Our biggest problem

[Hanscholo]

I found that article a few weeks back where Houston identified the 3 stages of a game and how the knights were adapting to them, the arm wrestle, dominating and being dominated...and how to play in each phase. Its hillarious to watch us play and actually think that these things have been discussed by the side. We have no idea how to react when we are under pressure, rather than use our ample kicking boots to get us out of it, when under pressure we push passes, run the ball on the last tackle and generally hand over possession time and again in bad spots. There is no composure in the side at all, they never seem to want to to try and build pressure.

I have to stand and applaud our goal line defence from tonight, but in the same breath, f**k me we are a dumb football team.

The knights would do well to understand those 3 phases a sh*t load better than they are.

 

[Apey]

Yeah, I agree. The defence at times was fantastic tonight.. we really looked like we were there to make a statement in the beginning and then it all fell apart. I can't get that image of Taia limply throwing his arm in an attempt to tackle for the Bulldog's second try when CLEARLY he needed to be taken from the field.

Composure was a huge problem.. I agree with Gus - we honestly never looked like we were in it. It was an unlucky start but we needed to rise above that and we certainly didn't. At 6 points behind we still looked completely lost. Sau kicking? Kicking in our own 20? Doogs running to the sideline?? What were they thinking? :crazy: Extremely frustrating.

Let's not forget the stupid mistakes as well.. Houston dropping it twice at extremely important parts of the game - two of the few opportunities we had to have a set in the Bulldog's half, and Mullen dropping it off that kick-off..

Ah well, there's always next year I am happy that we made it and hopefully next year we can build on it.

 

[roopy]

We were beat by a better side, but the bastards know they played a game today, which is all we can ask.

 

[Nuffy]

Sure we made some mistakes but we had zero luck starting with De Gois and Taia.

I am however sick to death of Canterbury catching all the breaks.

They have rubbish sets on our line then a prop plucks a kick out of his ar*e for another 6.

Or they push a pass and get away with it.

Some of the penalties against us were bullsh*t which just compounded the pressure.

They enjoyed all the breaks in 98, they were lucky in 04 and now this.

 

[Hanscholo]

Roopy, sad to say this mate....but we beat ourselves. The dogs played solid footy, we played like a bunch of special needs kids on a windy day.

As for luck? In RL you honestly make your own, if you drop it up the oppositions end its not so bad, if you drop it in your 30m its fatal. The dogs showed up for a wrestle, and we decided we would gamble on winning through playing catchup football for 60 mins, when its was probably needed for 5. Its the same thing we did against the broncos last year in the last round...

 

[chanticleer]

Your opposition played consistant hard football for the majority of the match

Knights showed inexperience and inconsistency which is also refelcted by your season results and ladder

Lots of work to do and many fringe first graders in your starting team, need to do some recruiting.

For eg at the Roosters we have signed a couple of guns for next year, I havent heard the Knights do much recruiting?

 

[Misanthrope]

For eg at the Roosters we have signed a couple of guns for next year, I havent heard the Knights do much recruiting?

Phil Graham is not a gun...

 

[BG]

As for luck? In RL you honestly make your own

I know that De Gois was a gamble that backfired, but say the luck had gone our way, and he and Taia had got through the game fine and it had been Ennis that had gone down in the first minute? No one will ever convince me that we wouldn't have won in those circumstances.

 

[Misanthrope]

I know that De Gois was a gamble that backfired, but say the luck had gone our way, and he and Taia had got through the game fine and it had been Ennis that had gone down in the first minute? No one will ever convince me that we wouldn't have won in those circumstances.

Except, as far as I know, Ennis wasn't going into the game under a huge injury cloud.

 

[shane1970]

Knights showed inexperience and inconsistency which is also refelcted by your season results and ladder

.
By our season results and ladder position - WE FINISHED 7TH - that means that the 9 other teams that finished below us even poorer results - right??????????
.
If our inexperienced 'boys' can do what they did this year and improve with this years experience I only see an upwards trend on this years ladder position.
.
As for your team - well there is only up to go!!!!!!!!

 

[aqua_duck]

Overall I'm happy with what we did this season considering the injuries, and the turmoil over Smithy. Don't forget we've still got Tolar, Cross, McManus, Ciraldo, Paterson, and Tuimavave to come into that team so we can only get better. The only thing that will sh!t me is if we see Wes and Marv in 1st grade and Pato and Ciro watching from the stands next year because if that happens either Onslow or Stone need to go because there's some serious problems when you've got guys on minimum wage playing ahead of guys on 250k a year

 

[Karmawave]

.

