe even plays in and wins a semi!!! Hallelujah!!!! We’ll have some positive vibes around the forum if we can see that type of footy/performances each week.

Now to the current state of affairs, otherwise known as reality…

We looked awful in the trials and in R1 of the season proper we looked below par against what will probably be a below par side in 2023.

We have a fairly good draw the first 5 rounds. If we can’t beat those sides, then how, without massive improvement from all players and in our style of footy, can we be remotely competitive against the better sides?

Yes, we should improve over the course of the season. We have best spine, on paper, that we’ve had in a long time. They should improve the more they play together.

But will our pack hold their own and give the spine a platform most weeks and has the coach implemented a style of footy that will see the side win games?

And most importantly, do we have the defence to help us win games? Can this mob, under O’Brien, really dig in when needed most weeks.

 

[slotmachine]

I don't really know what ponga is complaining about, he hit his head and was slow to rise, that's the criteria for being taken off.

Not "yep I feel fine mate".

 

[Spot On]

Yep. Get use to it re Ponga. It will happen more often than not.

 

[slotmachine]

If he really is fine he won't stay down next time.

 

[Spot On]

Surely he knows that already Slots???

 

[macavity]

Yep. Get use to it re Ponga. It will happen more often than not.

expect him to suffer lots of “accidents”

 

[Alex28]

expect him to suffer lots of “accidents”

If opposition teams aren’t going to target him knowing he is a target of the independent doctor, they aren’t doing their homework.

A guaranteed 15 minutes of him off the field. Should be part of everyone’s game plan against the Knights.

 

[Spot On]

If opposition teams aren’t going to target him knowing he is a target of the independent doctor, they aren’t doing their homework.

A guaranteed 15 minutes of him off the field. Should be part of everyone’s game plan against the Knights.

You are looking too far into it Alex.

A good, hard one on one tackle onto his arse or back so his head contacts the ground could do the job. Let alone a two man or three man tackle.

He has a target on him not just because he’s dangerous with ball in hand but because he’s obviously prone to feeling impact with sometimes only innocuous contact.

 

[perverse]

Kalyn just needs to grow up and get up when he gets hit. He stayed down trying to milk a penalty and paid the price, it was simple as that and was obvious in the moment. He'll learn from it - because clearly they're not pissing around with the independant doctor this year. There may even be a directive to "punish" people that are obviously taking a dive with it - not that they'd ever admit to using a player protection lever to do such a thing.

I was honestly completely fine with it as long as they try to be consistent.

 

[Spot On]

If the independent doc stops the divers then I’m 100% for it.

 

[Jono078]

Just on Ponga, I think the move to 6 is the right one and he'll grow into it nicely.

I still have my concerns about his kicking game though. Right now I'd rank him dead last for kicking as a half in the NRL. Not only technique but when and what type of kick to do.

 

[Yosh]

Just on Ponga, I think the move to 6 is the right one and he'll grow into it nicely.

I still have my concerns about his kicking game though. Right now I'd rank him dead last for kicking as a half in the NRL. Not only technique but when and what type of kick to do.

He only had 2 kicks yesterday and Hastings will do most of the kicking anyway. Don't think his kicking game will ever be a weapon but he is 2nd string kicker so I think it'll be okay.

 

[Burwood]

It's concerning how Miller was taking the kick offs. Not just the fact one went out on the full, but another was returned to the 30m after being drilled low and hard to the goal posts, and the short kick off intended for Young ended up 30m infield, meaning that the ball was easily retained by the Warriors with no pressure on the catcher.

 

[Old dog]

Think Miller was obvious kicker due to being fullback not because he can kick, he kicks it and the other 12 chase and form defence line and he is behind the line. He needs to practice a bit, probably the coach has thrown him the job. Don’t know why Hastings wouldn’t kick off

 

[Jono078]

He only had 2 kicks yesterday and Hastings will do most of the kicking anyway. Don't think his kicking game will ever be a weapon but he is 2nd string kicker so I think it'll be okay.

It's just been a while where we've relied on one decent kicker in the team and that puts a lot of pressure on them.

Hastings is no Adam Reynolds or DCE to be a dominant kicker.

You're right though, it was a small sample size from Ponga and it was into the wind. I just hope he can get it to a good level where he can win us some field position and get us tries or repeat sets with his kicks.

Our kicking game is what allowed the Warriors to regain momentum relatively early on.

 

[Burwood]

How many clubs have a fullback doing the kick offs? Souths?

 

[The Axe of Druss]

How many clubs have a fullback doing the kick offs? Souths?

Roosters
Eels
Cowboys

Its pretty common practice for FBs to kick off for the reason OD mentioned above