Match Discussion: Round 2 vs Raiders @ GIO Stadium Canberra

[Haffa]

And again, Ponga is the King. That kid is the most gifted player in the game today, the most gifted player I've ever seen (albeit you lot have seen more than me) and he's going to own this club in 5 years.

Can he please reconsider his choice to play for QLD? NZ would suit.

 

[Alex28]

It’s a different feeling to feel when we are 2 in front with minutes to go, and you think you are actually a chance of winning. I’m so used to the resignation of defeat it’s like a little surprise every week!

Pearce and Ponga - just amazing what they have added to the team. I’m a little biased (Watson is from Dubbo), but he went better this week than last. Really should have scored the first try, but he went alright. Remember these guys have played two games together...

 

[slotmachine]

I felt more the usual dread where we score but then do something stupid immediately following and lose. So happy that didn't happen

after the last two tries we scored went 70m in the next set from the kickoff. that's what good teams do. i dont know how to process potentially being a good team

 

[Frederick]

It’s a different feeling to feel when we are 2 in front with minutes to go, and you think you are actually a chance of winning. I’m so used to the resignation of defeat it’s like a little surprise every week!

Pearce and Ponga - just amazing what they have added to the team. I’m a little biased (Watson is from Dubbo), but he went better this week than last. Really should have scored the first try, but he went alright. Remember these guys have played two games together...

Watson was hot and cold tonight. Great ball for Guerra's try, but definitely should've scored that first one of his. Made a bad read that led to one of their tries (crokers I think)

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

$3.40 Sportsbet to us against the Rooters. If I was a better I'd place one now before it changes

 

[Glendale]

I love Pearce.

I can't believe I love Pearce but I love Pearce.

You couldn't ask for anything more then what we've got out of Pearce in these first two games. He has done a perfect halfbacks job and steered us around the park and come up with the play that has won both games for us.

how about his defence? with 20 to go and raiders on a roll he made two try savers in one set
stopped a raiders fat boy (forget who) one on one

That tackle on Wighton (I think) where Moga had rushed up (again) and left a huge gap, it would've been a certain try if not for a great 1 on 1 tackle from Pearce. Thats the sort of play that won't get much attention but it was a crucial play in the context of the game. Not surprising though, Pearce has always been a great defensive half.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Definitely not a clinical performance, but you cannot expect that 2 games into the life of a brand new group...

I only saw the highlights, so i cannot comment on the workloads of each player, but out tried looked like they always had a touch from either Ponga or Pearce (and a few times both).

Those 2 look like they will be worth their weight in gold for us. It will be an insane decade if Ponga stays with us for his whole career...

 

[Spot On]

?
we looked rubbish when they were out there, watson goes to bench and we rolled them.

Brown did what he had to do with what he had available and it worked fine. Ideal? No. But if we did look rubbish they were not directly responsible. Plenty of others contributing to that.

 

[Bartwah]

One of my favourite parts of the match, about 20min to go, Canberra grubbers it towards our in goal, and Ponga picks it up around his bootlaces while running at full speed. Absolute freak

 

[Haffa]

$3.40 Sportsbet to us against the Rooters. If I was a better I'd place one now before it changes

It's only going to get better.

 

[Pedge1971]

$3.40 Sportsbet to us against the Rooters. If I was a better I'd place one now before it changes

I do not think we can win that away. But I have been so wrong this year!!

 

[Pedge1971]

We have a great deal of improvement and we need to. Raiders had 1 guy on the bench to use at ft and with their pack size that makes it very hard.

Without Pongas touches we go close but lose that game. Lets keep the lid on. We are still learning...

 

[Pedge1971]

?
we looked rubbish when they were out there, watson goes to bench and we rolled them.
wont be an issue if we dont lose barnett though

Our yardage improved massively when Watson went to dummy half. Brown knows what he is doing. Needs to work on his HT speeches though.

 

[Mr Angry]

Thought Andrew the Immortal was king.

 

[Dave_]

This is all so hard to process... that old feeling... it's back. That feeling that no matter how many they score, you know we can score more. The refs raped us as per usual and we played with 16 and still won. Some of that one on one defence on those fatties was phenomenal...and don't get me started on Ponga. Where are all the knockers who said we paid too much now? We got an absolute bargain and he's not a fu**wit either.

Canberra played well. They're so dangerous and such hard work to contain all those fast fatties. Austin had his best game in over a year and that Rapana prick is a freak. We didn't defend badly at all imo... it's not our fault their big porker forwards somehow grow arms from their backs and arses and somehow offload the ball. Their whole side is full of guns. Oh...except Croker... he's meh.

Things will only get better from here and no fans deserve some luck more than we do. Bring on the Rorters!

 

[Dave_]

Thought Andrew the Immortal was king.

He's an immortal and has therefore attained God status at this point. Pearce is now King with Ponga the Prince...and thus, you are now enlightened on the structure of the Knights kingdom hierarchy.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

That was so so so satisfyingly, I was at home jumping around the living room when we scored that last try and again 5 mins later when the clock ran down.

Ponga was brilliant, just brilliant. Set up 2 tries and was unlucky not to set up a third when his support overran him for that break he made late in the game, also was in everything all night.

Watson has some way to go before he's an NRL 5/8 but there were some encouraging signs, that pass to Guerra was great and his support play was good too. He hasn't had a chance to really run the ball yet though so I hope we get to see that some time soon.

I can't think of anyone who had a really bad night to be honest (apart from Barnett who barely played) Ross looked silly in defence a few times but made up for it with some good runs to get us out of trouble and setting up the Watson try, should have had 2 try assists to his name.

Sione was the same, conceded a few penalties but scored the match winner just from some hard running. Good to see!

The Saifitis were both really strong off the bench I though, according to NRL.com they made 80 & 70 metres respectively but it was more the quality of their runs that I was impressed with.

Still heaps to improve on but we're winning on guts at the moment which is nice to see!

 

[Mr_Knightside]

By the way is anyone else warming to Slade as starting hooker? The guy is a nugget and seems really tough, made a bunch of important tackles especially close to our goal line. It might be tough for Levi to get back into the side at this rate.

 

[slotmachine]

He's been in our best four or five the first two games, zero chance he is going anywhere.

 

[Spot On]

By the way is anyone else warming to Slade as starting hooker? The guy is a nugget and seems really tough, made a bunch of important tackles especially close to our goal line. It might be tough for Levi to get back into the side at this rate.

Not warming to him..... absolutely sold.