If our inexperienced 'boys'

How are our team inexperienced ' boys '?

How many players were in the team last night under 21?

The ' inexperience ' in finals only comes about because it highlights they weren't good enough to make the finals in any other season.

Nothing to do with their age and being ' boys '.

 

[aqua_duck]

they're not boys but I mean most of our team are around the 21, 22 years of age and now need to make the next step and in terms of experience correct me if I'm wrong but we've only got 4 guys in the entire squad with over 100 1st grade games under their belts (Kurt, Doogs, Hilder, Simmo)?
So I mean as critical as I might be at times I can recognise there is alot of potential improvement within that team. Throw in 3 experienced props (Cross, Tolar, Tuimavave), 2 6'4 105kg+ backrowers (pato, Ciro) and a state of origin winger (McManus), there's no reason we can't go even better next year especially if the coaching staff can get Aku a brain transplant

 

[shane1970]

In terms of experience - they ARE boys - they ARE babies infact.

 

[Karmawave]

correct me if I'm wrong but we've only got 4 guys in the entire squad with over 100 1st grade games under their belts (Kurt, Doogs, Hilder, Simmo)?

In terms of experience - they ARE boys - they ARE babies infact.

Maybe that is more a reflection on their ability levels than age and potential?

In the modern game, players who are 24,25,26 are not babies. In fact, they're just about ready to take their pension contract in the UK.

Dureau is a good example of what I mean. Everyone wants to talk about his inexperience etc - but he isn't young by NRL standards at all, he just hasn't played enough football at his age because he wasn't deemed good enough.

Only a very, very small % of the games very best players continue to play in the NRL into their late 20's and 30's.

 

[shane1970]

I always go out for a few drinks with the 'boys' - haven't you ever heard of that Karma. Sure we might be in our thirties but it is quite a 'collective term' used - you should get out more!!!!!!!

 

[Karmawave]

I always go out for a few drinks with the 'boys' - haven't you ever heard of that Karma. Sure we might be in our thirties but it is quite a 'collective term' used - you should get out more!!!!!!!

Hang on a second, the context was used to try and suggest the players are young and inexperienced. :lol:

You called them ' babies even '.

 

[shane1970]

I haven't got the time to go through our players stats and the like, cause I'm just about to go out for the day, with the 'boys' - but the team which ran out onto the field last night (were in MY opinion) 'boys'. They had NOWHERE near the game experience needed or required to play finals football. I wasn't saying they were YOUNG - they were INEXPERIENCED.

 

[Whats Doing]

The biggest problem which has been so evident over the last 2 years is we do not have a dominant players in the halves. Unless this is corrected, we will continue to have the inconsistent performances during the year no matter what other recruitment or players are to come into the team next year.

You can all what you want about Dureau and Rogers, the fact is they are not of a first grade standard nor ever will be and Mullo after 5 years in first grade is still very much inconsistent.

The Dureau/Mullo combination whilst having the ball in the hands often, do not know how to the steer the team around the paddock or build pressure from well placed kicks with the Mullo/Rogers combination playing like they are complete strangers where Rogers hardly touches the ball in games.

The game last night could have been won had we had a hard headed half who can direct the side around the field when the pressure is on and when we need to build the pressure with precision placed kicks in the in goal.

You only need to look at the top 6 sides who have a dominant player in the halves to show that is where we have our biggest problem.

Dogs with Kimmorley, Saints with Soward, Titans with Prince, Storm with Cronk, Manly with Orford, Broncos with Locky/Wallace

This is where out biggest problem lies and has been bleeding obvious all year and unless it is fixed, expect another year of inconsistent performances like this year.

 

[Karmawave]

I haven't got the time to go through our players stats and the like, cause I'm just about to go out for the day, with the 'boys' - but the team which ran out onto the field last night (were in MY opinion) 'boys'. They had NOWHERE near the game experience needed or required to play finals football. I wasn't saying they were YOUNG - they were INEXPERIENCED.

And I don't disagree they are inexperienced.

I just believe they are inexperienced because they aren't good enough footballers to be playing at this level - which probably explains why most of them haven't played semi final football very often in the past.