R21 // Rabbitohs 50-10 Knights @ Barlow Park, Cairns // Sun 3pm

[Rod]

Most of them were fairly average, Gagai probably being the worst. Chanel was caught in no man's land a few times but you can forgive him a bit for obvious reasons. I don't know why Gidley has been singled out apart from because he always is, Roberts wasn't any better. Also he didn't have a bad game but Mamo (and Gagai) constantly get bent or driven back every time we're bringing the ball out of our end.

All of that being said though the game was won and lost because we were completely outplayed up front.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

I would blame a complete lack of give a shit from the entire side. They knew what was coming. They knew the burgess boys would try to run over the top of them. They just gave up once the game got way from them at about the 20 nil mark. We have to find a way in the off season to counter attack with attack. You cannot defend your way to a win on it's own if you have no punch in the middle. What I want to know is why did they not just follow last weeks game plan. It was basic. It was simple. Kick to the spaces, chase hard and move the ball in the middle rather than out wide. While they are big lads the Souths boys they can be got around the ruck if you throw enough at them.

 

[Swarzey]

Meh. Gagai was bad in defence, Gidley was bad in attack, Roberts went missing (I think due to Gidley wanting control), we had little go forward after the first 10 minutes. Pea heart effort from everyone really. Also think Bennett should cop a bit of the blame. We had them on the ropes early and the style he has installed took away any real opportunities to get early points.

I think I rate Gagai too highly to think he's worth moving on and a move to fullback would do him some good. I don't think it's worth playing Sione in first grade anymore with our Under 20's clearly missing his spark; he's also someone who could potentially win Rookie of the Year next year so that's something I'd like to see him get.

 

[perverse]

How can you blame Wayne for the loss this week, but credit the players for the win last week? People seem to write these scripts in their heads to fit their opinions. I saw 17 blokes out there who just didn't put the effort in today. No line speed, dumb decisions, no enthusiasm and giving up way too easily. Bennett doesn't coach any of these traits, and it's the first time I've seen it in a Wayne Bennett team. Somehow some of you have convinced yourselves that Bennett is the problem with the Knights, but we were shit before he got here, and he was still winning premierships.

You can make up any crap you like in your head, but at the end of the day we don't have the cattle and no game plan fixes what happened out there today. We need Mullen back, and in form. We need at least 2 more real props and our pack to play for each other. Actually we need the whole team to play for each other, because when they do, they go alright.

 

[Nuffy]

Who'd be the next coach, what a job they'll have.

Where to start, so late in the year and limited recruitment options.

Maybe Gus told Brennan that to come into the club now will kill his career?

 

[aqua_duck]

Wayne is an absolute sore loser, I actually pity the old fool. Instead of giving credit where it's due to a team that put 50 on us, he says Souths are too predictable, and questioned their premiership credentials. If you know what they were going to do why couldn't you formulate a more effective gameplan being the 'supercoach' that you are?

 

[Rod]

I don't think he said anything particularly outrageous, he was asked about Souths ability to win the comp and gave a similar answer to what many people who have a doubt about Souths would give. When they are matched up front they sometimes struggle for ideas so I don't think he's necessarily wrong either.

He also gave them a decent rap at the same time so I don't have a problem with it.

 

[thehattrickrabbit]

Hey guys,

First off commiserations on your season no club should have to go through what you have this year even though Tinkler's take-over may of saved the Knights for the shorter term.

I don't think Manly could of beat us today it was a perfect first 40 and despite a few lapses the boys got the job done in the 2nd half.

The back three look promising both Mata's and Mamo definitely worth persisting with for the rest of this season.

The real concern I have for you guys is Dane Gagai I think his defence at Centre is close to abysmal and has been a fair few games this season he is flat out not a centre and I got no idea how Bennett sees that. I believe you can only play in a position that your defence can withstand even with the flashy attacking stuff which he is every inconsistent with on top of that.

For mine he is definitely a Fullback or a Winger has a lot of potential in attack and needs to be given room which can be accomodated returning from attacking kicks afterall he achieved a lot of success a few years ago at 1 and 2/5 looked such a talent and I believe isn't reaching potential now.

Do you guys have a notable number 1 you have groomed for next season? Because if you have I think you'd be crazy not to consider Gagai plenty of raw potential there may as well go back to where it can be seen as he is playing out of position now.

 

[Misanthrope]

Sione seems to be the heir apparent at #1, although you're not the first to suggest that Gagai belongs there rather than in the centres.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

If Akuila got dropped for form reasons and the points he gave up then Gagai deserves the same next week. It was terrible and it is not the first time Gagai has done this. For the time being he should play wing outside of Leilua. put McManus and Aku on the right. Problem is Chanel. He deserves more time there. It has been a good lesson for Chanel and Sione. The contrasting losses. It is what builds a first grader's character. You learn really fast that form is only the last game you played.

I am not going to speculate on the reasons for Dane's form this season but his ability is not in question for me. Something else is wrong there.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

I only watched the first half

Said everyone.

Anyone who strapped in for the second half has my admiration, luckily after the year we've had it didn't piss me off as much as usual.

