Official Team v Bulldogs

[Joker's Wild]

Roberts returns to NRL

20/03/2012 1:20:41 PM
The Hunter Ports Newcastle Knights have today named an 18-man extended team for their Round 4 game against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium on Sunday.



Into the side comes Junior Sa’u, Tyrone Roberts and Zane Tetevano.

Sa’u replaces the injured Wes Naiqama, who today had surgery on his knee, whilst Roberts returns from a fractured eye socket to take his place in the starting line-up.

The Knights have named five on the interchange bench, including Tetevano who has played the last three weeks in the NSW Cup.

Kurt Gidley remains sidelined with a shoulder injury and Buderus is captain in his absence.

Knights centre Timana Tahu will play his 100th game for the Club this Sunday.

Round 4 Team List:

1. Darius Boyd
2. James McManus
3. Timana Tahu
4. Junior Sa’u
5. Akuila Uate
6. Tyrone Roberts
7. Jarrod Mullen
8. Kade Snowden
9. Danny Buderus (c)
10. Adam Cuthbertson
11. Chris Houston
12. Zeb Taia
13. Neville Costigan

Interchange:
14. Matt Hilder
15. Richie Fa’aoso
16. Joel Edwards
17. Alex McKinnon
18. Zane Tetevano

IN: Sa’u, Roberts, Tetevano
OUT: Naiqama (knee), Filipo

Linkidink

 

[Misanthrope]

I thought Stig was scheduled to play on Friday night?

 

[RABK]

Excited to see Roberts back, i think he offers a lot more than Stig and certainly Hilder at 5/8.

Good to see Zane rewarded and hopefully is in our final 17 at the expense of i don't care.

Cuthbo is due to do something to earn that starter jumper.

 

[RABK]

Also interesting to see Sau or Tahu on the right. It'll be a first for either them to play right centre in FG?

 

[billy2]

Roberts showed in the trials that he is super fit and ready to play.

A fractured eye socket will not have hurt his fitness at all.

Good to see Tets on the extended bench, but if he is cover for Cuthbo i think Tui would have been a better choice.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

What's Roberts like at goal kicking?

 

[Frederick]

This is Tahu's 100th game? Feels like he's played much more than that for us

 

[perverse]

yeah, Tetevano could replace anyone in the pack bar Snowy and i'd be pretty happy. my personal preference would be in for Edwards... purely for the fact that we need to go hard up the middle, and i feel that Eddy is the least effective.

 

[billy2]

What's Roberts like at goal kicking?

Decent. Last year he split the goal kicking with Will Smith in NYC and both had a pretty good percentage. Will kicked in the first half and Roberts in the second in most games.

 

[Big Tim]

I wonder if House or Zeb will be Tyrone's protector.....

Something we need to work on as he will be targeted more than the Bronx targeted Mullo.

 

[RABK]

This is Tahu's 100th game? Feels like he's played much more than that for us

Really? Seems like he played less to me.

I recall him having full seasons in 2001 and 2002 but i remember him been injured a bit in 2003 and missing a shitload of 2004. Considering he debuted in 1999 i think my memory exaggerates just how injury prone he was in his 5 years with us.

 

[perverse]

it would have to be House. i don't think Zeb is in a position to take on a hitman roll at this stage, he's gotta work on improving his own game.

it surprises me that Zeb has kept his spot this long, to be honest. it's not like we don't have other back row options. he may well be giving him every opportunity to get back to his best.

 

[billy2]

yeah, Tetevano could replace anyone in the pack bar Snowy and i'd be pretty happy. my personal preference would be in for Edwards... purely for the fact that we need to go hard up the middle, and i feel that Eddy is the least effective.

Tets hasn't trained or played as a prop this year.
We have Costigan, House, Eddy or Tets who could step up to play prop, but we are down to two guys who have been playing prop if Cuthbo can't play.

 

[RABK]

Anyone else think Roberts could be a smokescreen ala Stig last week and we see Hilder play 5/8 and Tets onto the bench?

 

[otori]

Anyone know how long Wes is out for? I'm excited to see Roberts play again and hopefully hell be able to weave through the big Dogs forwards late in the game. Well have two halves with dangerous running games so hopefully our players have been working on their off the ball support play

 

[Jono078]

Anyone else think Roberts could be a smokescreen ala Stig last week and we see Hilder play 5/8 and Tets onto the bench?

Why because that worked so well last week?

Id be pissed if that happened, and I don't think Bennett is stupid enough to play Hilder at 5/8th again.

 

[Joker's Wild]

it would have to be House. i don't think Zeb is in a position to take on a hitman roll at this stage, he's gotta work on improving his own game.

it surprises me that Zeb has kept his spot this long, to be honest. it's not like we don't have other back row options. he may well be giving him every opportunity to get back to his best.

Well aside from Rd1 I thought Zeb has been pretty good. He's not making line breaks left right and centre like he was in 2010 but he has been making good metres and plenty of tackles.

 

[perverse]

Tets hasn't trained or played as a prop this year.
We have Costigan, House, Eddy or Tets who could step up to play prop, but we are down to two guys who have been playing prop if Cuthbo can't play.

i think he'll do a better job of carting the ball up the guts than any of the other blokes mentioned in your post. that's where i would use him at present, given our abundance of second rowers.

and yeah, it's entirely possible, RABK. i don't see much point in taking pressure off one "rookie" by naming another, but i wouldn't discount it as possible at this stage.

 

[perverse]

Well aside from Rd1 I thought Zeb has been pretty good. He's not making line breaks left right and centre like he was in 2010 but he has been making good metres and plenty of tackles.

yeah, i would say that he has improved with each match so far. he hasn't properly found his rhythm on either side of the ball yet. the main thing i think that counts against him is he is anything but a "bang it up" type forward - and that's the sort of thing we need at the moment. Zeb is all about finesse, hitting gaps hard at really excellent angles moreso than hitting defensive lines hard... and of course his defensive workload has always been admirable.

look, i'm Zebs #1 fan... and i've tried to keep quiet about him this year to see how he goes. i have a suspicion that Bennett will look to get rid of him, and i think that's a damn shame if he's a chance of playing like the '09/'10 model. i'm just trying to get a read on what Bennett wants from him at the moment, and whether he is actually viable into the future.

 

[RABK]

Why because that worked so well last week?

Id be pissed if that happened, and I don't think Bennett is stupid enough to play Hilder at 5/8th again.

I'd be pissed too mate. Cuthbo starting is going well? Yet he persists with him. I just think it's a real possiblity. Similar situation to last week.