Round 13 | Broncos 50-24 Knights @ Suncorp | Sun 3pm

[RABK]

Zeb made his bed when he hosted a 'anti Bennett' mad monday party. I don't know who attended it apart from Taufua but it was a pathetic and childish idea at a 'protest'. He's obviously not responded to Bennetts patience and took the easy way out by playing well enough to show his neck is ok and to earn a contract elsehwere and has now packed up shop.

 

[perverse]

Zeb made his bed when he hosted a 'anti Bennett' mad monday party. I don't know who attended it apart from Taufua but it was a pathetic and childish idea at a 'protest'.

Yeah, that was pretty poor.

 

[Yosh]

We should leave Mason on the bench. Start Cuthbo... We should have either Snowy or Mason on at all times...

 

[Allstar Knights]

Agreed, I'm not a fan of starting Snowden and Mason. We look promising for the first 20mins because they're rolling us forward really well, but once they go off we turn to shit. I think starting Snowden and Cuthbertson and having Mason and Richie on the bench would give us the best balance

The bench looks much better this week with a few new inclusions. I thought Adams had a good debut a few weeks ago and he definitely added some spark with his crisp passing game and I thought he linked up well with the halves. Hopefully Richie can aim up, too. We need his kamikaze runs!

 

[Joker's Wild]

Starting them both means we actually get a roll on, as opposed to the opposition manning up on our 1 decent prop on the field and nullifying their effectiveness all together

 

[Yosh]

Starting them both means we actually get a roll on, as opposed to the opposition manning up on our 1 decent prop on the field and nullifying their effectiveness all together

Maybe start Faas and Snowden. A couple of weeks back they offered good go forward and created a try as well for themselves.

Mason, Cuthbo and Costigan off the bench at the same time, used up the middle. That could be our best option off the bench.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Maybe start Faas and Snowden. A couple of weeks back they offered good go forward and created a try as well for themselves.

.

I was thinking that or thinking start Mason and Faas.
Mason seems to go best when he starts. Bennett mentioned he gets enthusiastic before the game and he started him partly so he doesn't lose some of that by waiting on the bench.
Mason also seems to need a big rest - although he seemed ok coming on later in the first half and then back on in the 2nd half earlier on.
I'd start Mason to get a roll on and then start him again first up in the 2nd half. That way, if we lose the plot a bit in the 2nd part of the 1st half, Mason can hopefully bring some enthusiasm back at the start of the 2nd half so we don't drop way out of touch.

 

[The Showstopper]

Sau will have an interesting week. Knowing Gagai is imminently going to take your spot is either going to fire him up or he will prove he is just not up to it.

 

[aqua_duck]

Sau will have an interesting week. Knowing Gagai is imminently going to take your spot is either going to fire him up or he will prove he is just not up to it.

I suspect the latter

 

[aqua_duck]

We should leave Mason on the bench. Start Cuthbo... We should have either Snowy or Mason on at all times...

Cuthbo isn't a prop

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Not looking forward to this game, there is the potential for us to get smashed big-time. Even if we turn out a good performance I just don't see where our points are going to come from at the moment, we can maybe keep the Broncos to around 20 points but we might only score a couple of tries ourselves.

I feel like we are going to need to start cutting loose a bit to compete with some of the teams out there, a few teams are doing this to us and it is killing us each week. Titans, Roosters and Cowboys all did this against us over the last 3 games and look at the results. Clearly this predictable structure of attack isn't working and we have now lost the thing that actually made us competitive in recent years, our ability to score points.

 

[Yosh]

Cuthbo isn't a prop

he isn't a first grader as far as i'm concerne but WB has been picking him and he has been playing prop so i assume he is gonna play there this week too.

 

[aqua_duck]

he isn't a first grader as far as i'm concerne but WB has been picking him and he has been playing prop so i assume he is gonna play there this week too.

the cowboys game he played abit wider and actually looked quite decent, up the middle he just gets dominated

 

[Frances the Mute]

Agreed, I'm not a fan of starting Snowden and Mason. We look promising for the first 20mins because they're rolling us forward really well, but once they go off we turn to shit. I think starting Snowden and Cuthbertson and having Mason and Richie on the bench would give us the best balance

The bench looks much better this week with a few new inclusions. I thought Adams had a good debut a few weeks ago and he definitely added some spark with his crisp passing game and I thought he linked up well with the halves. Hopefully Richie can aim up, too. We need his kamikaze runs!

And then you have Ben Cross syndrome all over again, remember when Cross was your only forward hitting it up hard and got smashed each time.

Same thing with Snowden.

Its no coincidence his return to a 100m+ in hitups coincides with Mason getting some match fitness.

Pretty easy to kill a big blokes effectiveness when they are the only forward running it hard up the middle.

 

[Allstar Knights]

Ben Cross sucked though. He had one good year at Melbourne and a few decent games for the Knights in 08 - that's it.

Snowden has still had games this year when he's made over 100m without Mason. Cross was lucky to make over 100m 3 or 4 times in his whole Knights career.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Ben Cross sucked though. He had one good year at Melbourne and a few decent games for the Knights in 08 - that's it.

Snowden has still had games this year when he's made over 100m without Mason. Cross was lucky to make over 100m 3 or 4 times in his whole Knights career.

You don't think that constantly coming back from injuries had any impact on his form for the knights? Plus when you have powderfuff Tolar in the run on side, is there any wonder that he was marked so heavily?

 

[Yosh]

the cowboys game he played abit wider and actually looked quite decent, up the middle he just gets dominated

Personally never rated the dude...

If I was being really objective about the situation, I could almost say it's not his fault at all... As Danny has come out and said, people aren't running to the line together.... Considering Cuthbo's greatest asset (makes it some like some sort of super weapon...) is his offloading ability, our players aren't there to receive them so we've basically nullified his one weapon...

 

[RABK]

Was he marked so heavily? I seem to recall him getting belted regardless if it was a 3 on 1 or a 1 on 1 tackle.

Cross was an average hard nut at canberra who Bellamy then turned into a hard nut with good go forward. He had a good season at Melb and i remember Johns Magic suggesting him as a good target a good 3 months before we signed him.

Fact is, like Martin Lang, his Kamikaze running style is easy pickings for anyone willing to back their shoulder against his frame.

Ask anyone who has played League who was a good defender and they'll tell you they loved the Martin Langs, Ben Cross's and Lafeta Paleesina's(sp) running at them because they are cannon fodder for a guy with a good shoulder. I know as a hooker i always enjoyed putting a shot on those type of guys. Footwork, offloads, speed and fends are much harder to defend then a Kamikaze run from a guy you know possesses nothing else. And cross had nothing except size.

 

[RABK]

And don't get me wrong - it takes courage to take those guys head on. At any level of league the kamikaze guys often break the line through instilling fear alone. But running like that 95% of the time will make you an easy target no matter your size.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

So who's going? Ill be sitting in the away supporters bay with my nephew.. Rain is predicted for the rest of the week, hopefully its good weather. Last year's weather was shithouse.