R24 | Cowboys 26-6 Knights @ 1300SMILES | Sat 7.30pm

[Nuffy]

We're easy targets. The back page of all the major newspapers would explode if it was the Broncos, Rabbits, Roosters, Bulldogs, etc. getting shafted like this, but the Knights are easy targets.

This situation is a direct result of laying down every time we get kicked.

If you let people walk all over you then don't be surprised if they make a habit of it.

We never defend ourselves or kick up a royal stink, Bennett is too worried about his legacy and Matt Gidley is frankly invisible.

We get screwed regularly and no one says a thing. Toovey thinks Manly got diddled in one game and he blew a gasket....................... we've had half a dozen like that this year and Bennett can't be stuffed to say anything. Can you imagine if he went postal just once, the whole comp would stop and listen.

Seriously, we don't have the b*lls to defend ourselves so why should the NRL care. Where are the Knights players and staff defending Snowden and highlighting the rank hypocrisy of the NRL when it comes to shoulder charges.

Finally, Bennett has lost me, irrespective of what he achieves at the club and on balance its looking like very little. The way he threw Snowden to the wolves on Sat night has given the NRL the green light to crucify the bloke.

There wouldn't be another coach in the comp who would have speared their own player as thoroughly as he did.

 

[Apey]

Is this the real life?

 

[perverse]

Seriously, we don't have the b*lls to defend ourselves so why should the NRL care. Where are the Knights players and staff defending Snowden and highlighting the rank hypocrisy of the NRL when it comes to shoulder charges.

Finally, Bennett has lost me, irrespective of what he achieves at the club and on balance its looking like very little. The way he threw Snowden to the wolves on Sat night has given the NRL the green light to crucify the bloke.

There wouldn't be another coach in the comp who would have speared their own player as thoroughly as he did.

I think you're off on 2 counts... although I certainly understand your frustration.

For starters, the Knights players and the club may well defend him yet, I don't think anyone would have guessed that he would have this sort of suspension thrown at him. I figured a month if they really threw the book at him. The charge has just been released... so we just need to see what happens there. Also we'll obviously only hear our side of the story if the papers choose to print it, which they won't, because they don't give a f**k about us either, and would prefer the drama angle.

http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news-display/Bennett-wants-NRL-to-set-standard/82808

Secondly, I think there's a really big over-reaction about what Bennett said at the presser. He said if that's the way that the NRL wants to handle it, he had no problem with it. In Bennett-lingo, I read that as "ok, I'll cop that... but the next bloke that does it to us better get the same". Bennett is happy to cop a decision provided that it's consistent. I can guarantee you he wouldn't be jumping for joy or satisfied with the charge that's been laid against Kade, and we might hear more about that during the week.

I don't think he was throwing him under the bus as much as planting seeds for a future whinge.

Just keep in mind that when Bennett was at the press conference, Kade didn't have 7-9 weeks hanging over his head... and going off previous results we would have anticipated a charge of 1-2 weeks tops at that stage.

 

[Burwood]

Bennett said that it was a shoulder charge and something along the lines of "no one being able to argue against that." Maybe it's my red and blue glasses, but based upon what the MRC have decided to label as high tackles and not technically shoulder charges, I'd be disputing that it was even a shoulder charge in the first place.

We are going to look very stupid if we do decide to challenge the charge and the first question the NRL judiciary ask is "why is Bennett, with his seven premierships and 20+ years of first grade coaching experience wrong?"

 

[perverse]

Ultimately I don't think Bennett's opinion on the tackle immediately after the game - before he's even had a chance to review it, is more critical than... you know... what actually happened on the field.

Then again... what the f**k do I know anymore... apparently Ray Thompson's face is at least 4x more broken than Masons or something.

 

[Burwood]

Ultimately I don't think Bennett's opinion on the tackle immediately after the game - before he's even had a chance to review it, is more critical than... you know... what actually happened on the field.

Then again... what the f**k do I know anymore... apparently Ray Thompson's face is at least 4x more broken than Masons or something.

Don't worry Perverse, I agree with you. Ideally, Bennett should have just made the comment that the incident was unfortunate, but that he won't be commentating on the tackle until he has seen footage of it.

What I also found ridiculous from the press conferences of both coaches was a certain reporter trying to play the angle that Tariq Sims was purposely egging on the crowd to sway the referees to send Snowden off. He persisted with that angle for quite some time, but thankfully both coaches just dismissed it.

 

[RHCP]

Ricky Stuart blows up every other week, so when he does it, it's just another Sticky whinge.

Bennett tends to stay quiet so when he does say something, it gets heard.

 

[Apey]

I think I'll be more pissed if we don't go on the offensive and try and get this downgraded.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I'm in shock! The more I watch the replay, the softer it looks. Kade was practically standing there and the bloke ran into him. The game is going down the drain fast! I find it hard to watch games that don't involve the knights anymore. As shithouse as Gallop was, Dave Smith will leave a worse legacy..

 

[The Showstopper]

Really disappointing the whole saga. Bennett's lack of support just leads to more questions about where his heart lies. The big irony may end up being Stone ends up NQs next coach.

 

[Knight Vision]

Bennett said that it was a shoulder charge and something along the lines of "no one being able to argue against that." Maybe it's my red and blue glasses, but based upon what the MRC have decided to label as high tackles and not technically shoulder charges, I'd be disputing that it was even a shoulder charge in the first place.

