NSW cup trialists/ Nelson's Bay trial

[Stick]

I'll bet Bennett knows what he's doing

 

[Silent Knight]

I don't like the word toiler. It brings back bad memories of Dan Tolar.

 

[billy2]

Of the part time squad the one who could shock is Ben Tupou.
His brothers, Anthony, Willie and Jon, were all fitness freaks, so it's very possible that Ben will get himself fit enough to challenge for firstgrade.
He is the biggest of the Tupou brothers and was one of our best in Mathews and Ball.
He missed under 20s for a few reasons, not related to football ability.
I think he would be 21 now, and if he has put in an off season like his brothers have over the years, he will be a better option than Boss or even Schillings as a NSW cup prop.

 

[billy2]

Stoney's summer update
Rick Stone
www.newcastleknights.com.au

2/02/2012 10:18:47 AM

The countdown to the start of the season is on…
The boys have been training hard over the past few months, harder than some have worked before, but all of their sweat, perseverance and dedication has seen the players come along way. We have been able to do some work, one on one, to help them reach their full potential and then some.
Since coming back from the Christmas break we have turned our attention during training sessions to building and improving team structure, with the coaching staff looking to concentrate on advancing our attack and defence, fine tuning the players.
With just over a month to go until the start of the NRL season, the anticipation to get out and play is clear; they are all ready to take to the field in the red and blue. For some of them however, their chance to take to the field will be this Friday night in the first of our preseason games.
The team, which will consist of a mix of NYC and the Knights First Grade, will take to the field on Friday night at Tomaree Sportsground in what is sure to be a great game. We will be matching up against a combined Newcastle Rep squad, and with the fact Newcastle has a vast array of talented players it is not a game to be disregarded as a knock about. A team can train all they want, but when they are out on that field a game is a game.
Preseason will give the coaching staff their first real look at the team, we will especially be keeping our eyes on the younger ones coming up through the ranks. NYC are looking like a very strong team and I am looking forward to seeing them out there running with the older ones. Alex McKinnon, Dane Laurie, and our Rugby Union convertor Mark Wade are a few penned to play in the game, I am sure they will impress those in the grandstands.
The players always look forward to heading up to Tomaree Sportsgrounds. Having played there a number of times over the past few pre-seasons we know that it’s a great crowd. It’s the first of our preseason matches scheduled, with the following games at Port Macquarie and Muswellbrook.
Kurt Gidley and Aku Uate are back in full training and looking good on the field. Ryan Stig and Robbie Rochow are recovering nicely and both are hopeful of getting a run in one of the other scheduled preseason games.
With our opening game against St George only four weeks away it is great to see the team coming together so well, on and off the field. Everyone is settled and at home here now but with a culture like the one we have here in Newcastle, a nice relaxing atmosphere, it would be hard not to feel at home. It also provides the players with the right mentality to concentrate on what they need to do but to also enjoy their down time as well. Where else would you rather be?
We hope to see you on Friday night at Tomaree Sportsground. NYC kick-off at 5.30pm and the NSW Cup game is on at 7.30pm. It is free entry.
Rick Stone

 

[billy2]

Reminds me of a joke on the radio the other day.

It was a fake interview with a dead pan fake Wayne Bennett.
The interviewer said he had no sense of humor.
Fake Wayne 'That's not true, i'll tell you a joke. Knock knock'
Interviewer 'who's there'
Fake Wayne 'Rick Stone'
Interviewer 'Rick Stone who?'
Fake Wayne 'That's really cruel'.

 

[ballbag]

Real NRL officials will make a decision at 9.00am tomorrow about the game. The field has not been mowed and marked or the goalposts installed

 

[billy2]

junior games are off at toronto - i'll only go up if the rain stops overnight i think - pity, I was looking forward to it.

 

[aqua_duck]

I'll bet if given a CHANCE that your so called "toilers" will rip shreds of your 3 signed rugby players.

Probably but those toilers might turn out to be Reegan Tanners, Blake Muellers and Matt Jobsons at best, where as a guy like Votu could turn out to be another Noa Nadruku

 

[billy2]

how odd is it that we could have four little brothers of famous forwards on the field at the same time.

Wes could have a front row of Korbin Sims (brother of Ashton) and Ben Tupou (Brother of Anthony) and a second row of Rodney Mason (brother of Willie) and Kyle O'Donnell (brother of Luke)

 

[Frederick]

Soooooooo...any updates?