 

[Noname36]

I'd definitely try Gagai at fullback. So many times a bomb has come down in our in goal in a dangerous position and he's been the one to grab it and save our arses.

He just can't defend at centre though. Souths pretty much worked out a perfect game plan against us. Beat us up the forwards then go wide and attack Gagai. Every other club will copy that now.

That's taking nothing away from Sione. He's looked great there but he's really a centre anyway so a swap there makes sense.


Edit - another thing that became apparent watching a big side like Souths is that our squad is too small. Not only do we have the smallest pack in the comp, but I also can't think of another team that are carrying so many players in the build of Roberts, Clydesdale, Waddell, Mamo, Gagai, Gidley and Sione (although he'll grow). Sometimes having small, zippy players can be a positive, but you're on a hiding to nothing up against a large squad like Souths.

 

[Yosh]

The problem with our squad is that usually a small forward pack has advantages like mobility, speed and skill over a big pack. Our pack lacks majorly in those three departments AND they are small...

 

[Noname36]

The problem with our squad is that usually a small forward pack has advantages like mobility, speed and skill over a big pack. Our pack lacks majorly in those three departments AND they are small...

This.

 

[Galeforce]

Wayne is an absolute sore loser, I actually pity the old fool. Instead of giving credit where it's due to a team that put 50 on us, he says Souths are too predictable, and questioned their premiership credentials. If you know what they were going to do why couldn't you formulate a more effective gameplan being the 'supercoach' that you are?

Yes , i had the same thought.
I thought it naive to compare this team to last years team.Souths lacked three quarters compared to finals opponents last year. Souths back line ( especially yesterdays ) is completely different to last year with first year rookies Johnston and Auva and 19year old Walker's second season , add on Keary giving Souths plenty of speed and attacking options. Very different to last year and i think they may explode during the finals.

The forward game is basically unchanged except we have replaced three older forwards in Asotasi , Crocker and ??? with rookies Turner and young Tom Burgess.

Anyway , i like the way this year we have been flying under the radar and must thank Wayne for helping to keep us there with his comments.

 

[Noname36]

Anyway , i like the way this year we have been flying under the radar and must thank Wayne for helping to keep us there with his comments.

I just saw the presser, and I don't think he meant it as an insult. Just more pointing out that with Souths you know what you're going to get and Bennett generally sees that as a good thing rather than unpredictability (I.e. Us).

I wouldn't put too much stock into yesterday either way. Souths were great but it was against a side with no forward pack, centres that can't defend, a complete rookie backline, and it's two main playmakers out. Credit to the Bunnies, they played to a great game plan that worked to their strengths and exposed our multitude of weaknesses, but like Bennett I'm not sure they have another level they can go to like Manly or Melbourne to win the comp. Still though, the comp is very open and no team is really standing out this year so it could happen.

 

[Joker's Wild]

If Akuila got dropped for form reasons and the points he gave up then Gagai deserves the same next week. It was terrible and it is not the first time Gagai has done this. For the time being he should play wing outside of Leilua. put McManus and Aku on the right. Problem is Chanel. He deserves more time there. It has been a good lesson for Chanel and Sione. The contrasting losses. It is what builds a first grader's character. You learn really fast that form is only the last game you played.

I am not going to speculate on the reasons for Dane's form this season but his ability is not in question for me. Something else is wrong there.

A straight swap between Sione and Gagai would be my course of action, at least until Boyd is ready to play

Sione has played plenty of centre and killed it there in the U20s

 

[eozsmiles]

I know this isn't the Souths forum but people are touching on it here, and my post is as much about the knights anyway. Why would you judge Souths on yesterday's game? As everyone else in this thread have said, the Knights were crap in every department.

Souths just smashed them up front then targeted the worst defender - not rocket science. When they see Waddell (plod), Roberts (inconsistent), Kurt (enough said), and the rookie lining up in the spine, Souths know the knights have little chance of controlling the game. Look at what GI, Luke, Keary, and Reynolds offer in comparison.

I don't think I'm telling any secrets by saying that the 17 Newy sent to Cairns was not a premiership contending squad. Souths are contenders and had every right to win that game comfortably. Maybe not as easily as they did, but they should have done exactly what they did - score plenty of points and let very few in.

So I'm kind of with Wayne - Souths didn't really do much I didn't expect. Played well though, no doubt about that.

 

[eozsmiles]

The George Burgess try summed a few things up yesterday. Forget the put down. When Manly or Melbourne are defending their line like that, they get the whole cavalry there to stop a prop barging over. At least 4 if not 5 defenders will rock up, and the fullback will always be in there. When George went crashing over it was as though he only had to roll through the couple of blokes in front of him and that was it. For a 130kg monster with a full head of steam from 10m out, that's not much of a challenge.

 

[Burwood]

We can cut down a rampaging forward 5m out in a one-on-one tackle, and then in the exact same set we can have plenty of bodies around the ball and all the attacking player needs to do is reach out and place the ball down on the line.

There is just no consistency, it's as though the players default to the "someone else will do the work" mindset. That's the most frustrating thing about this team- they can produce set after set of try line defence and not look like being breached, and then moments later it falls completely to bits.

It is purely mental with this team, no wonder Bennett has no idea what's going on.