Match Discussion: Round 22 vs Penrith @ BlueBet Stadium, Penrith / Dharug

[slotmachine]

I feel really bad for Tyson here. I feel like he took the right option both times and his own lack of talent and/or composure just let him down so badly. He knew what had to be done, just couldn't nail it when it mattered.

It's why you need to pay a million bucks for the good halves and not 200k

Of more concern is that KP was outplayed by a debutante and flat out gave up on the crucial play of the game, not that gamblor makes errors or crossland isn't a halfback

 

[perverse]

It's unfortunate our best player probably put two of our worst plays on given the context.

Ponga pretty MIA and Brailey needs to go ASAP.

Some garbage high tackle penalties against us. Guess we got away with Frizz's try though.

Ponga was bad enough today that he shoulders a lot of the result. In a game where somehow it was close, you absolutely expect your million dollar man to stand up and basically do what Cleary did. Ponga was MIA all game. Either couldn't figure out how to get involved, or didn't want to. Not sure what the go was, but questions should be asked.

 

[Woody90]

Ponga was MIA all game. Either couldn't figure out how to get involved, or didn't want to. Not sure what the go was, but questions should be asked.

Walsh (mostly fairly) cops a lot of crap for overplaying his hand and popping up on plays that aren’t on…tbh, for his pay packet I’d prefer Ponga getting involved like that rather than doing nothing. Not saying at all I’d was to swap Ponga for Walsh, but more I’d prefer him to overplay his hand for a chance to make something happen than do nothing.

We’re paying him to be a clutch player. Today is when he was needed but he was MIA. Gamble and Crossland will cop the blame for that one, but questions need to be asked to Ponga. I just hope there’s someone brave enough at the club to hold him accountable.

Controversial opinion, but the run we went on last year, we still win the majority of those games without KP, just not by as many. Tbh I think him getting so much credit for that run probably ironed over a lot of issues he still needs to work on.

 

[perverse]

Walsh (mostly fairly) cops a lot of crap for overplaying his hand and popping up on plays that aren’t on…tbh, for his pay packet I’d prefer Ponga getting involved like that rather than doing nothing. Not saying at all I’d was to swap Ponga for Walsh, but more I’d prefer him to overplay his hand for a chance to make something happen than do nothing.

We’re paying him to be a clutch player. Today is when he was needed but he was MIA. Gamble and Crossland will cop the blame for that one, but questions need to be asked to Ponga. I just hope there’s someone brave enough at the club to hold him accountable.

Controversial opinion, but the run we went on last year, we still win the majority of those games without KP, just not by as many. Tbh I think him getting so much credit for that run probably ironed over a lot of issues he still needs to work on.

Walsh is having a pretty shit of a year too, but absolutely you always get some highlights out of him. Ponga has it in him, I dunno where it was today, but it was very conspicuous.

 

[Yosh]

Walsh is having a pretty shit of a year too, but absolutely you always get some highlights out of him. Ponga has it in him, I dunno where it was today, but it was very conspicuous.

Maybe we need a coach who can get the best out of him?

 

[Woody90]

Walsh is having a pretty shit of a year too, but absolutely you always get some highlights out of him. Ponga has it in him, I dunno where it was today, but it was very conspicuous.

The only thing I can think of is that I’ve heard players that had the same injury say they weren’t the same after their injury…he seems unhindered physically though so I don’t know.

Just disappointing because I really thought he’d turned a corner last season.

 

[Haffa]

Maybe we need a coach who can get the best out of him?

Never stop the crusade, Yoshy hahaha

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Here comes the I am happy with the effort presser. Meanwhile our ex assistant Willie Peters has Hull KR running first in Superleague over the two sides who have beaten Penrith in the WCC in Consecutive years. With a roster not even close to Wigan or St Helens on ability. Now where does that sound familiar?

You aren't seriously comparing coaching the ESL with coaching in the NRL are you?

 

[Alex28]

Never stop the crusade, Yoshy hahaha

I mean, at some point he’s going to be right!

