Match Discussion: Round 8 vs Sydney @ McDonald Jones Stadium

[slotmachine]

Also, if we play Tex Hoy and Mann in the halves next week. I'm gonna write an official complaint to the club.

I'll sign it too mate

 

[macavity]

A Brian Smith type coach could really get something out of the current squad. He'd have them doing the little things well and at least being consistent. It's the little things they are doing wrong and terribly inconsistent when it comes to having the attitude needed to ride out a game and apply pressure.

B Smith was one of a kind. Closest now is Robinson (from his coaching tree).

Notice all the Bellamy coaching tree coaches don’t do much? AOB, Siebold, Kearney, Nathan Brown, Brad Arthur....

it’s like without the cheating they can’t get a team to the top

 

[GidleyTwinz]

AOB clearly doesn't rate Crossland at all. Only picked him at 9 last year, and only when he had no other option.

Was forced to pick him in the halves earlier in the year, but didn't give him a license to do anything. Crossland is supposed to have a very good kicking game and a bit of a running game - didn't get to do any of either.

And in the most recent press conference he talks about how Hoy or Crossland are an option to replace Green. Playing Mann and Hoy in the halves is clearly such a bad idea, that AOB thinks its an option shows how far back Crossland is. There's a reason he doesn't have a contract next year and that the club isn't negotiating with him.

 

[mozza91]

Props to Saulo. Ran the ball hard and bent the line.

That’s the only positive thing I’ve got to say.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

AOB keeps mentioning our lads are just happy enough to make first grade. Is it a club thing?

Bennett made the same comment.

 

[Spot On]

Has anyone seen much of Crossland playing in the halves???

 

[Rod]

Instead of training with the footy this week perhaps AOB should send the boys out into the community, to schools and factories and the like. Meninga was just talking about whether the players give any thought as to who they are and why they play. Perhaps it would give them some perspective. They aren't doing anything with the footy on the weekends at the moment anyway.

 

[General Knight]

We lack any leadership out there. Brailey and Saf as great as they are just arent up to it at this stage in their careers.

 

[Jono078]

Instead of training with the footy this week perhaps AOB should send the boys out into the community, to schools and factories and the like. Meninga was just talking about whether the players give any thought as to who they are and why they play. Perhaps it would give them some perspective. They aren't doing anything with the footy on the weekends at the moment anyway.

AOB gave the team a couple of days off to refresh this past weekend. He said maybe it wasn’t enough. This doesn’t look like a tired team, it looks like a clueless one.

 

[Reflector]

B Smith was one of a kind. Closest now is Robinson (from his coaching tree).

Notice all the Bellamy coaching tree coaches don’t do much? AOB, Siebold, Kearney, Nathan Brown, Brad Arthur....

it’s like without the cheating they can’t get a team to the top

Not sure what Brian is up to these days or how old he is, but would it even be worth seeing if he wanted to step back into coaching or some kind of coaching role with the Knights?

The Roosters took a gamble on Chris Anderson back in 2007 and that ended up going to shit, but looking at how things are going currently it surely couldn't be the worst coach to take a gamble on. Even if it turned out the game had passed him by, you'd think Newcastle would at least be more resilient and well-drilled than they are currently. He'd get the most out of guys like Best and Jones, and Ponga would go to another level for starters. Surround the talent with some no-frills players that had good work ethic and he'd turn the joint around.

 

[mozza91]

Do you reckon if I show my members card at Maccas on Monday they’ll give me a free Big Mac out of pity?

 

[Reflector]

Instead of training with the footy this week perhaps AOB should send the boys out into the community, to schools and factories and the like. Meninga was just talking about whether the players give any thought as to who they are and why they play. Perhaps it would give them some perspective. They aren't doing anything with the footy on the weekends at the moment anyway.

In their formative years I remember reading about there being a criteria for picking players- they had to be tough, tenacious and have plenty of tomorrows. The ethos amongst the playing group was "Be the player the player next to you wants to play alongside."

Going "old school" and reinforcing this ethos could be the best thing for the club...

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

It will take more than throwing players at this team to fix it.
But, to shake it up:
1.Hoy
6. Ponga
7. Mann

 

[AusKnightRKO]

It will take more than throwing players at this team to fix it.
But, to shake it up:
1.Hoy
6. Ponga
7. Mann

1. Hoy
3. Mann
6. Ponga
7. Crossland.

 

[Old dog]

AOB saying we aren't the team we were last year.
Last year we had players like Guera who brought experience and inspiration on and off the field.

So that’s not happening with Green, Frizell, Klem etc? Then we bought poorly

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

So that’s not happening with Green, Frizell, Klem etc? Then we bought poorly

None of them have the same leadership.

 

[Bartwah]

I am done with this team.
Simple as that.

See you next week

 

[Yosh]

See you next week

LOL. See you guys there.

 

[perverse]

There's only one bloke at the club that has any chance of improving this team at all, and he's not available for months yet. If you all can't see and admit that Pearce makes a big difference to this team then you're being willfully ignorant. He's a loooong way from perfect, but look at us without him. We've gone from frustratingly mediocre and inconsistent to absolutely pathetic - not worth feeding. Unless Ponga pulls an 11/10 performance out of his arsehole every single week, we will not win a game against any team who actually has a bit of pride. Even Ponga doesn't give that much of a shit - hell he barely cares about football in general to be honest - and will never be the teams leader.

Pearce is our closest thing to a leader, closest thing to a captain, closest thing to a halfback. He might come up short of your expectations in all of those areas, but he's miles ahead of anyone else in the team. Miles. Not even in the same country. Our season went down the drain with Pearces pectoral muscle. He's the only bloke in the team with a genuine hunger for success. He still remembers what it tastes like. He craves it.

Let the flaming, bitching and moaning begin. It's the truth.

 

[perverse]

Clifford isn't the answer either by the way. Our problems run way deeper than personnel, although that is a big problem on its own as well.