Match Discussion: Round 4 vs Dragons @ WIN Stadium

[Bring it home Knights]

After an off season of training and 2 wins to start the season, I don't see Brown taking the approach that many have on here and dropping a lot of players... Lamb played a few very ordinary games in a row last year before coming good and plenty of people on here started the year wanting Lamb at 5/8 as a result. This year he's barely had game time apart from today and people are wanting him dropped already. As a Knights supporter, I would like to see the players being given more of an opportunity before mass changes happen. With Moga out, I think we are too thin in the backs to drop Ross. Buhrer imo has been poor in 2018, but we need his versatility. The only real change that I would do is either bring Levi on the bench, or drop J Saifiti for Josh King. Outside of that I don't see the need to overreact and chop and change the team.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Yeah I’d definitely be bringing in king for Jacob.

Broncos pack isn’t very intimidating so if we can’t aim up against them then that will do me.

If you had of told me last season that heinington would be our best power forward then I would tell you you’re dreaming, yet here we are. He’s our hardest running, line bending, strongest forward. That’s a huge issue, that needs to be addresssed first and foremost.

I’d be willing to put rossy in centre and see how he goes there. But there is something not quite right with Ross at the moment. Ross’s game has always been based on his pure energy, he doesn’t have that right now. So not sure what’s up, but he better fix it.

Lamb won’t get dropped guys, so no point worrying about that yet. Brown will give him a few more opportunities. We all know lamb can be good, but lamb is more of a ball playing halfback. Don’t rate him
Much as 5/8, and he has played his best footy as first receiver. I hope he can turn it around though.

We don’t really have many options if we were to drop any players though.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

We've been through this sort of thing so many times. We'll get p!ssed off and call for heads to be chopped but we get over it.
Lamb will be love / hate. I thought Pearce might be the same this year but he's been consistently good.
Lamb has talent but geez he does some dumb things.
I'd be ok with Levi off the bench now. Dunno how he'll work with Pearce but he has had a combination with Lamb.

 

[Noname36]

I do agree that I don’t think huge changes will happen unless we actually had better options (which we don’t at the moment).

It hasn’t been from poor effort either.

They need to take some serious responsibility for their errors though. I can cop them getting beaten in the grind/up front because we just don’t have the personnel but those dropped balls were just inexcusable. They’re not babies anymore.

I’m sick of it being let to slide because everyone in the competition seems to see us as a bunch of special needs kids that should be congratulated for just trying to show up. We’re better than that but you wouldn’t know with all the silly errors.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

23 to 6 ineffective tackles against us.
13 to 6 errors against us.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Definitely didn't enjoy my first trip to WIN Stadium lol pathetic performance

 

[Zoidberg]

I’m as disappointed as anyone but let’s not forget Dragons were 3/3 before today and playing at their home ground. We lost a centre 3 mins in, had to scrap our forwards rotation and had no back on the bench.
We have plenty of improvement to go obviously but it’s not the end of the world yet.

 

[Spot On]

23 to 6 ineffective tackles against us.

For mine, and I've written this the past 2 weeks, our defensive pattern and tackle technique is abysmal. Possibly the worst in the comp. I can't see it changing.

Other than that, we also have the worst carries of the football with the exception of Herman and ...... I can't believe I'm saying this... Heighington. Chris was also about the only bloke capable of handling a ball carrier one on one today. He was also one of the only Knights to hit blokes lower than the their waste today. We have 2 and 3 blokes who make a tackle together (all high, grabbing around the torso/ball) and can't stop the ball carrier pumping forward nor can we put him on the ground in a dominant tackle. When we do, the ball carrier is up playing the ball and we still have a defender laying on the ground unable to get back to the line. Inexcusable. That is happening too often.

It's pathetic and a massive concern. We hit like a back handed slap in defence and run half hearted with the ball.

Good luck to Browny turning it around.

 

[aqua_duck]

“A lot of the guys who have been with us for a couple of years have got talent but they’ve got to raise their water levels to a new field where winning and competing at a consistent level is important”

- Nathan Brown

Says it all really

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

For mine, and I've written this the past 2 weeks, our defensive pattern and tackle technique is abysmal. Possibly the worst in the comp. I can't see it changing.

Other than that, we also have the worst carries of the football with the exception of Herman and ...... I can't believe I'm saying this... Heighington. Chris was also about the only bloke capable of handling a ball carrier one on one today. He was also one of the only Knights to hit blokes lower than the their waste today. We have 2 and 3 blokes who make a tackle together (all high, grabbing around the torso/ball) and can't stop the ball carrier pumping forward nor can we put him on the ground in a dominant tackle. When we do, the ball carrier is up playing the ball and we still have a defender laying on the ground unable to get back to the line. Inexcusable. That is happening too often.

