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Newcastle Knights 2019 Team

Still Nutty

Juniors
Messages
870
https://www.theherald.com.au/story/...hock-goal-kicking-option-for-knights/?cs=7580

Levi has put his hand up to take on goal kicking duties

Barnett, Ponga, Lino and Woolford have also been practicing

Never really understood why Pearce hasn’t ever taken on goal kicking duties. Thought he would be good especially for he shots from out wide with his ability to kick the ball a long way.

Levi is looking to strengthen his credentials and value for his claims on the first grade spot - nothing wrong with that and smart move...I commend him for it.

The only problem with this is he also then needs to make himself an 80 minute footballer - it is no good needing a 'back up' goal kicker for 20 minutes every game because your 60 minute hooker is being rested.
 

Mr_Knightside

Juniors
Messages
2,375
Just weighing in on the Levi debate. Obviously at times over the last couple of years he’s put peoples noses out of joint with some of his behaviour. His game management on field can be very poor at times and carrying on like a petulant child when he wasn’t picked didn’t help his image either.

That being said at this stage with Slade injured I think Danny is our best starting no.9 option for round 1.

The other thing I will say in Levi’s defence is that he’s never played behind anything even remotely resembling a first grade quality pack whereas now he’s got a really solid pack to play behind. Firstly I hope this will mean a decreased defensive workload for him given that we will hopefully make more metres and spend more time with the ball and also because for once we should have a pack that is able to generate some go-forward and momentum which may help him unlock his running game which has always been his strength. I hope we get to see him burst out of dummy half and carve the opposition up through the ruck.

I’m prepared to give him until the half way mark in 2019 to see if he’s up to it. If he’s showing good form we keep him in the side but if he hasn’t learnt and still makes the same errors and dumb decisions then we drop him to reserves and bring in Woolford or Mann to start, or Slade if he’s back by then.
 

Frederick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
27,636
NRL | Knights prop Daniel Saifiti in the best shape of his career as his "easy ride" in the NRL ends
Big Daniel Saifiti has shed a whopping seven kilograms over the pre-season and is in the best physical condition of his career as he prepares to fight for a place in the Knights’ pack for the season opener against Cronulla next month.


Following off-season foot surgery that delayed his return to full training, Saifiti tipped the scales at 125 kgs back in November but is now down to 118 and is looking to drop another couple of kilos before the Sharks clash.

Saifiti says recognition that he has enjoyed an “easy ride” in the NRL to date on top of the Knights signing established frontrow stars such as David Klemmer, Tim Glasby and James Gavet has well and truly snapped him out of any complacency about his spot in the squad.

“Yeah, you could probably say I’ve had an easy ride,”he said.

“I’ve relied on my attack to get me picked each week up until now but with Klem, Glasby and Gavet coming in, I can’t do that any longer.”

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Slimmed down: Knights prop Daniel Saifiti has shed seven kilos since the start of pre-season. Picture: Jonathan Carroll.



Saifiti said a focus on improving his defence is behind his determination to get his weight down.

“My weight is the lowest it’s been since my first year here,” he said.

“My heaviest was my second year in grade when I was lazy and weighed 127 kgs and after surgery, I started this pre-season at 125 kgs.

“My size is my strength but it can be a limitation as well in terms of my movements, especially in defence.

“I knew if I dropped weight, the lighter I am on my feet, my movements would improve and I feel like over the past month or so, there has been improvement.

“I’ve dropped the weight but I’m stronger in everything too so I’m pretty happy with that. I still want to drop a bit more as well over the next few weeks.”

READ MORE:

Knights dietician Rachel Svenson has been working closely with Saifiti over the past few months to help get the weight down and he now has the lowest skin-folds he has ever recorded.

“I just knew I had to diet but it’s been more about how much I eat and when to eat as much as anything,” he said.

“I was just eating heaps every day and probably having a few more cheap meals than I should. Our dietician has been really good and I’ve been talking to her a fair bit and it’s just about being a bit more disciplined and getting into a routine with my eating.”

Saifiti says he knows he has to perform in the trials to be there for round one.

