Match Discussion: Round 17 vs Penrith @ BlueBet Stadium, Penrith / Dharug

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2023 - Round 17
Penrith Panthers v Newcastle Knights
BlueBet Stadium, Penrith / Dharug, Penrith (TICKETS)
Saturday 24 June 2023

Gates 12:30pm, NSW Cup 12:40pm (FOX), Jersey Flegg 3:30pm, NRL kickoff 5:30pm. Broadcast live on Fox League, Kayo Sports.

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Jack Cogger 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Jaeman Salmon 18. Zac Hosking 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. Luke Garner 21. Tyrone Peachey 22. Thomas Jenkins 23. Liam Henry 24. Jack Cole

Out: Tyrone Peachey (centre), Thomas Jenkins (wing), Zac Hosking (second row), Matt Eisenhuth (lock), Luke Garner (bench), Liam Henry (bench)
In: Stephen Crichton (centre), Brian To'o (wing), Jarome Luai (five-eighth), Moses Leota (front row), Liam Martin (second row), Isaah Yeo (lock)
Changes: Jaeman Salmon (five-eighth to bench), Spencer Leniu (front row to bench)

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Dylan Lucas 13. Adam Elliott 14. Kurt Mann 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mathew Croker 18. Brodie Jones 19. Enari Tuala 20. Lachlan Miller 21. Jack Johns 22. Adam Clune

Out: Enari Tuala (wing), Lachlan Fitzgibbon (second row), Brodie Jones (bench)
In: Greg Marzhew (wing), Daniel Saifiti (front row), Tyson Frizell (second row)
Changes: Jacob Saifiti (front row to bench)

Referee: Ben Cummins
Sideline Officials: Chris Sutton, Damian Brady
Video Referee: Gerard Sutton


LOWER GRADES
Penrith^ v Newcastle^ at Bluebet, Sat - NSW Cup 12:40pm / Flegg 3:30pm​

 

[Apey]

Yeah cool. Should be a banger.

 

[Yosh]

We lose, we probably don't sack AOB...
We win, we won't sack AOB... So either way we lose.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Here's my early prediction: all 3 grades of ours to be flogged 13+

 

[Woody90]

I’m not sure about anyone else but I want us to get spectacularly destroyed (won’t be too hard) so the coach can’t keep sugar coating about how we’ve been in close games, etc.

 

[League Unlimited News]

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Dylan Lucas 13. Adam Elliott

14. Kurt Mann 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mathew Croker

18. Brodie Jones 19. Enari Tuala 20. Lachlan Miller 21. Jack Johns 22. Adam Clune

Out: Enari Tuala (wing), Lachlan Fitzgibbon (second row), Brodie Jones (bench)
In: Greg Marzhew (wing), Daniel Saifiti (front row), Tyson Frizell (second row)
Changes: Jacob Saifiti (front row to bench)

NRL TEAMS - 2023 Round 17 » League Unlimited

leagueunlimited.com

 

[Apey]

Fitz injured or dropped? Surely injured.

 

[Burwood]

It’s the week that players are missing because of origin duty, but we’re arguably fielding the strongest 1-5 that I’ve seen from Newcastle in the last 10 or so years. Go figure.


Edit: ignore that, players were missing last week. Still the strongest 1-5 in quite some time though!

 

[slotmachine]

Fitz injured or dropped? Surely injured.

Grade 1 concussion

 

[Yosh]

Elliot was pretty solid last week. 50 odd tackles and I think our only forward to run for more than 100 metres. Can he play 80 minutes? I don't want to see Mann play hooker again. Give Crossland a 20 minute rest in the middle of the game and let Mann play 13 and Elliot can hopefully go into hooker just for 20 minutes.

Can we have 2019 Saifiti back?

Let's have Croker trying to play a bit expansive and off the cuff. He has a stunning offload but we never look to offload at all.

Ponga vs. Edwards will be fun.

I think Gus took too much aggression out of Hetherington. I think he will be a better player player.

Been loving Thompson's work this whole season. He is offering more on the field than his salary would suggest. Pretty much the one player we are getting salary cap value. Marzhew and Young might be the other two.

 

[Loose Cannon]

I’m not sure about anyone else but I want us to get spectacularly destroyed (won’t be too hard) so the coach can’t keep sugar coating about how we’ve been in close games, etc.

Had this exact conversation with a mate at lunchtime today. Not the first I’ve wanted it (or second, or fortieth), but I don’t feel so isolated now.

 

[Jono078]

Had this exact conversation with a mate at lunchtime today. Not the first I’ve wanted it (or second, or fortieth), but I don’t feel so isolated now.

I also want this, I'll just feel for Ponga and a few of his mates that have tried hard every game this year.

I actually think I'll be annoyed if we win this game.

 

[Rod]

Just to play devil's advocate for a second, is it not true that we have mostly been in close games.

