Match Discussion: Round 4 vs Canberra @ McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton

[Burwood]

I think it's as simple as, since AOB's time at the club, we haven't had the luxury to promote performing players from NSW Cup and demote underperforming first graders.

 

[aqua_duck]

If Crossland gets dropped or injured, who would be in line for the 14 jersey?

to be honest are we much worse off playing with a 3 man bench? But to answer your question I’d have Mann at 14 and promote one of the bench forwards to lock with Lucas on to the bench

 

[aqua_duck]

I think it's as simple as, since AOB's time at the club, we haven't had the luxury to promote performing players from NSW Cup and demote underperforming first graders.

Tends to happen when AOB utter fails in building sufficient squad depth

 

[Spot On]

Sure Dom had a bad game last week but we have guys like Crossland who has played maybe 5 adequate games in his career and 33 bad games yet keeps getting extended and picked week in week out

The truth is… that applies to many of our players.

Pearce and Gagai part of that group.

Obi set a standard … and it is called mediocrity.

I’m glad Young has been demoted but it will mean squat if others, who need the same medicine, are treated differently.

A few ‘stars’ needed a wake up call last year but it never came.

Has the master coach learned from his mistakes?

 

[Spot On]

Maybe it's less about punishing Dom and more about rewarding Marzhew

Hard to keep a bloke who made more errors than the other team combined.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Hard to keep a bloke who made more errors than the other team combined.

That too lol

 

[aqua_duck]

The truth is… that applies to many of our players.

Pearce and Gagai part of that group.

Obi set a standard … and it is called mediocrity.

I’m glad Young has been demoted but it will mean squat if others, who need the same medicine, are treated differently.

A few ‘stars’ needed a wake up call last year but it never came.

Has the master coach learned from his mistakes?

In my opinion guys like Pearce and Gagai kind of earn a longer stay of execution simply because they’ve got runs on the board, Dom after last season IMO perhaps should have been in that situation but guys like Crossland, Hunt, Mann, Fitzgibbon, Jones, etc simply should not be afforded that luxury which they continually are.

 

[Spot On]

In my opinion guys like Pearce and Gagai kind of earn a longer stay of execution simply because they’ve got runs on the board

No doubt, but I’m referring to long term piss poor performances from these guys that were ignored. Not good enough when considering the $$$ they were/are on.

 

[perverse]

What's our win rate with and without Pearce over the past 4 years, again?

Felt like we were a winning-er team with him.

 

[Spot On]

The only thing Pearce won at Newy was the lotto… and took us for a ride.

Roosters punt him and win back to back comps.

That must have been demoralising for him.

A million dollar dud.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

In my opinion guys like Pearce and Gagai kind of earn a longer stay of execution simply because they’ve got runs on the board, Dom after last season IMO perhaps should have been in that situation but guys like Crossland, Hunt, Mann, Fitzgibbon, Jones, etc simply should not be afforded that luxury which they continually are.

Who do we replace them with though?

Man it's been a minute since we have had anyone in cup pushing for a 1st grade spot. I'm all for dropping underperformers but replacing spuds with worse spuds doesnt take us forward unfortunately

 

[Old dog]

to be honest are we much worse off playing with a 3 man bench? But to answer your question I’d have Mann at 14 and promote one of the bench forwards to lock with Lucas on to the bench

Like this, bring in Johns for Mann to 18 and Lucas to bench, play Jones at 13

 

[Apey]

I can't wait until we're done talking about Pearce in this forum, lol. A good halfback when we signed him who got progressively worse throughout his time here until he was taking the piss in his last season.

Anyway our current halfback is a nice improvement on Pearce's initial replacement(s). He's not brilliant but he's competent, so far. Which is something we've been missing for a little while.

 

[aqua_duck]

Who do we replace them with though?

Man it's been a minute since we have had anyone in cup pushing for a 1st grade spot. I'm all for dropping underperformers but replacing spuds with worse spuds doesnt take us forward unfortunately

There were certain points that we would’ve been better off playing with a 3 man bench than having some of the aforementioned players but the fact that we have struggled to find better alternatives is an even bigger indictment on AOB

 

[macavity]

Who do we replace them with though?

Man it's been a minute since we have had anyone in cup pushing for a 1st grade spot. I'm all for dropping underperformers but replacing spuds with worse spuds doesnt take us forward unfortunately

we had that guy in Pezet.

His old man f**ked us in all holes.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

The only thing Pearce won at Newy was the lotto… and took us for a ride.

Roosters punt him and win back to back comps.

That must have been demoralising for him.

A million dollar dud.

Jeez that’s a rough outlook on it. I don’t think Pearce was anywhere near as bad as some people on here make him out to be. By the time he finished up he was looking cooked but he did plenty of good and we were a better team with him on the park for sure.

 

[mozza91]

2018 Pearce was great but he had that pec injury which f**ked our season. 2019 he had some great games and some shit ones. 2020 and 2021 he was past it and constantly injured but we were still a better team with him than without him.

Injury added years to him and eventually ended his NRL career. The Knights do this very well.

 

[perverse]

The only thing Pearce won at Newy was the lotto… and took us for a ride.

Roosters punt him and win back to back comps.

That must have been demoralising for him.

A million dollar dud.

You are way too easy.

 

[perverse]

I can't wait until we're done talking about Pearce in this forum, lol. A good halfback when we signed him who got progressively worse throughout his time here until he was taking the piss in his last season.

Anyway our current halfback is a nice improvement on Pearce's initial replacement(s). He's not brilliant but he's competent, so far. Which is something we've been missing for a little while.

We never will be while he lives rent free in Spots head.

And I agree, Pearce-lite is going good so far.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Pearce is like that ex you sometime think about and wonder "man, we had some good times. We should have stayed together"

All the while forgetting how awful they were at the end and how you just wanted them to go so you could move onto something better