Round 8 | Knights 34-14 Panthers @ Hunter | Monday 7pm

[Yosh]

Bennett would be proper frustrated with Edwards. After all the good showing last year he has gone backwards big time. I still maintain some players in our squad are intimidated by Bennett's aura. Either they try too hard or play like they are not worthy. If the anecdote about Fas dropping himself is true then it sort of makes my point. Bennett is the benchmark coach and players aim to be the best they can be for him. Willie Mason will be the buy of the year if The Bennett effect rings true ie. players improve remarkably under his coaching. Will is intimidated by nothing and noone except maybe his mum. Mum's are the boss. Any son who is a son knows that.

We got a momma's boy on our books boys!!

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I'm just going to put it out there. We really need to win this game and win it convincingly.

Although we've had a pretty tough draw to start the season we really haven't lived up to the hype and our team hasn't gelled a whole lot. I listen to a lot of Rugby League podcasts and radio shows and people are actually starting to write us off now, and this really concerns me.

We have notched up a few bumbling wins (the only win that I think we played well in was the Bulldogs game) and been taught a lesson or two by a few of the top teams (Broncos game still gnaws at me, they played poorly and still put us to bed quite easily) and have almost been a bit of a joke really because Tinkler and Bennett were supposed to turn us around.

Now I have my upmost faith that Bennett can guide us to a premiership over the next few years, but for this season to be considered a success we really need to start playing well now and start to tie some wins together.

Penrith have been terrible over the last 2 weeks, and I know that they'll be keen to restore the faith and play well, so it could be a bit of a danger game due to the bounce-back factor. But really they look to me like a lower table team at best this season and if we can't put them away and look good doing it then I'll be disappointed.

It's not like we have to smash them by 30 for me to be happy, but if we stumble our way to a 18-12 win or something like that (especially if Penrith don't play well) then I'm going to be questioning what we can really hope to achieve this season. The whole "team needs time to gel" notion is starting to wear thin because these guys train together every week and have been doing so for the last 6 months.

So things I want to see on Monday night from the boys:
- completion rate of 75% or higher, seriously if you do this you should win the game, provided it doesn't rain that is in which case it can be forgiven for being less

- Boyd getting more ball to the edges, we saw it against St George and it looked beautiful, more of that please!

- Go forward, time for our pack to stand up and send a message, hopefully Willie will help us do that

- Sustained pressure, seems to be something we are usually poor at, grubbers into the in-goal, repeat sets and an enthusiastic kick chase will be very important IMO

 

[Rod]

While so far I've been one of many peddling the 'calm down it's early days' line, I agree. It's time we started to pull finger. Obviously a win's a win but I would like to see us not only win reasonably convincingly but look good doing it. We looked good against the Bulldogs and Storm and then seemed to go rapidly backwards against the Eels and Dragons.

Looking ahead slightly, our next four games are the Panthers, Roosters, Cowboys, Titans. The only away game out of those is the Roosters. I think it's fair to expect 3 wins out of those 4 at least. However the main thing I want to see is an improvment in our game. It's one thing to be hovering at or just below a 50% win rate halfway through the season, as you are still within striking distance, but if in Round 12 we are still dishing up the same football as we dished up against the Dragons, I will start to really worry. It starts on Monday.

 

[EdLondon]

Heard Matty on the grill team this morning saying that Bennett gave it to them this week. Something to the effect of told each player very straight. Hopefully we see a different team run out Monday night.

 

[perverse]

yeah, it's certainly that time in the season where you need to have those cobwebs shaken off.

still, i'm not going to panic if it doesn't come together just yet. i could see us making a very late run of form at the end of the season as long as we stay in touch with the 8.

 

[docbrown]

Seems like a nothing game but really if they're going to fire up it's got to be now

 

[RABK]

I'm going to go out and say it.

Tough draw, players injured, side gelling blah blah blah.


If we are going to make the finals and be competitive in september this is the week we arrive. That panthers line up is simply atrocious and the pennie fans are the first to admit that. If we are fair dinkum then this should be the week we see the fruits of our our tough opening and gelling process.

I'm not suggesting we have to win by 30, but just a disciplined 80 minute smothering where we dominant field position.

 

[The Showstopper]

Completions and handling are my main concern. This is a real chance to get through a game with minimal errors. Our defence is far too good to be threatened by the side penrith have picked.

 

[Jobdog]

It's still only round 8. It doesn't matter how you pick up your wins until around round 18 or so. Then you make your run to the finals. If we can win three of our next four and not be overly convincing in doing it, that's fine by me.

 

[Serc]

i could see us making a very late run of form at the end of the season as long as we stay in touch with the 8.

x2, in fact in the short term I think we'll rack up a few wins out of our next half a dozen or so games, say 4 from our next 6? That will certainly keep us in touch with the 8

Weather looking all clear for Mon night too.

 

[shane1970]

Is this game EVER gonna get here - man it's ben like a mini bloody off season waiting to see the red and blue play a bloody game.

 

[Yosh]

Is this game EVER gonna get here - man it's ben like a mini bloody off season waiting to see the red and blue play a bloody game.

Lol and agree times 230948230948:crazy:

 

[Jono078]

We can jump up to 6th spot with a solid win tomorrow, get it done Knights!

 

[The Showstopper]

I am confident we will be a huge thorn come finals time and we will be very hard to roll over. A focused Willie Mason is a force of nature. Fact.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

We can jump up to 6th spot with a solid win tomorrow, get it done Knights!

If we win by 42 we jump to 5th spot, Not impossible. I would be happy to just get the 2 points. The panthers will be firing.

 

[Silent Knight]

Guys I can't stress enough the importance of winning this match.

If we win...Souffs will be put back into Ninff position. Where they belong.

 

[Seage]

Silent Knight, it's round 8. The real joy will come when Lol @ $ouff$ resume normal service at 9th position in round 26. It is actually more rewarding to watch them rocket up the table on a wave of false hype and then watch their dreams be cut down for about the 30th consecutive year.

Thinking about it makes me feel good.

 

[Silent Knight]

Ah yes how could I forget. Round 26: LOL@5(c)uff$ round :lol:

Nonetheless I want our boys to win this and win well. I want to see us build some form and consistency instead of this win loss win loss crap. Up the Knights!

 

[Seage]

Surely we are all used to win loss win loss. It has been our hallmark for so many years now.

Play well yes, but score some damn points while we're at it. We haven't looked like throwing it over the line all year. That Riff team is a disgrace. If we're fair dinkum we'll win 1042 - 8.

 

[Spot On]

If we win by 42 we jump to 5th spot, Not impossible. I would be happy to just get the 2 points. The panthers will be firing.

I hope I am wrong but I cant see this side scoring 22 points let alone 42.