Rumoured Targets 3

[NewySteel]

Ese’ese must be looking for a move given he ain’t playing first grade. Should be considered as a bench forward if he’s at the right price.

Napa is another one I’d be keeping an eye on if we’re looking for a middle forward.

 

[TooheysNew]

If we sign Napa I deadset give the game away.

 

[ryana87]

The ever so reliable James Hooper is reporting that Ponga has a stipulation in his contract that we have to win a premiership this year or next year for him to activate the 2023 extension

 

[NewySteel]

If we sign Napa I deadset give the game away.

I felt dirty typing it but it wouldn’t surprise me. No doubt playing for the dogs has made him look like a reserve grader

 

[TooheysNew]

I felt dirty typing it but it wouldn’t surprise me. No doubt playing for the dogs has made him look like a reserve grader

I think playing like a reserve grader has made him look like a reserve grader, to be fair.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

Ese’ese must be looking for a move given he ain’t playing first grade. Should be considered as a bench forward if he’s at the right price.

Napa is another one I’d be keeping an eye on if we’re looking for a middle forward.

Would Herman make our best 17 though? I’m not sure he would.

 

[Old dog]

Thought Fermor played strong

 

[slotmachine]

Don't think Herman has the motivation to be a professional rugby league player. I reckon he'll be back to playing park footy when he's done at the Titans.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

So obviously Watson has decided to go, nothing we can do about that now. This means in all likelihood Mann will be our no.14 next year. I don’t think this is going to be a popular opinion but I think he’ll do well there and we may see the best out of him. So that I’m clear, I would prefer that we kept Watson over Mann and I think at best Mann is a “poor man’s Watson” however I think when it comes to getting the best from Mann we are more likely to see it if he plays that no.14 role.

His main strength is his running game and he’s similar to Watson in that respect, he bounces out of tackles and ping pongs around and quite often gets into half gaps in the line. I can imagine him being good in the middle third especially off the back of a quick PTB from one of the big forwards, Mann going up through the ruck off some momentum would be the best way for him to run the ball I reckon.

The biggest gripe with him playing in the halves or even at FB over the last few seasons has been that he’s not capable of getting the ball to his outside support but this is less of an issue in the centre of the field if he’s used the right way. Also I think another area of his game that is a positive is his kick chase and kick pressure, he’s usually one of the first guys that gets there when we put up a high kick and we’ve actually scored a few tries this year as a direct result of Mann contesting kicks, if he’s in the centre of the field I imagine he would be able to contest a higher number of kicks too.

Watson added that short pass to his game this year and maybe Mann can develop that too, especially if yes given a clearly defined role by the coaches.

All I’m saying is that we’re probably stuck with Mann as part of the 17 for a while yet so we might as well see how he’s used next year before we get to upset about it.

 

[NewySteel]

Would Herman make our best 17 though? I’m not sure he would.

I’m not sure either, i’m talking purely as a very cheap replacement for king though. Saulo/Sue could well be the solution though.

 

[Woosh]

