Match Discussion: Round 5 vs Sharks @ Southern Cross Group Stadium

[perverse]

We also paid double for Hokko what we could have had Ash Taylor for (and yes he was a realistic possibility)

Another heartbreaker. Honestly it has haunted me with every match I've watched Hodko play as a Knight. I don't just avoid Titans matches because they're a soulless club with no real mandate to exist, either. You start salivating at the prospect of luring Tyrone back, let alone someone like Taylor, who has completely passed us by now and is legitimately above us.

I'm not even ashamed to admit that I'm so sour on Hodko that even when he does something good - those rare moments - I don't even enjoy them for the teams sake. It's just like ugh, that will probably justify a pay rise in a year or 2. I can't remember being this bitter about one of our own. Even Darius gave way more of a shit, and was our MVP when he was switched on. I just hope Brown is onto this fraud, and we've only got this year and next to cope with.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Another heartbreaker. Honestly it has haunted me with every match I've watched Hodko play as a Knight. I don't just avoid Titans matches because they're a soulless club with no real mandate to exist, either. You start salivating at the prospect of luring Tyrone back, let alone someone like Taylor, who has completely passed us by now and is legitimately above us.

I'm not even ashamed to admit that I'm so sour on Hodko that even when he does something good - those rare moments - I don't even enjoy them for the teams sake. It's just like ugh, that will probably justify a pay rise in a year or 2. I can't remember being this bitter about one of our own. Even Darius gave way more of a shit, and was our MVP when he was switched on. I just hope Brown is onto this fraud, and we've only got this year and next to cope with.

Yeh, if he gets an extension then im done

 

[K-Man]

Another heartbreaker. Honestly it has haunted me with every match I've watched Hodko play as a Knight. I don't just avoid Titans matches because they're a soulless club with no real mandate to exist, either. You start salivating at the prospect of luring Tyrone back, let alone someone like Taylor, who has completely passed us by now and is legitimately above us.

I'm not even ashamed to admit that I'm so sour on Hodko that even when he does something good - those rare moments - I don't even enjoy them for the teams sake. It's just like ugh, that will probably justify a pay rise in a year or 2. I can't remember being this bitter about one of our own. Even Darius gave way more of a shit, and was our MVP when he was switched on. I just hope Brown is onto this fraud, and we've only got this year and next to cope with.

I feel exactly the same way. Mostly because I know it's not a form issue with Hodko. He's just not very good, and he wasn't very good when we bought him. So nothing is going to change. He's not going to have a breakout season this year or next. And he's in a key position, so it hurts even more. He's essentially a specialist goal kicker. He has no running or kicking games, and he passes like a machine just trying to get it from A to B, zero creativity or genuine ball playing.

But yeah, even when he does something decent I'm not excited. Even the worst players sometimes do something useful. It doesn't change the fact that 99% of the time he's poison. I'll never understand how anyone wanted this signing to happen.

 

[slotmachine]

Against the Bunnies he had two runs and three kicks. You may as well put Barnett at half.

 

[Sacrolishes]

Be very surprised to see J Saiffiti and Stone play. J been down on his form last couple weeks and Stone could probably do with a rest in reggies. Bring in Tupou and Wardle.

Really can't wait for Kostjasyn to be ready in a week or two. Levi has done great and Burhur, but Kos will add so much as a swap with Levi.

 

[Zoidberg]

I feel exactly the same way. Mostly because I know it's not a form issue with Hodko. He's just not very good, and he wasn't very good when we bought him. So nothing is going to change. He's not going to have a breakout season this year or next. And he's in a key position, so it hurts even more. He's essentially a specialist goal kicker. He has no running or kicking games, and he passes like a machine just trying to get it from A to B, zero creativity or genuine ball playing.

But yeah, even when he does something decent I'm not excited. Even the worst players sometimes do something useful. It doesn't change the fact that 99% of the time he's poison. I'll never understand how anyone wanted this signing to happen.

I remember being naively positive about signing Hokko. Not having really studied him playing, I just knew he was the NSW half and seemed to be an organiser. What I had in mind was he would be a good partner to Mullen and they would balance each other. Not sure how many games they actually played together in the end so that theory didn't really get time to be proven or squished 100%.
I do agree we should not re-sign him though. He adds nothing to our squad as we are.