If you are wanting large-scale change like AOB being sacked then yeah sure these performances aren't good enough, but I don't think the close losses are hiding or sugar-coating anything. If anything we should actually be slightly higher on the ladder given our points differential is the 9th best in the comp.

 

[Jono078]

Just to play devil's advocate for a second, is it not true that we have mostly been in close games.

If you are wanting large-scale change like AOB being sacked then yeah sure these performances aren't good enough, but I don't think the close losses are hiding or sugar-coating anything. If anything we should actually be slightly higher on the ladder given our points differential is the 9th best in the comp.

We have been. I think our efforts and desire has been there for the most part this year but the inconsistencies are intolerable.

We'll see what this team is made of now that we need to win 7/10 games to end our season to hopefully be in 8th spot. If we fold in spectacular fashion then AOB's position will be questioned. If we go down fighting then he may be safe for another year.

 

[macavity]

If we don’t lose Brails I reckon we are in the 8. It’s the ruck defence, distribution and goal kicking stuffing us. He fixes two of those.

 

[Jono078]

If we don’t lose Brails I reckon we are in the 8. It’s the ruck defence, distribution and goal kicking stuffing us. He fixes two of those.

Agree 100%. I do think this is where you can say AOB failed though. You could almost say AOB has sabotaged the season by putting all of his faith into Crossland.

 

[perverse]

If we don’t lose Brails I reckon we are in the 8. It’s the ruck defence, distribution and goal kicking stuffing us. He fixes two of those.

It's such a huge, dumb "if" though, because we were absolutely odds on to lose him again. Even just statistically speaking it's like almost a coinflip that he'd reinjure his knee from what I understand. Imagine leaving your season up to the flip of a coin?

It's that or the coach is legitimately delusional and thinks Crossland is really doing a bang up job, which is an indictment in itself. Either way it's just a horrible look. It's just not an excuse on any level.

 

[Apey]

It's such a huge, dumb "if" though, because we were absolutely odds on to lose him again. Even just statistically speaking it's like almost a coinflip that he'd reinjure his knee from what I understand. Imagine leaving your season up to the flip of a coin?

It's that or the coach is legitimately delusional and thinks Crossland is really doing a bang up job, which is an indictment in itself. Either way it's just a horrible look. It's just not an excuse on any level.

I think the latter is true unfortunately.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

In fairness though there isn’t an abundance of hookers out there looking to sign with us. I’m sure the morning after Brailey went down Parr was on the phone to other clubs and managers looking for a hooker but I guess the trail has gone cold.
Also what do people actually expect AOB to say publicly about Crossland???
“Yeah he’s shit but we’ve got no-one else”
Of course he backs him publicly, that’s what coaches do. What good would it do to bag your replacement player publicly who is doing an unenviable job playing out of position.
The biggest criticism is the roster management but how many of us would trade Marzhew back for Randall? I certainly wouldn’t. I don’t think Randall offers much or at all more than Phoenix does.
Arguably we should have gone and found another hooker during the off season but we don’t know whether the club did or didn’t look for one.

 

[perverse]

In fairness though there isn’t an abundance of hookers out there looking to sign with us. I’m sure the morning after Brailey went down Parr was on the phone to other clubs and managers looking for a hooker but I guess the trail has gone cold.
Also what do people actually expect AOB to say publicly about Crossland???
“Yeah he’s shit but we’ve got no-one else”
Of course he backs him publicly, that’s what coaches do. What good would it do to bag your replacement player publicly who is doing an unenviable job playing out of position.
The biggest criticism is the roster management but how many of us would trade Marzhew back for Randall? I certainly wouldn’t. I don’t think Randall offers much or at all more than Phoenix does.
Arguably we should have gone and found another hooker during the off season but we don’t know whether the club did or didn’t look for one.

Why does he play him for 80 minutes - about 20 minutes longer than he can actually handle in first grade? Seems like he rates him to me. Could have spelled him in just about every game we've played, leaves him out there to stink it up even worse when he's knackered. Makes no sense.

Speaking of the bench usage in general... wtf is going on there? IT's always been a head scratcher. Blokes sitting on the bench until the 75th minute (if they get a run at all). He picked Miller on the bench one week, and then when we desperate needed an injection of energy - we didn't see him.

Honestly, you think the biggest criticism is his roster management... and it's a huge criticism... but we can sit here all day and discuss the criticisms. In fact, it's pretty much exactly what we do, lol. His bench usage is a joke. Our gamesmanship/plan is a joke. Our fitness again looks a step behind the rest of the comp as we fade in most games (to the point that we couldn't even mount a full comeback on the weekend just past - we literally jsut stopped playing footy in the last 10 minutes when we were running them down). He straight up cannot get the team on the same page. You can count on one hand the number of games the entire squad turns up for - it's usually a handful of blokes trying to carry the rest of them. DSaf literally has a beer gut forming and still gets first picked up front every week.

I mean, I can keep going. On and on and on... and nothing ever changes or gets fixed. The can just gets kicked down the road further.