We are going to look very stupid if we do decide to challenge the charge and the first question the NRL judiciary ask is "why is Bennett, with his seven premierships and 20+ years of first grade coaching experience wrong?"

I agree totally, and i dont think i was watching with red and blue glasses either. Snowden certainly didnt "charge" with his shoulder he was standing there and put his body up as a reaction to the impending impact. He's not guilty in my book. I've always thought Uncle Wayne would be an interesting person to have a chat with and understand the ability to get people to buy into what he's trying to do but I fail to understand how on earth he expects guys to want to bleed for him when he just throws them to the lions like he did at the press conference. he should have defended Snowden come hell or high water and defended his actions in the strongest terms. Kade would every right to feel hard done by in my book. I would go so far as to say if I was Snowy I would find it very hard to play for the guy again...

 

[Alex28]

7 weeks because Ray Thompson ran into Kade Snowden.

That will f***ing do me.

 

[Jobdog]

We're wasting our time contesting it. The NRL have already decided he's guilty, so they'll be more than happy to add another two weeks onto the suspension...

 

[Burwood]

We're wasting our time contesting it. The NRL have already decided he's guilty, so they'll be more than happy to add another two weeks onto the suspension...

Two games left this year season with possibly one or two in the finals. Two trial games and, if we can make it work in our favour, possibly a few World Cup games for Italy to be counted towards his suspension as well. All goes well, he could be back by the first few rounds of 2014.

Based on SBW's charge, I'm still convinced that the Knights have a good chance of contesting the charge itself, not just trying to downgrade the severity of the charge.

 

[Knight Vision]

This from Nick Tedeschi on Making the Nut

"Snowden Stiff: Kade Snowden is dreadfully unlucky to be facing a nine-week suspension from the NRL for his shot on Ray Thompson that left the Cowboys hooker nursing a broken jaw. There is no question the shot was late and it was high but it is debatable whether Snowden intended to hit Thompson. It is certainly not a win for the moralisers who have been trying to ban the shoulder charge. This is a penalty – and a send off – that would have happened in any era because the shot was brutal even if total culpability may not rest with Snowden. No, the politically correct moralisers are responsible for Josh Reynolds getting penalised for a wonderful shot late against the Bunnies and any other number of good defensive plays this year. Snowden deserves a penalty. But to give him nine weeks is insane."

 

[Jobdog]

I think they changed the rules so trial games don't count anymore.

 

[Burwood]

I think they changed the rules so trial games don't count anymore.

Since James Graham in last years GF?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...gets-12-game-ban/story-fnca0von-1226488488191

He had two trials and two test matches count towards his 12-match suspension. The only difference I can see with his case is that he was already named in the English test squad- Snowden hasn't even said that he would play for them. Maybe we could get them to name their squad in the next day or two...

 

[Noname36]

Seriously, why does the NRL hate us?

 

[RHCP]

Seriously, what does the NRL hate us?

We aren't a glamour club. The NRL, despite the ties to News Limited all but gone, are still the bitches of the media.

Need to make an example of somebody? No, not Jeff Lima, he plays for Souths, we'll get hammered. Yes Snowden, he's an easy target, the DT and Courier Mail will be easy on us since he plays for the Knights.

f**king merkins. First we get dudded by the underuse of yellow and red cards, not we get dudded by the overzealousness to use them.

I usually prefer the 'nothing we can do about it, lets leave it' line of thinking, but this is injury determining punishment is an absolute scourge on the NRL and I hope Tinks hires the best lawyers in town to take us to the judiciary to fight this charge.

 

[Nuffy]

Secondly, I think there's a really big over-reaction about what Bennett said at the presser. He said if that's the way that the NRL wants to handle it, he had no problem with it. In Bennett-lingo, I read that as "ok, I'll cop that... but the next bloke that does it to us better get the same". Bennett is happy to cop a decision provided that it's consistent. I can guarantee you he wouldn't be jumping for joy or satisfied with the charge that's been laid against Kade, and we might hear more about that during the week.

I don't think he was throwing him under the bus as much as planting seeds for a future whinge.

Just keep in mind that when Bennett was at the press conference, Kade didn't have 7-9 weeks hanging over his head... and going off previous results we would have anticipated a charge of 1-2 weeks tops at that stage.

I agree with your comment that Bennett was establishing a baseline for a future whinge but the reality is that his tactic doesn't work, yet he continues with it.

The league elder statesman schtick isn't cutting through, we are reffed to a different standard to many of the other teams and there is a laundry list of issues in 2013 when we have got screwed on and off the field and we've just rolled over.

I'm just frustrated that at a time when Bennett needed to support his player, he didn't.

Perhaps he could of said something along the lines of " Getting sent off is a substantial penalty and whilst I feel for the Cowboys player, we lost Willie Mason to a deliberate shoulder charge and the offender got 2 weeks so I think Kade will be back for the finals".

As soon as he said that he felt it was a shoulder charge and Kade would need to take his medicine, the NRL knew they could pile on without censure.

How can Kade defend himself when his coach has already proclaimed him guilty.

I just don't know any other coach would have made that public concession and that worries me more than anything.