 

[Mr_Knightside]

The only thing I can think of is that I’ve heard players that had the same injury say they weren’t the same after their injury…he seems unhindered physically though so I don’t know.

Just disappointing because I really thought he’d turned a corner last season.

That’s the most frustrating bit. We were so good for the back part of last year and of course that then raises fan expectations. Then we plummet back to something like our 2022 form again and it’s completely inexplicable. It seems to be a combination of poor coaching & tactics as well as a number of players not being in quite as good a patch of form as they were at the same time last year.

FML what I wouldn’t give for us to be a consistent top 8 team every year.

 

[Zoidberg]

16 NRL teams game plan - go out and try to win.
Knights game plan - go out and try to not lose by much

 

[Woody90]

16 NRL teams game plan - go out and try to win.
Knights game plan - go out and try to not lose by much

Tbh I reckon this is AOB’s aim. He coaches a style that’s designed to not lose enough games against bottom sides that beat themselves to stay off the bottom of the ladder or at best sneak into the bottom of the 8. Basically enough to keep his job.

He doesn’t coach a winning style though or one that’s going to take us to the next level.

tbh I would fine with AOB staying if he amends his tactics but other than 2023 which seems like an anomaly, he’s a very negative coach and that doesn’t serve the players or fans that can’t even get any enjoyment out of watching their side play.

 

[Apey]

16 NRL teams game plan - go out and try to win.
Knights game plan - go out and try to not lose by much

Mission accomplished today!

 

[mozza91]

I haven’t been able to say this much (if at all) this year but I’m bloody proud of the effort. We went shot for shot with the best side in the comp and created enough chances to beat them. It was a high quality game between 2 sides who played really well.

Thought KPP really aimed up after his recent struggles and Gamble even though he made some mistakes at the end was really good on both sides of the ball for the first 70 minutes. Liked Crokes’ effort too had plenty of touches and was really strong.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

The thing about AOB is that I think he’s got the core principles of being a coach and he does a decent job of that. He cares about his players and he gets them to want to play for him, he has a good grasp of the fundamentals like possession, ball handling, completions and he gets all the stats that lead to teams being successful. He also is super focussed on the team not beating themselves.

However he seems to lack the ability to coach outside the box or coach the team to actually win the game, rather than just not to lose the game. Basically all our wins this year have been us grinding our way into the last 10 mins, somehow getting ahead on the scoreboard and then hanging on for dear life while the opposition throws the kitchen sink at us. Not once (that I can recall) did we ever grab the game by the nuts and actually dominate and put it beyond doubt, which is what the good teams usually do in the last 10-20 mins.

Weirdly, we were actually doing this last year… but for some reason we’ve gone back in time and are playing like it’s 2022 again. WTF?

 

[Nealo 12]

Could the commentators just call the f**king game, instead of trying to fit as much Penrith cock into their mouths? It's f**king pathetic. Plus, Panthers fans have to be some of the least knowlegable, inbred yokel f**ks in the NRL!

Thanks

 

[mozza91]

Thanks

Glad this got mentioned. Smith and Cronk fanboying Penrith was nauseating. Them trying to make an issue out of Tago’s clear knock on in 1st half was an example.

 

[Wizardman]

Ponga was bad enough today that he shoulders a lot of the result. In a game where somehow it was close, you absolutely expect your million dollar man to stand up and basically do what Cleary did. Ponga was MIA all game. Either couldn't figure out how to get involved, or didn't want to. Not sure what the go was, but questions should be asked.

He was criminally quiet in the first half. It was the sort of performance Ponga had before his form spurt last year.
He was a bit more involved in the second half but overall, not the involvement from a player whose paypacket demands more of him.

 

[mozza91]

I don’t think we should be too harsh on Ponga. There’s no way he’s 100% fit.

 

[Frederick]

Crossland going off for the HIA was what killed us. Meant AOB was forced to play Cogger. I'm of the firm belief that if Crossland didn't have to go off, then Cogger would have spent the 80 riding the pine, which is where he belongs