Match Discussion: Round 22 vs Cowboys @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2019 - Round 22
Newcastle Knights v North Queensland Cowboys
McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton (TICKETS)
Saturday 17 August 2019

Gates 10:45am / Flegg 11:05am / Canterbury Cup 12:45pm / NRL 3pm

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Kurt Mann 3. Hymel Hunt 4. Tautau Moga 5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 6. Mason Lino 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. David Klemmer 9. Connor Watson 10. Daniel Saifiti 11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 12. Mitchell Barnett 13. Josh King
Interchange: 14. Jacob Saifiti 15. Herman Ese'ese 16. Sione Mata'utia 17. Aidan Guerra 18. Jamie Buhrer 19. Chris Randall 20. Jirah Momoisea 21. Danny Levi

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Kyle Feldt 3. Coen Hess 4. Tom Opacic 5. Jordan Kahu 6. Michael Morgan 7. Jake Clifford 8. Matt Scott 9. Jake Granville 10. Jordan McLean 11. Gavin Cooper 12. Shane Wright 13. Jason Taumalolo
Interchange: 14. Reuben Cotter 15. John Asiata 16. Scott Bolton 17. Francis Molo 18. Peter Hola 19. Tom Gilbert 20. Corey Jensen 21. Murray Taulagi

Referees: Grant Atkins, Phil Henderson
Sideline Officials: Mark Bohan, Clayton Sharpe
Video Referees: Jared Maxwell, Beau Scott

Feeder club info
Knights: Newcastle Knights (NSWRL: Canterbury Cup, Jersey Flegg Cup U20s)
Cowboys: Mackay Cutters, Northern Pride & Townsville Blackhawks (QRL: Intrust Super Cup, Hastings Deering Colts U20s)
Match information for all competitions via https://leagueunlimited.com/quick-links​​​​​​

 

[mozza91]

Cowboys are struggling but are fully committed. We aren’t. They deserve to go in as favourites.

 

[Zoidberg]

Not sure if I want to win this one anyway, and give us the slightest false hope of still making finals.

 

[Spot On]

Can't lose every week.

Four chances left to improve upon the 2018 win total.

Should win at least 2 of the last 4.

 

[Knight Vision]

Maybe now with the season over and the pressure off the team will perform ?

Now's the time to try something new - pick a spine and stick with it.

 

[macavity]

Thus begins the Nathan Brown save my job project.

I really don't see how he keeps his job if we don't go at least 3/4.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Cowboys are rank outsiders with the bookies. Time to put some $$$ on the Cowboys. It’ll be like printing money!

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

We'll win this now our season is done

 

[BLN2]

Would you guys rather lose every game this season and get Brown arsed, or win every game and sneak 8th spot? Wonder if this sort of question enters players minds.

Seems like your roster is good enough to be in the top 6 IMO, and salary wise next season might be your best chance to have a crack, before the Cap catches up with your roster (sounds like Ponga is going to eat another star players $$ off your roster).

 

[Silent Knight]

Would you guys rather lose every game this season and get Brown arsed, or win every game and sneak 8th spot? Wonder if this sort of question enters players minds.

I don't have a preference because the way things are I can see us only going one way, and it ain't up.

Klemmer looked disgusted after Saturday's game and he pretty much would reflect how the Knights fan base is feeling right now. Personally I feel like I've been gipped. I've swallowed the Brown Kool-Aid and believed things would get better once we had the players, and we're actually regressing at a rate of knots every week now. If we make the 8, we're no better a finals contender than the Broncos, Sharks or Tigers. It would be a waste of a spot for us to be there on current form.

At least Ricky Stuart followed through with results at Canberra after those years when he said "we don't have the players". He's got the players now, and by damn is he getting the results.

 

[Haffa]

Would you guys rather lose every game this season and get Brown arsed, or win every game and sneak 8th spot? Wonder if this sort of question enters players minds.

Pointless. We won't win every game, mental midgets being inspired by a coach being shown to be out of his depth. I'd prefer Brown went now and the team put up a fight for the remaining games.

 

[Yosh]

How can anyone expect anything but a loss? We suck...


Knights 42 - Cowboys 4

I'm a sadistic bastard so I'll probably watch the game full of hope...

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Glasby out for a week, Fermor and Crossland out for the season. Oh but Gavet should be back for this game!

 

[Yosh]

Glasby out for a week, Fermor and Crossland out for the season. Oh but Gavet should be back for this game!

Damn... Bad injuries for Fermor and Crossland?

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Damn... Bad injuries for Fermor and Crossland?

ACL for Fermor and foot injury for Crossland

 

[Knight Vision]

I don't have a preference because the way things are I can see us only going one way, and it ain't up.
I've swallowed the Brown Kool-Aid and believed things would get better once we had the players........

At least Ricky Stuart followed through with results at Canberra after those years when he said "we don't have the players". He's got the players now, and by damn is he getting the results.

Ricky Stuart is in his 6th year at the helm of the Raiders. Arguably he took on a roster and cap in a far better position than what the Knights were and they certainly wouldnt be in the position they are now if management wasnt as patient as what they have been.

We're far from the finished product roster wise

Would you guys rather lose every game this season and get Brown arsed, or win every game and sneak 8th spot? Wonder if this sort of question enters players minds.

Crazy if it did, every new coach strips back the roster to reflect what he wants. To have a contract half the players in the squad need Brown to be there.

Next year we are still under a squeeze cap wise, 2021 things are much better- it will be Browns 6th year the helm of the Knights.

 

[slotmachine]

Raiders results since 2014

15
10
2
10
10

wake me up when we finish the regular season second.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Squad v Cowboys:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Kurt Mann
3. Hymel Hunt
4. Tautau Moga
5. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
6. Mason Lino
7. Mitchell Pearce
8. David Klemmer
9. Connor Watson
10. Daniel Saifiti
11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
12. Mitch Barnett
13. Josh King

Interchange:
14. Jacob Saifiti
15. Herman Ese'ese
16. Sione Mata'utia
17. Aidan Guerra

18. Jamie Buhrer
19. Chris Randall
20. Jirah Momoisea
21. Danny Levi

 

[Silent Knight]

We've got this one in the bag fellas. Coach Brown will employ a devastating mid-game strategy of giving Connor Watson a break so he can move Kurt Mann from wing to hooker, Hunt from centre to wing and Sione from bench to centre. The number of changes to allow our starting hooker to have a 20 minute breather will completely confound the Cowboys players and we'll romp it home from there. Whereas if he picked Levi on the bench and simply subbed him for Watson, well...that is just far too predictable.

 

[Old dog]

Have to agree Levi is better bench than some as it allows Watson a break or to fill in elsewhere and I don’t understand Mann being picked. Have a look at 14-21 not a winger or centre included, no options.