Match Discussion: Round 6 vs Bulldogs @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[NoSchitSherlock]

Our performance just before and after half time let us down. Not sure if if it's the bench or a lapse or what. Considering the possession they had in the first half we were ok up until half time.
We really struggle defending broken play.
One of the best games I've seen from Gags

 

[perverse]

I honestly do think we lost the match in the 40th minute. We weren't good enough to cope with the turnaround. We started the second half meekly.

For 39 minutes we were easily the better team, even on the wrong side of a bad penalty count we were looking more dangerous and creating chances but fluffing them. And then that last minute of Newcastle doing what we do.

I don't disagree with your point, really. I've just rarely seen such a blatant display of poor refereeing (and that's being very generous) going against one team in the dying stages of a match that was in the balance.

 

[perverse]

I actually thought Eastwood was standing in front of Graham- should have been ruled offside?

Yeah f**k if I know which of them it was to be honest. Yeah, you're correct that it should have been offside if you want to be generous and say that the first guy to touch the ball didn't knock it on.

The refs clearly thought the ball either came off another referee somehow, or a bulldog-coloured wall of spontaneous force manifested in the middle of the field long enough to propel the ball toward the dogs player.

 

[Alex28]

We are expected to lose, so it isn't noteworthy when we are caused to.

We are expected to lose, so we get refereed as such.

That final 6 in attack was a disgrace. The final Dogs try should never have happened because we should have got the ball back after a Dogs knock on.

Actually we should have got a penalty at least twice before that.

 

[K-Man]

I don't disagree with your point, really. I've just rarely seen such a blatant display of poor refereeing (and that's being very generous) going against one team in the dying stages of a match that was in the balance.

I agree. I guess I'm just a point now where I'm more upset by the things we can control but are not improving at.

The refereeing was a joke. It makes me angry. But what I'll be thinking about all week is, as always, how utterly clueless we were in good field position. Every match I wonder if they will shut me up and show that they do know how to put on a set play or even just do the basics when there is an overlap. And every week we fail to get it right even once. Our sets were often saved by better kicks this week, which is good in a way, but doesn't hide how bad plays 1-5 were.

The refs we can't do anything about, it just is.

 

[Swarzey]

f**king merkin refs. Literally every try they wanted to find a reason not to give it to us instead of having the f**king balls to make a call. Not going to see another driver penalty for weeks. I'm absolutely confident Eastwood was in an offside position at the end there and it came off whoever's hand to add. Poor penalties, absolutely a crusher on Starling at the end there. Gagai was ran off the ball earlier in the half which led to another try in the next set.

After last week's absolute circus of errors going unnoticed in the final set, tonight was beyond a f**king joke.

And I can't be too stressed about lacking opportunities; our fullback isn't an attack fullback, our halfback is useless for the most part and Lamb lacks experience. Lamb however, I feel is showing the signs of a solid halve and whether we want to admit it or not, accept it or keep this expectation, we're not going to have the structure to make every opportunity count while he's the only one doing anything in our spine bar Levi who isn't a Smith-esque hooker. The lapses tonight don't surprise me either; remember this side got their teeth kicked in month after month last year. That doesn't suddenly become forgotten and for some time we're always going to fall into those luls where the opposition pile on unanswered point. I'll be disappointed really if anyone here thinks abandoning that mindset is a simple fix; it isn't. It's going to be evident now, like it was tonight but I'm confident by the end of the season, that "losing mentality" will fade.

I'm just not sure how many more games like this I can take; where we are the better team for the most part, where we get momentum but some poor referee decision will kill that momentum.

 

[the seagull]

The number of times the knights are being stitched up by NRL and the refereeing stooges is simply amazing. The facts
the warriors scored the winning try in round one when the warriors five-eight pushed hoffman over the try line- no penalty to the knights- , knights score this week and it becomes illegal
just about every try the knights has scored this year has gone to the bunker- must being trying to find reasons not to award try
dodgy disallowed tries such as tonight- loss of ball, cant tell try should have been awarded
penalties not awarded when knights had opportunity to score but was stop by illegal play, canterbury players offside at the ruck on the try line-lamb stopped from scoring. Dogs get ball score just before half time
Penalties counts are a joke-- we get ruck penalties against us, but when we get the ball the refs go strangely quiet
I could go on and on

Its different standards for different teams

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Brown needs to cop the 10k fine in the post match.

 

[Noname36]

We really need a couple of strike players in the spine. Was very evident tonight. Ponga and hopefully Bird will fit that bill.

 

[Swarzey]

I will say however, from what I've seen in the first six rounds, Ponga and Bird will do absolute wonders for this team. And IF the talk about Graham is true? Then f**k me we'll be good for next year.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Next game please.
I want to see support runners for Starling. He has an offload but isn't even trying to use it. Nobody is there.
Need more Levi running from dummy half and passing. He stopped it in the second half. I don’t think he would have had a runner to go with him.
Dan Safiti needs a break. Back to regs and get more spirit in his game.

 

[macavity]

20 minutes later, still angry.

Haven't been pissed off about a game in a few years.

Not sure if its a good or bad thing.

 

[perverse]

20 minutes later, still angry.

Haven't been pissed off about a game in a few years.

Not sure if its a good or bad thing.

It's good, the feeling is coming back. I'm pissed too, lol

 

[Caped Crusader]

This f**kin team causes me so much stress every f**kin week

Litterally ruins my whole day when they play

 

[Matt23]

Beyond angry, being screwed over seems to be par for the course, the fix is in.

 

[Alex28]

As much as I am pissed about the way we lost that game, the difference between last years Knights and the team out there tonight is miles apart. They looks heaps better - just need to keep their heads for the full 80.

They looked good with the ball. They looked good in defence. Just let it go in patches.

Gags and Sione were great tonight.

 

[Caped Crusader]

The reffing sucked but we buried ourselves long before the refs did

 

[Glendale]

Sione scored...

That's all I'm gonna f***ing say

 

[Knightmare]

Oh to support a team the NRL actually gives a shit about *cough* BroncosBulldogsSouthsRoostersMelbourne *cough*

Browny needs to put his $10k on the table and let 'em have it. For himself, for the players he coaches who are putting in and deserve to get more reward for their efforts instead of being punished for playing on the "wrong" team- and also for the fans who've put up with the kind of shit in the last 2 years that would have the Broncos averaging 5k crowds in "heartland".

It'll be the best $10k he's ever spent, and in the chance the Knights get a few more 50/50 calls their way from now on, well and truly worth it!

 

[Glendale]

Oh to support a team the NRL actually gives a shit about *cough* BroncosBulldogsSouthsRoostersMelbourne *cough*

Browny needs to put his $10k on the table and let 'em have it. For himself, for the players he coaches who are putting in and deserve to get more reward for their efforts instead of being punished for playing on the "wrong" team- and also for the fans who've put up with the kind of shit in the last 2 years that would have the Broncos averaging 5k crowds in "heartland".

It'll be the best $10k he's ever spent, and in the chance the Knights get a few more 50/50 calls their way from now on, well and truly worth it!

Tbh, even if he was to do that. I still don't reckon it would change much. We'd still get the same calls not go our way. A few weeks ago I wanted him to really rip into them after the Souffs game after some howlers, but he didn't, he refused to put any blame on the refs. And tbh I like it that way. Having a go at the refs gives our players excuses, which is not what they need. They need to learn that their silly mistakes and not holding their composure for 80 minutes is losing us games, not the refs, as bad as they are. The karma will come around back to us eventually, just gotta grit out teeth and get through it.