Round 1 v Knights

[Penrose Warrior]

They look and feel like giant-killers. Until proven otherwise (i.e. a round one win in the can) then expect someone like Nathan Ross to get over for the match-winner at the siren, 20-18 to the visitors.

We might even have to suffer Willie Mason's leering mug on the field again too, if he's turned himself into a trainer.

Once we get over this round one hurdle then I'm gonna be a lot more positive, I promise.

There's just nowhere I can see that the Knights can hurt us (I am touching wood). Dud/rookie halves, unwanted at other club props, their best forward is a good honest role player rather than anyone who can touch you...their centres could cause a couple of issues with good early ball but even then I'm confident in Fus and Kata to outplay them. Maybe you'd give them a shot at competitiveness in Newcastle but not here.

 

[vvvrulz]

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of concern with Lolo and Ken on our wings and Gubb promoted to start.
Unless they've improved beyond belief, that's a major handicap.

Is there a reason why Ayshford is out of favour now?

 

[Blair]

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of concern with Lolo and Ken on our wings and Gubb promoted to start.
Unless they've improved beyond belief, that's a major handicap.

Is there a reason why Ayshford is out of favour now?

I doubt Aysh is 'out of favour', he'll play first grade this year and probably soon. I think Mooks, other coaching staff, club management and the club in general are just determined to make a real go of Lolohea. What better way to see if he still has the wobbles than in a home game against the current Knights?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of concern with Lolo and Ken on our wings and Gubb promoted to start.
Unless they've improved beyond belief, that's a major handicap.

Is there a reason why Ayshford is out of favour now?

If it was next week against the storm I'd call it a handicap, as is i'll it about even with their opponents. But we've got them in almost every other position and by some margin.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of concern with Lolo and Ken on our wings and Gubb promoted to start.
Unless they've improved beyond belief, that's a major handicap.

Is there a reason why Ayshford is out of favour now?

It's a good point, must be the opposition because I never even gave it a second thought.

What I'm telling myself this year is those guys are entitled to have gone away last year, after a shit season, and worked hard to improve. SK has picked them because he obviously saw effort/ability/the right things to win games, which is his ticket to relevancy in the NRL coaching ranks - and unless I'm wrong he should've come in with a clean slate and no selectorial bias (like McFudd did). I bemoaned Kata's continued selection in 2015 and he certainly made good the next year, so I'll give Gubb/Lolo/Ken time this year.

I'm not even sure Ayshford is out of favour, it's just the comparative advantage of having Fus and Kata (who'd we'd probably mostly agree are better centres than Ayshford) one in rather than stuck on the wing.

 

[Meth]

Thompson tipped to start off the bench ahead of Clark.

So one spot for either Papalii or Ayshford...or maybe Gavet

 

[Fufu Andronez]

Papalii please, perfect team to test him against, the Knights

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Kearney already announced Papalii is playing

 

[JJ]

I'm not even sure Ayshford is out of favour, it's just the comparative advantage of having Fus and Kata (who'd we'd probably mostly agree are better centres than Ayshford) one in rather than stuck on the wing.

Why are they better centres than him?

I get that potentially they could be.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Why are they better centres than him?

I get that potentially they could be.

Opinion, purely...but I'm sure others hold it. Kata was my POTY last year so confident in saying he is, offensively obviously another level and defensively I'd suggest he offered more too. Fus, smaller sample size but seen enough to suggest he offers more as a package too. And I'm an Ayshford fan, thought he offered something last year - especially in setting up his wingers. I just think our best two centres are Kata and Fus. And I'm not sure Ayshford is cut out to be a winger.

 

[Big Marn]

Opinion, purely...but I'm sure others hold it. Kata was my POTY last year so confident in saying he is, offensively obviously another level and defensively I'd suggest he offered more too. Fus, smaller sample size but seen enough to suggest he offers more as a package too. And I'm an Ayshford fan, thought he offered something last year - especially in setting up his wingers. I just think our best two centres are Kata and Fus. And I'm not sure Ayshford is cut out to be a winger.

Well, i hope Kata went away in the offseason and worked on his ability to set up his wingers as last year he was diabolical. Kata passing to the winger was more of an after thought when his own chances were shut down, rather than a preconceived plan, or a centre keeping all options open.. And when he did pass he made a shit job of it. Its one of the few blights on his game.

 

[Blair]

Knights by 4.

That's not me, that's the person who wrote this:

http://leagueunlimited.com/live-update/show/933/5615

It sends shivers down the spine, I'm telling ya!

 

[JJ]

Hmmm, Warriors have been pretty much shit forever and I'm unconvinced much will change this year but ever hopeful

But the Knights are truly awful this is (or should be) nothing more than a training run. The sort of game where SJ looks like the best half in the game

 

[Blair]

Hmmm, Warriors have been pretty much shit forever and I'm unconvinced much will change this year but ever hopeful

But the Knights are truly awful this is (or should be) nothing more than a training run. The sort of game where SJ looks like the best half in the game

Yep, we should roll them. I don't want any Knights fans to come in here though and read all about how 'we're gonna roll 'em' and not see at least a couple of posters say, 'whoa, hold up there, fellas!'

If we were all on the Warriors steamroller before the final result is known then any Knights incursions into this forum, after a win to the Knights, would be pretty unbearable.

 

[JJ]

Yep, we should roll them. I don't want any Knights fans to come in here though and read all about how 'we're gonna roll 'em' and not see at least a couple of posters say, 'whoa, hold up there, fellas!'

If we were all on the Warriors steamroller before the final result is known then any Knights incursions into this forum, after a win to the Knights, would be pretty unbearable.

I'm not saying we will, just that if we are contenders and not pretenders we should, they are developing

 

[Dr Crane]

We were really poor in the home game against the Knights last year and won by 22.

I know we should do about the same again, but shitting the bed and losing? It wouldn't surprise me. It would not f**king surprise me.

 

[Blair]

We were really poor in the home game against the Knights last year and won by 22.

I know we should do about the same again, but shitting the bed and losing? It wouldn't surprise me. It would not f**king surprise me.

That's right and if it is a win, as predicted by the vast majority of people (including me), then a red flag will be how much we concede. If the Knights are as woeful as suggested then any points against us over 20 would be unacceptable. For example, 42-22, a hiding, but in the context too many points given away.

I'm sure we'd all love 67-0. A club record (and how bad must Souths have been that day? - that wasn't even at home, either).

 

[SpaceMonkey]

That's right and if it is a win, as predicted by the vast majority of people (including me), then a red flag will be how much we concede. If the Knights are as woeful as suggested then any points against us over 20 would be unacceptable. For example, 42-22, a hiding, but in the context too many points given away.

I'm sure we'd all love 67-0. A club record (and how bad must Souths have been that day? - that wasn't even at home, either).

I was at that Souths game, they were laughably bad. We were actually running about 12th at the time, still making up for the 4 point cap penalty that would eventually cost us a finals place. We actually took the foot off the gas in that game too, we scored 40+ in the first half and looked like we'd threaten a century at some point.

As for tomorrow, I want to see a good solid win without too many points conceded. Not worried about running up a ticket score though obviously that'd be good for for and against.
Of course if the knights come out in giant killing mode I'll settle for a win of any sort.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

I was hoping we would be top of table on points diff after round 1, but Dragons have made that hard with a +32 points diff against a woeful Panthers.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I'm just hoping our boys were watching that. A lot of people have the dragons for the spoon, Penrith got down-troued big time.