 

[Caped Crusader]

I remember being naively positive about signing Hokko. Not having really studied him playing, I just knew he was the NSW half and seemed to be an organiser. What I had in mind was he would be a good partner to Mullen and they would balance each other. Not sure how many games they actually played together in the end so that theory didn't really get time to be proven or squished 100%.
I do agree we should not re-sign him though. He adds nothing to our squad as we are.

Same here. He looked to be the right foil for Mullen even if we had to pay a bit overs to get him

Jeezus was i wrong

 

[perverse]

The only positive I could get out of it was that maybe he would be a good foil for Mullen. I was willing to entertain that concept. Then they only got to play a handful of games together. Yippee.

I miss Mullo, to be honest. More talent in his little toe than the rest of our squad.

 

[Knight76]

I'll never understand how anyone wanted this signing to happen.

Current NSW half at the time, but unfortunately he plays with a team that doesn't use their half in traditional sense. Their first receiver was generally a forward.

He came here and continued that thinking, I really don't want the knights to ever structure their attacking style in the bulldog way. Hodkinson doesn't have the game to play a regular half role.

 

[perverse]

Current NSW half at the time, but unfortunately he plays with a team that doesn't use their half in traditional sense. Their first receiver was generally a forward.

He came here and continued that thinking, I really don't want the knights to ever structure their attacking style in the bulldog way. Hodkinson doesn't have the game to play a regular half role.

Honestly, blind freddy could see that Hodkinson was never going to be anything more than exactly what he always has been - a plodder. The Dogs picked him up because, as you said, they don't play their football through their backs, they play it up and through the middle and have for a long time.

He made sense in the Dogs system, but that fact doesn't excuse our clubs inability to identify that by simply watching him play. I knew it. Others knew it, but it seems like Hagen and co really didn't need much more research than knowing he was a NSW rep at the time. Literally all you needed to do to know Hodko was a bad buy was:

1. Watch him play
2. Read his medical reports
3. WATCH HIM PLAY

 

[slotmachine]

In addition to that, Hodko had two deals to chose from, a token offer from the Dogs to do him a favour and create a market, and a 2 year $800k deal from the Titans.

Hages wasn't having any of that though, he got his man with a tasty 3 year $1.8m deal.

 

[Knight76]

Thats 200k less than the titans. Smooooth!

Or was that 800k for both years.....

 

[slotmachine]

For both years, 400k a season

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Thats 200k less than the titans. Smooooth!

Or was that 800k for both years.....

Zhège

 

[True blue knights]

I hear now they are offering bird 1 million a season now,it certainly is overs big time!a big part of me says bite the bullet and get him.also hoffman has been mentioned to come to the knights.does anyone know much about that one?

 

[perverse]

I hear now they are offering bird 1 million a season now,it certainly is overs big time!a big part of me says bite the bullet and get him.also hoffman has been mentioned to come to the knights.does anyone know much about that one?

At the end of the day, those are the overs we need to pay to make a name or 2 happen. I'm not sure if it's worth it or not at this stage, but I do want Bird here.

Don't know much on Hoffman other than our administration has been said to have called out the manager of EVERY off contract forward worth having, so I would imagine we'll get linked to them all.

 

[Trent from Newie]

Paying that much for Bird would be worth it for sure

Newcastle needs rep players on the books, rep players that are young too

 

[True blue knights]

The more i think about preverse is right.brown has start getting some players of that calibre for next year orr he will be on the chopping block next year.as much as brown has done with there attitude and noticeably better performances apart from last week shocka.people will want alot more !

 

[perverse]

Absolutely. There's a lot I like about Brown, but his immunity to criticism has to end at some stage. His plan seems to be weighing heavily on the ability to bring in some top tier talent. I think that plan might need rethinking at this stage, he needs to build a road to get to that point.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

A couple of years ago I would have welcomed Hoffman with open arms but he's slowing down now and at this point I feel that our starting second rowers are ahead of him. He could be a useful bench forward because of his experience but I would only want him on a 1 year deal on a bargain bin price. If he's wanting big money he can go back to ESL and get it there.