Rumoured Targets 3

[Alex28]

I'll definitely be in the minority with this opinion but tbh, I wouldn't be that bothered if Ponga left. His tendency to drift in and out of games is frustrating. If he was an "effort" player like a Tedesco, Brimson, Gutherson etc he'd be 5 times the player he is today but he's happy to just cruise along. Also, despite the fact that he puts his body on the line sometimes, his defence is shoddy positionally and on contact and he's not the greatest under the high ball either. Add the fact that he's a horrible goal-kicker and I can't see any value in him at a million a season. I hate to say but the cash could be better spent.

You are kinda positioning yourself as the Alan Jones of the forum, aren’t you?

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Ponga is a natural, gifted sportsman. He plays what's in front of him.
I've read that he rarely watches games and I've wondered what he'd be like if he did.
I can remember when Joey was off injured and he'd sit high up in the stand and he commented on how much he was learning and new opportunities he could see. That was after he'd been a success.

 

[Frederick]

I'll definitely be in the minority with this opinion but tbh, I wouldn't be that bothered if Ponga left. His tendency to drift in and out of games is frustrating. If he was an "effort" player like a Tedesco, Brimson, Gutherson etc he'd be 5 times the player he is today but he's happy to just cruise along. Also, despite the fact that he puts his body on the line sometimes, his defence is shoddy positionally and on contact and he's not the greatest under the high ball either. Add the fact that he's a horrible goal-kicker and I can't see any value in him at a million a season. I hate to say but the cash could be better spent.

You're in the minority with most things you say

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

You're in the minority with most things you say

Ok champ...I don't say a lot around here, just making an observation. You guys are acting like I want Ponga to go and that's not the case. I just don't think he's worth the million is all, nothing personal.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

No offense but I'm very happy you're not in charge of our recruitment. Put Ponga in the Roosters or Parra system and he'd easily be a top 3 player in the league already.

We play one out 90%. What do you expect him to do? Also, Tedesco is class I admit but Gutho has to put in all the effort to make up for the lack of skill. Ponga is close to a once in a generation player. He might only reach 80% of his potential unless our club picks up their act but he is still by far our best player.

Again, I never suggested I want him to leave Yosh, only that I wouldn't mind that much considering value for money (or lack thereof). He's a once in generation talent not player. He still has time to become that though and I truly hope he does. Ponga has much more talent than Gutherson (who is a great player through sheer effort) and even more than Tedesco who is the current best because his effort matches his talent. I'm sure we all agree that at the moment he is not as good nor as consistent a player than either of them because his involvement on and off the ball isn't at their level. He's a fair way off justifying the lofty price tag is all I'm saying. Players in his position on half the money are playing consistently better footy. Hope he reaches his potential next season.

 

[Knight Tales]

I'll definitely be in the minority with this opinion but tbh, I wouldn't be that bothered if Ponga left. His tendency to drift in and out of games is frustrating. If he was an "effort" player like a Tedesco, Brimson, Gutherson etc he'd be 5 times the player he is today but he's happy to just cruise along. Also, despite the fact that he puts his body on the line sometimes, his defence is shoddy positionally and on contact and he's not the greatest under the high ball either. Add the fact that he's a horrible goal-kicker and I can't see any value in him at a million a season. I hate to say but the cash could be better spent.

Dude there is a big difference between speculating a guy may not see his contract out and being ok with it. I am going to be shattered if KP leaves simply cos I see him as the most all round gifted footballer I have ever seen. I think he was targeted illegally all year TBH. Some really dodgy shots on him from the bomb and kick returning.

 

[Bring it home Knights]

I'll definitely be in the minority with this opinion but tbh, I wouldn't be that bothered if Ponga left. His tendency to drift in and out of games is frustrating. If he was an "effort" player like a Tedesco, Brimson, Gutherson etc he'd be 5 times the player he is today but he's happy to just cruise along. Also, despite the fact that he puts his body on the line sometimes, his defence is shoddy positionally and on contact and he's not the greatest under the high ball either. Add the fact that he's a horrible goal-kicker and I can't see any value in him at a million a season. I hate to say but the cash could be better spent.

Ponga is brilliant under the high ball.

It’s too late for me to bother commenting on all the other things I disagree with in the above post.

 

[AusKnightRKO]

Ponga is brilliant under the high ball.

It’s too late for me to bother commenting on all the other things I disagree with in the above post.

Actually i’ll have to disagree on this one, if there was a stat for the amount of mistakes from leaping for the ball he would definitely be up there, when he has to jump with pressure he is very 50/50.

But still twice the player than anyone else on our roster, without him legit finished 12-14

 

[Knight Vision]

I see him as the most all round gifted footballer I have ever seen.

I second that. From the first moment I saw him touch a ball I was in awe....without him the club is screwed.