“I’m worried about my spot but I’m just concentrating on getting my diet right and getting my defence right and putting my best foot forward. If I do that, I give myself my best chance,” he said.

https://www.theherald.com.au/story/...d-a-whopping-seven-kilos-in-12-weeks/?cs=7580
 

Frederick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
27,636
FEBRUARY 7 2019 - 10:00AM
Kalyn Ponga's healthy diet and potential to become a megabrand

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Dad for a Day: Kalyn Ponga looked after kids as part of an experiment for a brand.



Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga found himself appreciating his mum a whole lot more after participating in an experiment dubbed “The Stay at Home Athlete”.


The experiment was done in his new role as brand ambassador for V8 Vegetable Juice, which is running with the slogan – “The Official Drink of the Healthyish”.

It’s fair to say Kalyn himself is quite healthyish – super-fit would be a more accurate description – and it’s worth noting the type of brand he’s chosen to associate himself with. V8 has no added sugar and is considered a healthier drink than many other options on the market. But if you drink it, you’ve still got to eat your vegies. OK?


It’s quite a coup for V8 to have signed Kalyn. The more ground he makes in the world of rugby league – on and off the field – the more chance he has of becoming a megabrand in his own right.

But let’s get back to the experiment. It involved 20-year-old Kalyn looking after four children and a dog, while a sports dietitian and camera crew followed him.

He performed parenting duties like making breakfast, cleaning the house, changing nappies, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, shopping for groceries and taking the kids to the playground.

He also wore a device that monitored his energy expenditure and measured his steps, as he did parenting duties over 10 hours.

The results showed he burnt more calories than he would during a footy game.

“I think I’m pretty physically fit, but the challenge that a parent faces with their day-to-day chores, which I thought would be easy, actually weren’t,” he said.

“I was faced with situations I’d never encountered before. I found a lot of them difficult. Probably not physically, but more mentally. Throughout the day, I was drained. Parenting is a 24-7 job.”

He found one particular activity – folding a pram – especially difficult.

“I didn’t even know how to do it. I still reckon I’d be there now trying to figure it out. Luckily the kids helped me out.”

Kalyn’s Diet
Kalyn says he’s pretty lucky when it comes to food, as the Knights provide players with breakfast and lunch.

“We get our meals made,” he said.

“We eat pretty healthy across the board. Snack foods are things like crackers and avocado. We eat a lot of fruit, lots of meat and salads. And drink lots of water,” he said.

He tries to eat reasonably big meals for breakfast and dinner, so he’s replenishing energy he burns during training and “not picking throughout the day”.

He has joined housemate and teammate Connor Watson in cutting out dairy.

He joked that Connor had a much better body than him.

“If you look at his rig and mine, you’d think I’d been eating chocolate for the last three months,” he said.

While he does follow a pretty strict diet, he doesn’t live like a monk.

“I do have a bit of chocolate here and there,” he said, adding that he enjoys a coffee and the odd beer.

He said preseason can be tough.

“It’s not meant to be easy, but it’s rewarding at the same time,” he said.

“We’re training three to four hours a day, so it’s important to eat at the right times.”

The Knights attended an army camp before Christmas for 24 hours, which involved sleep deprivation and team-bonding.

“I’ve never done one before. It was tough,” he said, adding it involved “pushing ourselves physically and mentally”.

“Pre-Christmas is all about running, getting fit and getting your legs ready. Post-Christmas is more ballwork, games and combinations.

“We’re still running a lot to get fitter and fitter. Our strength and conditioning coaches are doing a good job of that.”

As for being involved in the V8 campaign, he said it related to his need to have a healthy diet.

“It’s still something that I’m learning. But it does make you feel better and it helps you learn and perform at a higher level,” he said.

He said this outlook can apply to anyone, “not just professional athletes”.

But we should make it clear that he’s not a food Nazi. He’s realistic.

“If you are gonna eat unhealthy, do it in moderation. You can have a chocolate bar every now and then, but not every single night,” he said.