It's pathetic and a massive concern. We hit like a back handed slap in defence and run half hearted with the ball.

Good luck to Browny turning it around.

Agree. I've seen it before and have said it before about the issue with them making ground with our guys holding up top. By the time we get someone around the legs they have made ground on us.
It's a long term issue that must be related to the way they are coached.
Today we did have some great pushbacks but we don't have the size or stamina to use the same technique all game.
It's this sort of state that really shows our weakness..

 

[Noname36]

On the plus side - love seeing the Broncos get smashed. They were so arrogant.

 

[Pedge1971]

After an off season of training and 2 wins to start the season, I don't see Brown taking the approach that many have on here and dropping a lot of players... Lamb played a few very ordinary games in a row last year before coming good and plenty of people on here started the year wanting Lamb at 5/8 as a result. This year he's barely had game time apart from today and people are wanting him dropped already. As a Knights supporter, I would like to see the players being given more of an opportunity before mass changes happen. With Moga out, I think we are too thin in the backs to drop Ross. Buhrer imo has been poor in 2018, but we need his versatility. The only real change that I would do is either bring Levi on the bench, or drop J Saifiti for Josh King. Outside of that I don't see the need to overreact and chop and change the team.

Here here.

 

[Swarzey]

“A lot of the guys who have been with us for a couple of years have got talent but they’ve got to raise their water levels to a new field where winning and competing at a consistent level is important”

- Nathan Brown

Says it all really

And if I can say this without sounding like I'm defending those players to the death, that's not something that you suddenly pick up in a game or two; it's a process just like so many other processes that the team is going through adjusting to the changes. Yeah they probably talked that up over the off season and they sold themselves on believing that they can commit to that attitude but it's a vastly different experience then compared to having to endure that - for lack of a better word - process.

Everything takes time and everything needs patience. Those players Browny is talking about, the players that have been brought up in this thread have never once had the luxury of competing in a competent side with the kind of attitude and culture that makes them genuine contenders. No matter how frustrating it may get, we can't lose sight of that but there is of course a point where those excuses don't cut it any longer and I think Ross miiiight be the best example of that.

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Admittedly 2/2 going into round 5 isn't bad. Could be worse (looking at you Canberra)

 

[mozza91]

And if I can say this without sounding like I'm defending those players to the death, that's not something that you suddenly pick up in a game or two; it's a process just like so many other processes that the team is going through adjusting to the changes. Yeah they probably talked that up over the off season and they sold themselves on believing that they can commit to that attitude but it's a vastly different experience then compared to having to endure that - for lack of a better word - process.

Everything takes time and everything needs patience. Those players Browny is talking about, the players that have been brought up in this thread have never once had the luxury of competing in a competent side with the kind of attitude and culture that makes them genuine contenders. No matter how frustrating it may get, we can't lose sight of that but there is of course a point where those excuses don't cut it any longer and I think Ross miiiight be the best example of that.

Wow. Fair, logical, balanced and entirely correct. You sure you’re a Knights fan?

 

[Life's Good]

Chin up guys. You kept us honest. I can assure we were just as nervous as you guys.
What will work in your favour is you’re a pretty clean team so you shouldnt get caned on penalties.
I think you’ll be in the battle for a spot in the 8 & Brownie is good enough to get you there.
Best of luck for the rest of the year.

 

[Swarzey]

Wow. Fair, logical, balanced and entirely correct. You sure you’re a Knights fan?

Sometimes I question it myself but then I look at my Twitter posts during a game and realise I'm right where I need to be.

 

[Noname36]

Chin up guys. You kept us honest. I can assure we were just as nervous as you guys.
What will work in your favour is you’re a pretty clean team so you shouldnt get caned on penalties.
I think you’ll be in the battle for a spot in the 8 & Brownie is good enough to get you there.
Best of luck for the rest of the year.

Thanks mate (although you’re probably giving us too much credit)

You blokes will take a lot of stopping this year! We’d kill to just have one of your props haha

 

[Bartwah]

Didn’t we sign Matt Allwood? Can’t remember what he was like as a player, but he might be an option for next weekend?

 

[Noname36]

Admittedly 2/2 going into round 5 isn't bad. Could be worse (looking at you Canberra)

For me it’s not the results but how many points we’re conceding. Even when we win we leak a lot of points.

We’ve had a really difficult start to the year though. Only one game at home in round 1 and we’ve played some really good sides. Not so much Canberra obviously but it’s always tough travelling down there and while the Roosters haven’t had a great start to the year overall they were on absolute fire when we played them (typical haha).

It’s not easy travelling every week. Now that my rage from watching the game has lowered a bit I’m putting it into perspective.