Round 22 | Knights vs Bulldogs @ Hunter | Sat 5.30pm

[shane1970]

whats with your agenda with roberts?, singling him out & bagging him throughout the whole thread, the whole team was terrible in the 1st half not just roberts

.
I DONT have an agenda - but I really cant see a reserve standard halfback leading us anywhere ! 2 good games or not !

 

[K-Man]

I'll agree that we got blown off the park with a terrible start, but it wasn't from a lack of possession. They scored two tries in their opening three sets. All of the possession that the Bulldogs got early on in the match was pretty much on the back of repeat sets from them scoring.

When the score was 24-0 the only two errors we had made was Kev dropping a bomb and Aku turning over the ball on the last tackle when Mullen put in his little cross field chip. It wasn't like we were giving away cheap penalties or were making lots of handling errors that gifted tonnes of possession to the Bulldogs.

The big difference early in the match last night was that when they did have the ball, they asked a lot more questions of our defence and we couldn't answer them.

Exactly right. It had nothing to do with possession and everything to do with power and creativity.

There are times where you can blame poor completions and penalties etc, but this was not one of them.

It was an onslaught that shows why having too many Joel Edwards, Neville Costigans and Christ Houstons in your team - and not enough Greg Eastwoods and James Grahams - can hurt you when it really matters coming up against the top teams who are fired up.

Solid and safe can get you so far, but eventually it takes a bit more than that to trouble the best teams and win grand finals. You need forwards that can create something out of nothing - 10 good defenders who run the ball for 70-110 metres per game but offer no ballplaying or linebreaking threat will not be enough to go all the way, no matter how good your outside backs are.

 

[KempoKnight]

Ok, so watching the replay, I got to 18-blot and decided to check the final score.

What is with our starts?
Seriously, as someone else said, why can't we bring the game from our first 20 of the 2nd half to our first 20.

Still hopeful of making the finals, but now it's obvious we will be lucky to get past the 1st weekend if we do so.

I said it earlier in the thread that I believe its WB's prematch warmup that has us starting so slow out of the blocks. We warm up inside just so we get a massive roar when we run out. I can understand the thinking behind it but I just dont see why you wouldnt want to take your team out onto the field to get a feel for the conditions.

 

[Rod]

I really doubt Costigan goes to hooker if the game is close.

 

[Zoidberg]

I said it earlier in the thread that I believe its WB's prematch warmup that has us starting so slow out of the blocks. We warm up inside just so we get a massive roar when we run out. I can understand the thinking behind it but I just dont see why you wouldnt want to take your team out onto the field to get a feel for the conditions.

Thanks mate, but it was kind of a rhetorical question

 

[Yosh]

Any other team in the comp and we would have won that game. We looked so dominant from the 20 minute mark onwards. Mullen's kicking game is just excellent. Long kicks have always been good but loved his short chip to Uate and his grubbers are improving every game. Great to see him not kick any short half bomb chip thingys in the opposition 20.

Mason. What can I say. What can I say that hasn't been said already. Amazing.

Bedsy was on fire also. It's such a pity to see him have slowed down so much... Bedsy of old would have made a couple of linebreaks! Still so great to see him go so well. Love your work mate.

Uate, Uate, Uate... He must be loving Gagai on the inside. 10 tries is it in the last 7 games? Next season if Gagai and Uate play the whole season together, Uate will score 30 tries. Gagai will probably get close to 20 as well. 50 tries BOOM!

Anyways, obviously unhappy we lost but we looked like winners out there. The dogs are probably glad that they were so lucky at the start.

We didn't lose the game, we let in 2 or 3 tries off silly mistakes.

Knights for the 8!!

 

[Whats Doing]

.
I DONT have an agenda - but I really cant see a reserve standard halfback leading us anywhere ! 2 good games or not !

Not sure about reserve standard half but somewhere in between. I have mentioned before that he doesn't involve himself no where enough for a half back and that was when he was playing better. There was 18 tackles in their 20 metre zone in the 2nd half and he handled it twice and both were just shovelling it out.

Last night he was very poor with lack of involvement still and compounded it with 7 missed tackles.

 

[IanG]

Have the Sharks next Monday Night who today gave the Warriors a towelling. Mind you they had Todd Carney and Paul Gallen back in their line up too.

 

[Spot On]

Anyone watch Peter Wallace today? They all have bad weeks and patches of poor form.

Roberts is a kid with a handful of games under his belt. Give him time. That said, he could have become more involved. Experience will benefit him. That early onslaught would have been something he hadn't experienced before.

If he fails to improve then bring Gids back. I don't know what for, he's at the end of his career and people want to turn him into a half. Too late for that.

I hope Bennett persists with Tyrone.

 

[Nuffy]

I think Roberts is obviously still finding his feet so in a pressure game or clutch situation, he errs on the side of caution rather than chancing his arm or taking charge.