 

[Coastbloke]

NYC win first trial



3/02/2012 8:00:18 PM


The Newcastle Knights Toyota Cup coach Michael Crawley has started his tenure at the Knights with a trial win at Tomaree Sportsground on Friday night.
The Knights played the Port Stephens Sharks and after three 20 minute blocks of play, scored nine tries to six.
It was a strong performance by Tyrone Dodd, Josh Allison and Jeremy Ma’a.
Knights tries: Geordie Connelly 2, Josh Allison, Api Pewhairangi, Tyler Sullivan, Chris Knight, Matt Ireland, Ned Nissen, Tyrone Dodd.

 

[Frederick]

According to twitter the knights won the second trial 8 tries to nil.

 

[Frederick]

Josh Charles x2, James Cooke, AJ Davis, Ben tupou, Likiliki, watsione votu and Tyrone Roberts were the scorers.

 

[billy2]

Most of the guys looked very fit.
Korbin Sims was the most impressive on the night - our best prop over Laurie who looked amazingly fit and ready to play, but Sims bent the line and offloaded at will. Next best prop, even though he only had 15 minutes on the field, was the massive Fijian in 19 - looks like Aku's big brother on the field.

In the NYC trial the best players were Tyler Sullivan, Api Pewhairangi, Josh Alison and Kurt Mann. Tyler has lost a lot of that extra weight he was carrying last year and looked a better player for it. Jeremy Ma'a is another who has lost a lot of weight and looks good for it. It was far from the best NYC side, but they won 9 tries to 6 and in the first 20 minutes, with Sullivan at 7, Api at 6, Knight at 9 and Mann at 1 they ran in 4 tries to nil and looked like they could score 100 - after that they mucked around with the lineup.

Back to the seniors - Lotu is the real deal and didn't make a mistake all game - he scored 1 try and could have scored 3 if Naiqama would pass.
Wade ran hard, but Terrence Seu Seu stopped him dead in his tracks. Has a lot of learning to do yet i think.
Big Simi could be the project player of the year - has masses to learn - but huge unit with footwork and strength and mongrel.
Tets had a pretty quiet game at lock i thought.
Roberts looked pretty flash against this opposition.

Talking of the opposition - Riely and Joel Brown and Terrence all went well, although Terrence tried too hard and hogged the ball and did a lot of kicking - thought he outplayed Adams till the coach moved one of the Browns to hooker.
Chad Redman didn't get much gametime, but he carved up against a tireing rep side. Best work at hooker i've seen from him.

The part time squad took the rep side to pieces, largely because they'd already played their hearts out against the full time boys (who only beat them 3 tries to 0 in forty minutes). Davis and Tupou were they best IMO.

All in all - a lot of guys like Laurie, Mason, Redman, Lotu, Simi, Roberts and especially Sims all look really good in the first game.

 

[billy2]

The guy I thought was Kurt Mann in NYC could have been Dodd.

 

[aqua_duck]

Laurie who looked amazingly fit and ready to play.

apparently he's dropped about 10kg this off season and has trained harder than he's ever trained and has largely stayed off the grog

 

[Whats Doing]

apparently he's dropped about 10kg this off season and has trained harder than he's ever trained and has largely stayed off the grog

Sounds like we are going to have some real depth in the front row with Laurie and Sims having impressive starts and putting pressure on Tui and Faas. Competition for spots will be fierce

 

[billy2]

Rod Mason also looked the fittest he has in his life and did a few good runs.

Adrian Davis probably played his way into the NSW cup side over Briggs. He was probably the best of the part time squad.

Big headaches for the coaches really, because the part time squad played nearly as well as the fulltime squad, and even some of the Newcastle rep side like Seu Seu, and the Brown brothers and Justin Smith gave good accounts of themselves. Justin Smith is just out of NYC this year and he outplayed Chanel Mata'utia. He played NYC for us and Centurions in 2010 and he played NYC for the roosters last year.

 

[ballbag]

Rod Mason also looked the fittest he has in his life and did a few good runs.

Adrian Davis probably played his way into the NSW cup side over Briggs. He was probably the best of the part time squad.

Big headaches for the coaches really, because the part time squad played nearly as well as the fulltime squad, and even some of the Newcastle rep side like Seu Seu, and the Brown brothers and Justin Smith gave good accounts of themselves. Justin Smith is just out of NYC this year and he outplayed Chanel Mata'utia. He played NYC for us and Centurions in 2010 and he played NYC for the roosters last year.

Wests tigers

 

[aqua_duck]

Surely we won't ever see Riley Brown in a knights jersey again, the bloke is a dud