Good advice, that.

https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5890216/could-kalyn-ponga-become-a-megabrand/?cs=12#slide=1
 

Frederick

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
27,636
FEBRUARY 9 2019 - 6:00AM
TOOHEY'S NEWS | Knights star Sione Mata'utia is nervous about his selection hopes for round one but he shouldn't be
Just like quite a few of his teammates, Sione Mata’utia is more than a little nervy and taking nothing for granted when it comes to selections for the Knights’ premiership-opener against the Sharks in just under five weeks time.


Only yesterday before teeing off in a Knights corporate golf day, he spoke about the possibility of missing selection and of not dropping his head and kicking stones if he doesn’t make the team.

But he can rest a little easier.

We’re hearing the Knights side for the Sharks clash is pretty close to being settled and he’ll be in the starting side.

Obviously, trial form against St George Illawarra and the Sharks will be a factor and potential injuries might change things somewhat.

But the mail is Mata’utia will be rewarded for an outstanding pre-season by winning a backrow spot alongside his fellow South Newcastle junior Lachlan Fitzgibbon.


An injury to either centre Jesse Ramien or Hymel Hunt would change that but at this stage, Mata’utia has been penciled in as a starting backrower.

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Sione Mata'utia


With coach Nathan Brown apparently keen to partner David Klemmer with James Gavet in the frontrow and play Tim Glasby at lock, that leaves veteran Aidan Guerra, Daniel Safiti, Herman Ese’ese and Mitch Barnett vying for three bench spots.

Whoever ends up as 18th man at McDonald Jones Stadium on March 15 will consider themselves desperately unlucky.

New recruit Kurt Mann has a mortgage on the utility role on the bench ahead of Jamie Buhrer.

Mann has impressed everyone in wherever position he has filled at training. He is starting to look comfortable as a back-up hooker but his versatility is what will prove a huge bonus for Brown.

The back-line picks itself with Nathan Ross facing the prospect of trying to force his way back into the side from NSW Cup with Edrick Lee considered a certainty on the wing.

And a final tip: Young backrower Brodie Jones will make his NRL debut at some stage in 2019.


https://www.theherald.com.au/story/...ione-a-big-winner-at-selection-table/?cs=7580
 

perverse

Referee
Messages
26,697
Can someone please call an ambulance for slots? Not sure he's going to get through this one.

Good on Sione for making that spot his in amongst that competition. He is looking like an absolute beast from photos I've seen during the off season. Total unit.
 

perverse

Referee
Messages
26,697
Sione is only 22. Just becoming a man. Hopefully he has come on as much as the articles say.

Saifiti, Ese'ese and Guerra on the bench. Yes please.

Roll on Round 1.
Pretty exciting when your starting pack from the year prior becomes your bench. Dan is looking fit, too. Gee'd for round 1 big time.
 

Burwood

Bench
Messages
4,988
Guys like Ponga, Ramien and Watson and going to be great to watch this year, but I’m most looking forward to seeing Sione and Fitz terrorising the opposition defense out wide. And if they can do that, Pearce and Ponga will have an absolute field day- hit the backrowers, or pass out the back to monsters like Moga and Ramien. The defense will be in two minds all match.
 

Old dog

Bench
Messages
2,658
Thought Sione would be bench with Guerra in but pleased if he gets it, bench looks good either way.
 

Mr_Knightside

Juniors
Messages
2,375
Happy to see Sione getting a starting spot. He’s looking in great shape at the moment and I think he adds a bit of extra skill and ball playing to our second row.

Personally I’d have Glasby at starting prop and Guerra at no.13 with Gavet on the bench but it’s looking pretty good either way. At least the big upside of having Gavet start would be the aggression will be there right from the kickoff and at least Guerra won’t have to play 80 mins every week like he did last season, he looked gassed by the end of most games.

Barnett looks like he might start the year in reserves which is the right choice imo. He had a few shockers last year and I think it’ll be good for him to have to force his way into the side with some irresistible form rather than getting auto-selected due to lack of depth like he was from 2016-2018.
 

Woosh

Head Moderator
Messages
1,088
Wow I thought Brown couldn’t get any dumber.
Sione over Guerra?
Sione over Herman?
Heck I would play Barnett over him.
Sione should be starting in reserves.
Then again what should I really expect from a coach with a 21% winning percentage here.
 

