Respected & Feared? Why Fans Optimism For 2009 Is All Hope No Substance

[Karmawave]

With this mornings re-signing of Brian Smith dividing many supporters, and so many Knights fans thinking Top 4 in 2009, a slap in the face reality check came into circulation this morning.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/images/captainpoll.pdf


A poll of all NRL captains, each of which name their Top 8 teams for 2009.

Not one of them - not even a single solitary NRL captain, believes the Knights will make the Top 8 in 2009.

When it comes to the Knights respect levels, we rank alongside Penrith, Canberra and South Sydney.

It is not a good sign that rival players think we suck that badly. No longer are the Knights a team that other opponents fear playing.

After all, rugby league success often revolves around gaining respect from the opposition, of which clearly, at this stage of 2009 - we have none.

Even with the improvements of 2008, peers have written us off in 2009 to a man.

It doesn't bode well for an organisation that needs a Top 4 finish to save our financial asses.

While we might come out and shock some people, the Knights remain an iffy proposition at best to be successful in 2009 irrespective of the often blinkered optimism that flies around in his forum.

Maybe losing Danny Buderus has impacted the way we are viewed by opponents. The likes of De Gois might be a handy replacement, but that aura of respected champion sure disappeared when he left for Leeds.

And the 15 rival captains have spoken about just what they think of the Knights.

One can only assume that they must be looking forward to playing us in 2009, given that they think so highly of our ability to make the Top 8...

 

[Frederick]

Let them think what they want. They're sure to get a pleasant surprise if they become complacent when playing us

 

[Peppers]

Ok then lets not play the season then. we'll just let the captains decide the top 8.

Smith should pin this up on the wall of the sheds.

 

[League_God]

i can see where your coming from, and you have a fair point. ill be really happy if we make the 8 this year tbh. i really think it could go either way though, depends on individual form and whether or not the team gels this year. imo we need more set backline plays, like honestly like manly's backline plays, they are superb, surely its not that hard to do some similar things. in saying that we need a solid halfback to really be able to do this and i really dont think mullen is the answer in the no. 7, he is a great 5/8. i really think, buys like nadira and rogers, were just a waste of our money. we have de gois and hilder to fill in at hooker, and we have plenty of players that are capable of playing 5/8. what we really need this year, was to resign royal or white. priority number should of been a solid halfback.

 

[sneaky_is_here]

I agree. EAS used to be the grave yard.

In saying that we did lose alot of quality players like Bedsy Johns and BK over that period. Smith is trying to rebuild that as fast as he can, in 07 johns was spose to be on the roster and wasn't last year he moved us inches away from the 8 which is what most of us expected. I am more than happy to give him 09 and 10 to finish what he started.

And who cares what people like cam smith think anyway?

 

[Jono078]

They just nominated the usuals who go strong each year, captains arent gonna sit down and go 'aw yeah this team might make it', they go with the usuals and the ones with big star players in the team

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

I think that Smith has done a fantastic job getting a competitive roster together with the loss of Bedsy & Joey in recent years, could anyone imagine what our team would look with Hagan around still?

No doubt we'd have the likes of Carmont, Tanner & Mueller still in our team and not the recent additions of Cross, De Gois, Hilder and the retaining of star players like Patterson.

I am very happy with our present 1-17 even our depth players are good enough fill in's, I shudder at what our team would look like with Mr Cut & Paste.

 

[roopy]

We didn't make the finals last year.
On paper it looks like we have actually lost a bit with Bedsy going, and that is what those outside the club are judging us on.
Those in the know are aware that we improved steadily all last season till we were beating sides in the top 4, and that all our young players have stepped up a few levels and have a few more levels of potential in them yet.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

True we didnt Roopy but we were frigging unlucky that we didnt, any other year and we would have comfortably made it, our for and against was the best we've had in years.

 

[aqua_duck]

Injuries to experienced players killed us last year, with our lack of experience we need atleast 20 matches this year out of Cross and Simmo, last year Simmo played 9, and cross 12, bedsy only played 15, thats 36/72 matches. No team is going to dominate with their 3 most experienced forwards missing half the season

 

[General Knight]

I shudder at what our team would look like with Mr Cut & Paste.

Hmmm, it would be interesting to see what the team would look like if Hagan was still around. Someone start a thread!!!

 

[roopy]

Hmmm, it would be interesting to see what the team would look like if Hagan was still around. Someone start a thread!!!

Hinton
Uate
Matt Gidley
Carmont
Quinn
Mullen
Kurt Gidley
Perry
Quigley
Snowden
Paterson
Simpson
Newton

Tanner
Lowrie
Woolnough
Riley Brown

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I think that Smith has done a fantastic job getting a competitive roster together with the loss of Bedsy & Joey in recent years, could anyone imagine what our team would look with Hagan around still?

No doubt we'd have the likes of Carmont, Tanner & Mueller still in our team and not the recent additions of Cross, De Gois, Hilder and the retaining of star players like Patterson.

I am very happy with our present 1-17 even our depth players are good enough fill in's, I shudder at what our team would look like with Mr Cut & Paste.

Throw in Todd Lowrie, haha!

 

[General Knight]

Throw in Todd Lowrie, haha!

Reynoldson? Quinn? Cooper? Thiaday? Siege? and a couple of other rubbish prop/2nd rowers that I can't think of atm.

 

[Pumba]

Reynoldson? Quinn? Cooper? Thiaday? Siege? and a couple of other rubbish prop/2nd rowers that I can't think of atm.

Andrew Price, Matt Jobson :lol:

 

[Frederick]

With this mornings re-signing of Brian Smith dividing many supporters

Really? The only people I know of who are against it are you and the staff at the Daily Telegraph

 

[Yosh]

Last time I checked winning games got you into the top 8 not respect of other captains. All I can say to them is 'BOOM!'

Don't ask me what boom means...

 

[Karmawave]

Really? The only people I know of who are against it are you and the staff at the Daily Telegraph

Taking the opinions of one red eye one blue eye supporters in this forum, and applying it across the spectrum of all Knights fans does not equate to the actual reality.

Maybe you should get out more amongst the pubs and clubs and speak to a few other Knights ' fans '...

I've had just as many people around me talking down the reappointment of Smith as people who believe it was a good decision.

I maintain what I said. It has created mixed reactions from what I've seen.

 

[Burwood]

Am I the only one happy for the opposition and media to not think highly of us?

How often do you hear opposition captains and coaches come out in the pre-match media and say that they are looking forward to going up against and testing themselves against one of the competition heavyweights? A hell of a lot more often than you hear them saying that they are looking forward to testing themselves against Penrith or Canterbury!

If anything, being taken lightly by rival clubs could be just the psychological advantage that Newcastle need this season. Let them come into games under-prepared and over-confident. I'm sure Brian Smith will be reminding his players at every opportunity just how highly their opposition rate them.

 

[TooheysNew]

Maybe you should get out more amongst the pubs and clubs and speak to a few other Knights ' fans '...

To be fair, a lot of Knights fans are morons.