Match Discussion: Round 8 vs Cowboys @ 1300SMILES Stadium

[alexwilliams_66692007]

That said, Asiata will probably be Man of the Match and make both our halves look reserve grade standard.

Our halves are reserve grade standard lol

 

[Glendale]

Sione is surely the youngest captain we've ever had and possibly the youngest there's ever been in the NRL?

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Sione is surely the youngest captain we've ever had and possibly the youngest there's ever been in the NRL?

Possibly.
Moylan was the youngest captain *in* the NRL. Not sure if that means ever or current. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-27/matt-moylan-named-penrith-nrl-captain/7117440

 

[Glendale]

Moylan is 25, Sione is 20

 

[PhilGould]

Nathan Cayless was pretty young when he became Eels captain IIRC.

 

[Still Nutty]

I'm no Feeney fan or defender, but rocks and diamonds and knees that work sure beats rocks held up by knees made of more wobbly rocks.

He's not a game manager (but neither is Hodko). He does some dumb things (so does Hodko). But he also, occasionally, does some good things. What I do like about Feeney in the halves is that he has a real go, from what I've seen in NSW Cup anyway. He backs up and he takes on the line with a big step and plays a bit off the cuff, which sometimes isn't a bad thing.

He won't bring the structure to our attack I desperately think we need though. It will be more of the same headless chooks strategy inside the opposition 20, but maybe, just maybe, he'll make things happens now and then. Hodko was contributing absolutely nothing at all.

That said, Asiata will probably be Man of the Match and make both our halves look reserve grade standard.

If nothing else, the selection of Feeney must at least create some need for the Cows to rethink their game plan against a squad that has an element of unpredictability...

On the flip side, it may also create opportunity for them, but the fact that a simple strategy around the limited capacity of Hodkinson would have been an easy part of their defensive and attacking game plan. I don't think it constitutes a major drama for them but it is a positive about not just dusting off their Knights game plan and going through the numbers.

 

[Still Nutty]

Sione is surely the youngest captain we've ever had and possibly the youngest there's ever been in the NRL?

Found this page http://commentaryboxsports.com/australian/nrl/cbs-top-10-young-captains.html that has a detailed run through of young captains through the eras.

Sione certainly seems in the right age bracket for being among the youngest NRL captains...but the info doesn't directly give enough detail from my reading to flag who the youngest was.

He is certainly in some illustrious company though

 

[Caped Crusader]

If his lack of involvement is due to his knees being that bad then it's time Trent pulled the trigger on his career

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I'm all for giving Feeney a go in the halves, I don't think he really got a fair go last year given he was playing out of position (in arguably the toughest position in the game) and was dropped after only a few games. I'm not saying that he'll be good but at least we get to see him play his natural game. With a bit of luck he'll take on the line and maybe create some problems for the Cowboys defensively, even if that's all he does it will still be an upgrade on Hodko who isn't getting anywhere near the line.

 

[perverse]

I'm all for giving Feeney a go in the halves, I don't think he really got a fair go last year given he was playing out of position (in arguably the toughest position in the game) and was dropped after only a few games. I'm not saying that he'll be good but at least we get to see him play his natural game. With a bit of luck he'll take on the line and maybe create some problems for the Cowboys defensively, even if that's all he does it will still be an upgrade on Hodko who isn't getting anywhere near the line.

He was absolute shit as a fullback, no question there. There were some nice touches in the one game he played in the halves, though. Enough to suggest he won't be any worse than Hodkinson has been, anyway.

I have very low expectations. All he needs to do is run out there and put in effort. If he can match the rest of the team for effort alone, then we should be ahead. It seems impossible to me that someone out there having a dig could be any worse than Hodko. Maybe we're about to see it, I just can't imagine it... but regardless, the message has been sent to Hodko and the rest of the squad that this shit is totally unacceptable, and that's the important thing long term.

Tolerating bullshit performances is a large part of what got us here in the first place. We can't cop it now or ever again, regardless of who it is.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

If feeney plays as well as he did in 2015 for nsw cup I'll be happy. He was fantastic in the back end of the season and is a big reason why we won the comp.

In 2016 he played fullback in first Grade and was dropped.

He has been a shadow of his 2015 form since then.

 

[perverse]

If feeney plays as well as he did in 2015 for nsw cup I'll be happy. He was fantastic in the back end of the season and is a big reason why we won the comp.

In 2016 he played fullback in first Grade and was dropped.

He has been a shadow of his 2015 form since then.

Yeah, I think anyone who watched that finals series knows the kid can run the ball, or at least he could back then. He always struck me as a 5/8th with the 7 on his back coming through the grades - great at taking on the line. Whether we totally destroyed him last year or not is another thing, totally plausible.

None of it really matters though, the important part of the equation isn't Feeneys inclusion, it's Hodkinsons exclusion.

 

[mozza91]

I've always thought there was a good footballer somewhere in Feeney. He needs to play a simple type of game because if he has too much to do he starts making mistakes.

I'd have Lamb doing the majority of the kicking and organising in the traditional halfback role with Feeney focusing on his running game and playing direct. Might turn into a handy combination. Defence is a worry with Feeney too, he looked decent in attack in his game of First Grade at 5/8 but was pretty poor defensively. Can't be any worse than Hodkinson was last week though.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

I am kind of excited to watch us play again because hokko isn't there.

I have no doubt I'll be disappointed at the end of the game, but hey, as a knights fan you gotta find anything you can to get excited about.

 

[perverse]

I've always thought there was a good footballer somewhere in Feeney. He needs to play a simple type of game because if he has too much to do he starts making mistakes.

I'd have Lamb doing the majority of the kicking and organising in the traditional halfback role with Feeney focusing on his running game and playing direct. Might turn into a handy combination. Defence is a worry with Feeney too, he looked decent in attack in his game of First Grade at 5/8 but was pretty poor defensively. Can't be any worse than Hodkinson was last week though.

I figure he'll at least be able to make some contact, unlike Hodko yeah. He'll have to be pretty bloody bad to match Hodkos last match in D.

 

[macavity]

Prediction:

Sione to start at 6, Feeney off bench.

I don't reckon Brown would be comfortable with Feeney defending at 6 all game.

 

[perverse]

Prediction:

Sione to start at 6, Feeney off bench.

I don't reckon Brown would be comfortable with Feeney defending at 6 all game.

Yeah there's been a bit of whisper in the wind to this effect. Wouldn't be the worst.

 

[Swarzey]

I mean, what's the worst that can happen with Feeney? Lamb has already played the role of steering the side around, doing the bulk of the work while Hodkinson has dragged him useless frame along. It won't hurt to have a 5/8 in Feeney that can do everything Hodkinson has done thus far this year and absolutely more.

And hey look, we have a captain who isn't going to f**king plod about.

 

[Hardcore_Fan]

Hmmm I'd rather have gagai at 5/8 and move sione to centre if feeney isn't starting at 5/8

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Hmmm I'd rather have gagai at 5/8 and move sione to centre if feeney isn't starting at 5/8

Yeah but that takes away a position of strength to plug a hole somewhere else. Gags does his best work when he gets good ball on the edge and gets on the outside of his defender and uses that mean fend to beat them. I'd rather not see him trying to take on a set defensive line in the middle of the field against big forwards who would probably smash him. I feel like this was happening a lot when he played fullback last year.

Sione at 5/8 would at least give us a bigger body defending in that position and we know he can ball play a little so I don't think we would lose too much there. Feeney could then come on when the defence gets a bit tired which would suit his game better I think.