Knight Vision

First Grade
Messages
5,066
FEBRUARY 7 2019 - 10:00AM
Kalyn Ponga's healthy diet and potential to become a megabrand

+19
Dad for a Day: Kalyn Ponga looked after kids as part of an experiment for a brand.



Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga found himself appreciating his mum a whole lot more after participating in an experiment dubbed “The Stay at Home Athlete”.


The experiment was done in his new role as brand ambassador for V8 Vegetable Juice, which is running with the slogan – “The Official Drink of the Healthyish”.

It’s fair to say Kalyn himself is quite healthyish – super-fit would be a more accurate description – and it’s worth noting the type of brand he’s chosen to associate himself with. V8 has no added sugar and is considered a healthier drink than many other options on the market. But if you drink it, you’ve still got to eat your vegies. OK?


It’s quite a coup for V8 to have signed Kalyn. The more ground he makes in the world of rugby league – on and off the field – the more chance he has of becoming a megabrand in his own right.

But let’s get back to the experiment. It involved 20-year-old Kalyn looking after four children and a dog, while a sports dietitian and camera crew followed him.

He performed parenting duties like making breakfast, cleaning the house, changing nappies, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, shopping for groceries and taking the kids to the playground.

He also wore a device that monitored his energy expenditure and measured his steps, as he did parenting duties over 10 hours.

The results showed he burnt more calories than he would during a footy game.

“I think I’m pretty physically fit, but the challenge that a parent faces with their day-to-day chores, which I thought would be easy, actually weren’t,” he said.

“I was faced with situations I’d never encountered before. I found a lot of them difficult. Probably not physically, but more mentally. Throughout the day, I was drained. Parenting is a 24-7 job.”

He found one particular activity – folding a pram – especially difficult.

“I didn’t even know how to do it. I still reckon I’d be there now trying to figure it out. Luckily the kids helped me out.”

Kalyn’s Diet
Kalyn says he’s pretty lucky when it comes to food, as the Knights provide players with breakfast and lunch.

“We get our meals made,” he said.

“We eat pretty healthy across the board. Snack foods are things like crackers and avocado. We eat a lot of fruit, lots of meat and salads. And drink lots of water,” he said.

He tries to eat reasonably big meals for breakfast and dinner, so he’s replenishing energy he burns during training and “not picking throughout the day”.

He has joined housemate and teammate Connor Watson in cutting out dairy.

He joked that Connor had a much better body than him.

“If you look at his rig and mine, you’d think I’d been eating chocolate for the last three months,” he said.

While he does follow a pretty strict diet, he doesn’t live like a monk.

“I do have a bit of chocolate here and there,” he said, adding that he enjoys a coffee and the odd beer.

He said preseason can be tough.

“It’s not meant to be easy, but it’s rewarding at the same time,” he said.

“We’re training three to four hours a day, so it’s important to eat at the right times.”

The Knights attended an army camp before Christmas for 24 hours, which involved sleep deprivation and team-bonding.

“I’ve never done one before. It was tough,” he said, adding it involved “pushing ourselves physically and mentally”.

“Pre-Christmas is all about running, getting fit and getting your legs ready. Post-Christmas is more ballwork, games and combinations.

“We’re still running a lot to get fitter and fitter. Our strength and conditioning coaches are doing a good job of that.”

As for being involved in the V8 campaign, he said it related to his need to have a healthy diet.

“It’s still something that I’m learning. But it does make you feel better and it helps you learn and perform at a higher level,” he said.

He said this outlook can apply to anyone, “not just professional athletes”.

But we should make it clear that he’s not a food Nazi. He’s realistic.

“If you are gonna eat unhealthy, do it in moderation. You can have a chocolate bar every now and then, but not every single night,” he said.

Good advice, that.

https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5890216/could-kalyn-ponga-become-a-megabrand/?cs=12#slide=1
sooooooo happy he's a Knight. Stoked. He's worth a million dollar contract just in marketing value.
 

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