Only experience is going to cure that.

Both Reynolds have enjoyed accelerated development through playing in successful, confident teams. Roberts hasn't been that lucky.

Not sure if he's the future but whatever happens, we should stick with him for the balance of the year and see what happens.

 

[Jono078]

Watching the game now.

That first 20 seems like a bit of bad luck. But Edwards and Tetevano f**king disgraceful!

 

[Jobdog]

I don't care what anybody says. Roberts is a much better option at halfback than Kurt Gidley. Where that leaves Kurt next year I'm not too sure. But I see enough in Roberts to suggest if he gets a half-decent forward pack laying the platform for him he'll be every bit a first grader.

 

[Yosh]

The kid is in his first real year of first grade. Our team has also undergone a major overhaul and only now have we begun to find our feet. He is bound to have a couple of good games mixed in with some bad, horrible and even Andrew Johns's like displays. If you think he doesn't have the potential to play halfback in first grade then thank god you ain't the knight coach. He is gonna turn out to be a good player. Look at his efforts in defence, a lot of ticker for a small bloke.

 

[Whats Doing]

The kid is in his first real year of first grade. Our team has also undergone a major overhaul and only now have we begun to find our feet. He is bound to have a couple of good games mixed in with some bad, horrible and even Andrew Johns's like displays. If you think he doesn't have the potential to play halfback in first grade then thank god you ain't the knight coach. He is gonna turn out to be a good player. Look at his efforts in defence, a lot of ticker for a small bloke.

That first year argument doesn't wash. So is Adam Reynolds, Sezer this year, Daly Cherry Evans and Josh Reynolds last year, they have hit first grade without a beat and performing strongly from game 1

It is a fact we are currently using Roberts as we have no other options at the moment with Gidley and Stig injured for the year.

Hope he comes good and makes the grade but don't give me the first year crap argument.

 

[TooheysNew]

That first year argument doesn't wash. So is Adam Reynolds, Sezer this year, Daly Cherry Evans and Josh Reynolds last year, they have hit first grade without a beat and performing strongly from game 1

It is a fact we are currently using Roberts as we have no other options at the moment with Gidley and Stig injured for the year.

Hope he comes good and makes the grade but don't give me the first year crap argument.

That's bullshit. Compare the established teams and structures they were playing in to what Roberts has had to work with.

 

[Silent Knight]

I look forward to seeing Tyrone in the #7 for our first game in 2013.

 

[Tom155]

That first year argument doesn't wash. So is Adam Reynolds, Sezer this year, Daly Cherry Evans and Josh Reynolds last year, they have hit first grade without a beat and performing strongly from game 1

It is a fact we are currently using Roberts as we have no other options at the moment with Gidley and Stig injured for the year.

Hope he comes good and makes the grade but don't give me the first year crap argument.

That's total bs they are all on strong teams with good/great forward packs, its really sad that you & a couple of others are continually deathriding the kid just because he doesnt perform like johns.

 

[Yosh]

That first year argument doesn't wash. So is Adam Reynolds, Sezer this year, Daly Cherry Evans and Josh Reynolds last year, they have hit first grade without a beat and performing strongly from game 1

It is a fact we are currently using Roberts as we have no other options at the moment with Gidley and Stig injured for the year.

Hope he comes good and makes the grade but don't give me the first year crap argument.

I don't mind that we have different opinions, that's fine.

I personally think that Roberts is the best option at 7 at the club. I'm not suggesting he is better than Kidley as a player but sure is a better halfback. (stig can go)

If Wayne really has some balls, I'd love to see Kidley move out onto the left centre position, Tahu into second row or bench. Tahu seems to be at his best when hitting the line at an angle and he doesn't have that agility anymore to beat his opposition number with pure footwork. I think he could be a damaging hole runner starting bext year. I think Kids should defo play left centre or hooker. That's just me though...

 

[Newie is God's Country]

That first year argument doesn't wash. So is Adam Reynolds, Sezer this year, Daly Cherry Evans and Josh Reynolds last year, they have hit first grade without a beat and performing strongly from game 1

It is a fact we are currently using Roberts as we have no other options at the moment with Gidley and Stig injured for the year.

Hope he comes good and makes the grade but don't give me the first year crap argument.

Look at the forward packs those three are playing behind? The top three in the comp. they get time and room on the ball. They also have stellar backlines. Let's see if The Reynold's boys can back it up next year or if they are Daniel Mortimer mark 2! Tyrone could be more gifted than all of them long term. Your statements are as outlandish as they are misguided for the simple reason it is all based on one year of football. DCE IMO has been average this year. When Manly lose the ruck he is a passenger. He also runs the ball too much.

 

[Big Tim]

We can take alot from the game, positive and negative.

Its a shame we put ourselves in this position where getting beat by the #1 team in the comp, potentially ends out season, but there is no one else to blame.