R2 | Sea Eagles 32-0 Knights @ Brookvale | Sun 6.30pm

[9701]

Any Injury updates? Hoping Dane and Willy are good for next week and Timana was due back round 3 and Danny says round 2 -4 so hopefully it's 3.

 

[Joker's Wild]

I find it impossible to use those loses in 2001 as a case of optimism in 2013. We were a team back then that was completely reliant on one player. If Johns wasn't there we were a good chance of getting hammered. If he was there, we were a good chance of hammering the other team. If Johns was in those games, then we were very unlikely to get hammered like we did. The team we have now has a completely different structure to the one back then.

Joey played in the 42-8 flogging we copped from the Broncos in 2001 mate

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Apart from 1998 of course when we put 50 on them. One of the best games in the knights history that one. Shame outside of that game, the knights record there has been abysmal.

That'd be one of the few exceptions. But in recent years it has been a graveyard for us. I was at the game last time we won there in 2006 but has been all downhill after that.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Bennett has acknowledged that Gidley isn't really a half. He has said Gids just needs to catch and pass and that he'll work his way into the position.
Gids tried to do more than that last night but he over tried because much of the rest of the team seemed disinterested. Had the rest wanted the ball and wanted to take it up he wouldn't have needed to hunt so much or try and pull off moves that weren't on.
Early on I thought Hilder actually brought a little more speed in delivery from dummy half. The team couldn't capitalise on that and Hilder figured less in the game.

 

[broncos2010]

Roberts needs to start he is not a hooker.

Gidley needs to start hooker he has played that position before well for the knights and he played hooker of the bench for NSW as well.

Roberts showed some very good signs at leading the team around last year when Gidley was out. Gids is only a part time fix for that position his primary position is fullback.

 

[Jobdog]

Haven't read through this thread but I can guess what the general feeling is - and rightly so. I was absolutely filthy last night but it's really no surprise we got bashed at Brookie and copped some injuries. It happens every season.

Agree with Wayne at the presser though - don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. It's only round 2 - stop reaching for the razor blades. If performances like last night become the norm, THEN the razor blades can come out. But until then, we're all going off far too early.

 

[Yosh]

After a day to relax, I'm calmed down a little...

Only the second week... We played a good team and we played like crap. Nothing more to it.

I really hope we do make the top 4... I think we have it in us to be a good team but sometimes we look so clueless out there...

Some points:

Kidley is a toiler but he ain't no leader... Mullen started the second half with some great kicks but when we conceded a soft try to Watmough, he disappeared again. When we needs our halves to step up, Mullen disappears and Kidley throws about 8 hospital passes. I don't know if they are the answer...

Snowden will never look flashy but he was an amazing metre eater... What happened to the bloke?

I agree with people who think we need a strike backrower. I honestly think we have some great forwards in Smith, Scott, Rochow, Mason and Mckinnon. What do people think about Tahu into the backrow? I think House is a good solid player but having House, Quinn and McManus on the one side... We were never going to score...

Manly looked good. Sharp, aggressive and organized. We looked like Costigan out there...

If I was WB, I'll tell them to wipe that game from their minds and focus on improving slowly and focus on peaking in September.

 

[Joker's Wild]

After a day to relax, I'm calmed down a little...

Only the second week... We played a good team and we played like crap. Nothing more to it.

I really hope we do make the top 4... I think we have it in us to be a good team but sometimes we look so clueless out there...

Some points:

Kidley is a toiler but he ain't no leader... Mullen started the second half with some great kicks but when we conceded a soft try to Watmough, he disappeared again. When we needs our halves to step up, Mullen disappears and Kidley throws about 8 hospital passes. I don't know if they are the answer...

Snowden will never look flashy but he was an amazing metre eater... What happened to the bloke?

I agree with people who think we need a strike backrower. I honestly think we have some great forwards in Smith, Scott, Rochow, Mason and Mckinnon. What do people think about Tahu into the backrow? I think House is a good solid player but having House, Quinn and McManus on the one side... We were never going to score...

Manly looked good. Sharp, aggressive and organized. We looked like Costigan out there...

If I was WB, I'll tell them to wipe that game from their minds and focus on improving slowly and focus on peaking in September.

Why? They scored plenty last year and got 2 in round 1.

Bit of a dud call there Yosho

 

[Yosh]

Why? They scored plenty last year and got 2 in round 1.

Bit of a dud call there Yosho

That's a good point. I was referring to the point of them playing together on one side. As individuals I think they are good players bar Quinn.

I was going to add that they can't make a try for themselves. If Mullen or Boyd are shut down, it's very hard for them (if impossible) for them to get a try by themselves like Aku or Gagai could.

I'm a huge fan of McManus. However, if we are going to have House and Quinn inside them, I would even consider dropping McManus for Kev, who would off something different. A spark in attack.

With BJ/Tahu + McManus, I think that's a good combination.