 

[Knight76]

Ponga is brilliant under the high ball.

I also disagree. Brilliant under the high ball is a stretch. For mine he tends to get the jump wrong, gets his body at a wierd angle in the air and can come up with an error due to it, and also puts himself in a dangerous positing in doing so.

He is safe enough with no pressure.

 

[Loose Cannon]

I also disagree. Brilliant under the high ball is a stretch. For mine he tends to get the jump wrong, gets his body at a wierd angle in the air and can come up with an error due to it, and also puts himself in a dangerous positing in doing so.

He is safe enough with no pressure.

Yep. He has pulled off pressure takes here and there, but I wouldn’t say I have confidence in him, and agree he gets in odd positions and mis-timed jumps regularly.

It is a crying shame we have the only fullback in the comp who won’t get the chance to continuously take an end-over-end bomb, 30 out from the line, with the nearest chaser 10 yards short, training days excepted. Maybe he is awkward under pressure, as a result.

 

[Knight76]

Yep. He has pulled off pressure takes here and there, but I wouldn’t say I have confidence in him, and agree he gets in odd positions and mis-timed jumps regularly.

It is a crying shame we have the only fullback in the comp who won’t get the chance to continuously take an end-over-end bomb, 30 out from the line, with the nearest chaser 10 yards short, training days excepted. Maybe he is awkward under pressure, as a result.

Dont get me started on our kick pressure, kick chase.

Im sick of seeing other teams putting good shots on kickers right as they kick, but not us, we dont like smashing the little half kicking the ball and most of the time just let them kick it.

Kick chase is horrible in general.

 

[perverse]

Im sick of seeing other teams putting good shots on kickers right as they kick, but not us, we dont like smashing the little half kicking the ball and most of the time just let them kick it.

I think that's got as much to do with ruck control as anything effort related. Hard for a marker to pressure a kicker on a quick play-the-ball.

 

[Knight Tales]

I think that's got as much to do with ruck control as anything effort related. Hard for a marker to pressure a kicker on a quick play-the-ball.

Agreed. Also opens up a big hole in the defence if the half sees it early and runs it or kicks in behind the pocket left by pressure marker.

 

[Knight76]

I think that's got as much to do with ruck control as anything effort related. Hard for a marker to pressure a kicker on a quick play-the-ball.

Sure that can happen. But plenty of times I've seen the player get their in time to put a good hit on, yet they pull out, or go very soft on them.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

It'd be a pretty low paying contract imo.

 

[Knight76]

It'd be a pretty low paying contract imo.

Minimum deal. Enough said about King that we can not bother to sign him, and nobody else is interested either.

 

[perverse]

Sure that can happen. But plenty of times I've seen the player get their in time to put a good hit on, yet they pull out, or go very soft on them.

What you're asking is a very fine line to walk. I'd personally prefer it if the refs were more consistent in protecting the kickers. What you're asking is literally milliseconds between good kick pressure and a dog shot. I dunno, I'd have to see an example of the problem in a replay, because it has never struck me as a massive issue outside of our players just not being able to get to the kicker in the first place.

 

[Knight76]

What you're asking is a very fine line to walk. I'd personally prefer it if the refs were more consistent in protecting the kickers. What you're asking is literally milliseconds between good kick pressure and a dog shot. I dunno, I'd have to see an example of the problem in a replay, because it has never struck me as a massive issue outside of our players just not being able to get to the kicker in the first place.

There are plenty of examples, it happens in practically every game we play. Our kickers (Pearce) get put on the ground by their kick pressure routinely. Yet when we get a chance to put their kickers down, we pull out or shy away from the hit and give them a cuddle.

Watch almost any game and you will see it. Not to mention Jsaf seems to be our kick pressure guy on a lot of kicks which is ridiculous.

 

[perverse]

There are plenty of examples, it happens in practically every game we play. Our kickers (Pearce) get put on the ground by their kick pressure routinely. Yet when we get a chance to put their kickers down, we pull out or shy away from the hit and give them a cuddle.

Watch almost any game and you will see it. Not to mention Jsaf seems to be our kick pressure guy on a lot of kicks which is ridiculous.

I mean if you're not going to point me to a replay of what you're talking about then I'll just have to take your word for it, because I'm not going to go digging through old game footage, and the onus isn't on me to prove your point. Also, I just don't care enough. I've seen Barney put plenty of pressure on kickers in the past, but it's just not something that I overly care about or think is a major issue. Barney is the one I'd certainly be looking to to fulfil that duty, so if you've got a problem then I'd be looking at what he's up to on the 5th. He's our current "Jeremy Smith", he's playing at lock... and he's the one with a bit of insanity in him. I doubt we're coached to go soft on the kickers.

I do see plenty of us being awful at controlling the ruck, though... and I think that's a huge contributor to a lot of problems we blame on other things.