Johns Magic
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I posted the only part worth reading but here you go:
Colman’s call: Knights could have a big say in who wins the NRL title
Mike Colman, The Courier-Mail
21 minutes ago
THE Newcastle Knights won’t be winning the NRL premiership this season, but they could have a big say in who does.
On Saturday, the Knights play the Storm in Newcastle. Not too many people would tip them to knock off the competition favourites but then again, no-one thought they’d beat the Dragons, Warriors or Eels either.
Brock Lamb (centre) with Knights teammates Luke Yates (left) and Dane Gagai. Photo: AAP
Yet, here they are chasing four wins in a row, something fancied sides like the Broncos, Roosters, Sharks, Cowboys and Sea Eagles can’t boast.
In fact, when the ladder-topping Storm take on the last-placed Knights this weekend, you could say it is a clash between two of the form teams of the competition.
With the Storm six points clear of the Broncos and Roosters, a loss to the Knights won’t knock them out of first place, but with another two rounds to play, it could keep the race for the minor premiership alive.
Of far more interest though, is how the Knights perform against their last two opponents, the Raiders and Sharks.
Win or lose, the results will have a major influence on the make-up of the final eight.
Should the Knights win in Canberra on Friday week, they will have effectively ended the Raiders’ season. Lose and Ricky Stuart gets to live in hope for another week.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart. Photo: Getty Images
Likewise with the Sharks, whose last-round game against the Knights could well determine whether they have a chance to defend their title from inside the top four, or have to do it the hard way from back in the pack.
Of course it won’t just be supporters of the Raiders and Sharks who will be vitally interested in whether Nathan Brown’s side can continue their winning form. Every team still in contention for the title will be affected.
It is a scenario that not even the most loyal Newcastle supporter could have predicted a month ago.
Week in week out the brave but outgunned Knights would end on the wrong side of the scoreboard.
If I heard a TV commentator say, “If Nathan Brown had any hair left he’d pull it out” one more time I was going to pull out what’s left of mine.
Knights coach Nathan Brown. Photo: AAP
For every other side, playing the Knights was like having the bye, only you had to get into your footy gear and show up.
And then, in Round 21, something happened. The eighth-placed Dragons went up to Newcastle to collect the automatic two points and got spanked 21-14.
Then the Warriors came and went with their tails between their legs 26-10.
“That’s just the home crowd advantage,” said the nonbelievers. “Everyone knows the fans are crazy in Newcastle.”
Maybe, but last Friday they caught the bus down the expressway to Sydney and did a job on the fifth-placed Eels 29-10.
In the course of that run they lost arguably their best player Nathan Ross to an accidental knee in the back, but even that hasn’t derailed them.
One only has to see the celebrations on the field and in the stands at full-time to see what this team has: confidence, belief and mateship.
Knight Dane Gagai celebrates with fans during the Round 23 win over Parramatta. Photo: Getty Images
As premiership-winning coaches, Ricky Stuart and Shane Flanagan are well aware of just how potent those ingredients are. That’s why they will be preparing to meet the Knights over the next few weeks with some trepidation.
Oh, and there’s another reason too.
Other than their current three-match streak, the Knights have won just two games all year.
Against the Raiders and Sharks.