Do you disagree?

 

[Zoidberg]

Our team needs to cop a loss like this because it will teach them a valuable lesson

Hopefully they get the mindset of not wanting to feel the way they would've been feeling last night, and the way most of us were feeling.

 

[Joker's Wild]

That's a good point. I was referring to the point of them playing together on one side. As individuals I think they are good players bar Quinn.

I was going to add that they can't make a try for themselves. If Mullen or Boyd are shut down, it's very hard for them (if impossible) for them to get a try by themselves like Aku or Gagai could.

I'm a huge fan of McManus. However, if we are going to have House and Quinn inside them, I would even consider dropping McManus for Kev, who would off something different. A spark in attack.

With BJ/Tahu + McManus, I think that's a good combination.

Do you disagree?

Youre right, Quinn is the issue there and they will be relying on a Boyd or Mullo cut out to make some space. Putting Kev on the edge wont change that much, and we'll lose Jimmys early set metres that Kev is not quite as good at providing, nor is he as good in the air. If Timana was there then the problem largely goes away as he was excellent at setting up Jimmy last season.

At this point I think Aku is in more danger of being dropped than Jimmy is.

 

[Big Tim]

I was ashamed of the way people attacked Quinn after round 1, but now seeing him as our best attacking centre..... we cant get our troops back fast enough.

Hopefully T is fit, and BJ is on top of his game so he can slide into the team if Dane is out for an extended period.

 

[Yosh]

I was ashamed of the way people attacked Quinn after round 1, but now seeing him as our best attacking centre..... we cant get our troops back fast enough.

Hopefully T is fit, and BJ is on top of his game so he can slide into the team if Dane is out for an extended period.

Quinn our best attacking centre... Shudder... That is the sh*t nightmares are made of!!

 

[eozsmiles]

We can get used to it in my opinion. As I've said, I'm extremely worried about our forwards. To me it looks more like a bottom 4 pack than a top 4 pack.

We don't have anything that even resembles Watmough, and when your entire attacking threat comes from your right centre, right winger and fullback's ballplaying skills there's a problem.

Don't have anything that resembles Glen Stewart either. Or DCE/Foran for that matter. Attack from the forwards and composure from the halves.

While we are talking about the forward battle we might as well say something obvious - Mason wasn't meant to be the 1st choice prop for any NRL club in 2013. The form that got Snowy to SOO is a memory right now. We know what Nev brings to the table. Fingers crossed Fa'alogo can offer something. Unless something gets sorted out there, it will be a long year.

The tigers have a small pack and Manly are meant to have an old pack. The real test could/should be dogs, broncos, cows, roosters, titans, Souths, etc. They are the big boppers.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Boyd will skirt out to the left and feed McManus.
Usually he hopefully will anyway.
Last week Boyd seemed to want to either own the ball himself or hand it over for Uate or Jimmy to run from the kick. He didn;t seem to want to be a part of the team as much as he did the week before. Made some decent solo runs though.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Boyd will skirt out to the left and feed McManus.
Usually he hopefully will anyway.
Last week Boyd seemed to want to either own the ball himself or hand it over for Uate or Jimmy to run from the kick. He didn;t seem to want to be a part of the team as much as he did the week before. Made some decent solo runs though.

I loved that run that he did against Manly where he brought the ball back at top speed with no thoughts of self preservation. We need more of that from him in the coming weeks.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Don't have anything that resembles Glen Stewart either. Or DCE/Foran for that matter. Attack from the forwards and composure from the halves.

While we are talking about the forward battle we might as well say something obvious - Mason wasn't meant to be the 1st choice prop for any NRL club in 2013. The form that got Snowy to SOO is a memory right now. We know what Nev brings to the table. Fingers crossed Fa'alogo can offer something. Unless something gets sorted out there, it will be a long year.

The tigers have a small pack and Manly are meant to have an old pack. The real test could/should be dogs, broncos, cows, roosters, titans, Souths, etc. They are the big boppers.

TBO I don't mind the idea of Mason being the first choice prop as I think on his day he's up there with the best props going around. You're spot on with Snowden though. I was stoked when we signed him but he's a massive let down. He looks to be out of shape and not in peak physical fitness. Hopefully as the season roles on, his match fitness will allow him to get back to what he was a couple of years ago.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

I reckon Mason needs to come off the bench. He seems to get fired up more when he has to sit and watch for 20 mins.

 

[The Showstopper]

I think the bounce back factor will be huge on Monday night. OT, if Todd Carney goes free agent do we sign him? His class cannot be denied.

 

[Rudderriffic]

Personally I think people are judging Snowden poorly based on '12 form, not what he has offered in two games this year. Good minutes (50+) for both games, with over 100m and 39 tackles against Manly. He was dissapointing last year, but if he can do 50-60 minutes with 100m and 30ish tackles that's exactly what we from one of our starting props, and I think his first two games were a good starting point to achieve that.