St George Illawarra playmaker Adam Clune is poised to join the Knights as a back-up halfback to Mitchell Pearce next season in a deal that has left youngster Phoenix Crossland's future at the club under a cloud. Clune is under contract to the Dragons for next season but his manager sought a release earlier this week to link with Newcastle on a two-year deal. His signing is now considered a formality with the Dragons not standing in his way. Where that leaves Crossland's future is unclear. The 21-year-old is off contract and has played just 15 matches since debuting in the NRL in 2019. Eight of those 15 games have been this season with the side winning four and losing four with Crossland either at halfback or five-eighth. He was one of the Knights' best in their 24-16 win over Canberra in Wagga earlier in the season when he played halfback alongside Kurt Mann in the halves. But while his commitment and effort, particularly in defence, can never be questioned, there remain doubts over his game management skills at this stage of his career. It's for that reason the Knights have turned to Clune, who has played 10 matches for the Dragons at halfback this season as a back-up to Ben Hunt. The Knights are saying little about the Clune interest and won't until he is officially released and his contract registered by the NRL. There has also been no word on Crossland's future. Crossland may yet be re-signed and given more time to develop around Pearce and Clune next season with retired playmaker Blake Green also set to join the coaching staff. There are also suggestions he could potentially be turned into a ball-playing lock by coach Adam O'Brien if he is retained. READ MORE: Knights prop Josh King's emotional exit Discarding him at 21 after the club spent the past seven years developing him would appear a huge waste of resources. Meanwhile, O'Brien rubbished talk of a rift between the Knights playing group and the coaching staff in the wake of Connor Watson signing with the Sydney Roosters and Josh King linking with Melbourne Storm. On Tuesday, social media ran hot with irate fans not happy about their defections. There were also suggestions in the mainstream media their decision to depart was a sign of trouble in the camp. READ MORE: DAVID KLEMMER - player departures fuel our fire O'Brien said the rift talk was way off the mark: "It's rubbish and couldn't further from the truth." On his decision to leave, Watson said: "For the last couple of weeks, I've just felt like I've had this big black cloud over me. It's why it took so long because it was such a big decision. "It's a big call for me to turn my back on the Knights. I wanted to look at it from the perspective that I'm comfortable in Newcastle and I think going back to the Roosters really takes myself out of my comfort zone. "They say when you are out of your comfort zone, that's when you make the most growth."

Crossland in limbo as Knights close in on Dragons halfback

Clune is under contract to the Dragons for next season but his manager sought a release earlier this...

www.newcastleherald.com.au

 

[aqua_duck]

Would Herman make our best 17 though? I’m not sure he would.

He played all 21 games last year and averaged 107m a game, I think he's at least a better option than Saulo, Croker, etc and probably an upgrade on Sue and Fitz as well.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Ese’ese must be looking for a move given he ain’t playing first grade. Should be considered as a bench forward if he’s at the right price.

Napa is another one I’d be keeping an eye on if we’re looking for a middle forward.

Middle forwards is possibly the last position we need to look at recruiting, even with losing King

 

[Mr_Knightside]

He played all 21 games last year and averaged 107m a game, I think he's at least a better option than Saulo, Croker, etc and probably an upgrade on Sue and Fitz as well.

The club seemed happy to let him leave so I don’t see why they would go back to him. Wasn’t his defence a bit suspect? I’d rather have Sue in the 17 over Herman based on that.

 

[perverse]

The club seemed happy to let him leave so I don’t see why they would go back to him. Wasn’t his defence a bit suspect? I’d rather have Sue in the 17 over Herman based on that.

Extremely suspect - he didn't give a shit.

 

[PhilGould]

He was prone to lapses in defence but I liked Herman overall. When he was really switched on he was great to watch in attack. Also glad he waited until he left the Knights to start completely phoning it in.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I’m not sure either, i’m talking purely as a very cheap replacement for king though. Saulo/Sue could well be the solution though.

He wouldn’t be a “cheap” replacement though because he left for more money. So it’s not like he’d ask to get out of his contract up there to come back here and be a fringe first grader at best for less money. Even if the Titans were chipping in half his contract I don’t think it’d be worth it.

 

[Knight Tales]

None of those players mentioned here would get a start under Obi. He is cultivating a culture of no shortcuts. The Bellamy influence is emerging. If nothing else he backs himself to move on if he loses a player.

 

[Zoidberg]

So now the latest headline about the Knights is some crap to do with Ponga’s option for 2 more years and us having to win the premiership this year or next.
What a load.
Why are we the flavour of the month?

 

[Jono078]

The winning a premiership one is weird.

is that to say we have an option to keep him an extra year if we win the comp or he has an option to leave if we don’t? If it’s the latter it’s like we’ll gather your mates and pull your fingers out!