Season ended?

[antonius]

I think we're capable of competing with just about any team if we were at full strength. We will go nowhere with Waddell at hooker.

Exactly to say Bennett's aura is gone is harsh he's lost the best part of the team to injury, they will come back when the first pick players come back.

Beau Scott

Danny Buderus Anthony Quinn Kurt Gidley Akulia Uate Timana Tahu Josh Mantellato Alex McKinnon Matt Hilder

 

[eozsmiles]

Season over. The team are showing all the bad things people were worried about before the season started, but not much of the good things that were supposed to happen. They couldn't win a finals match unless they were 100% firing and their opponents were off.

The spine, on paper, isn't top shelf but it's tidy. Plenty of good parts to it but they all need to be fit and firing at the same time - there is no leeway. Mullen has been a standout, but the general bad stuff is dominating his form. Boyd goes MIA/Emo whatever, Roberts lacks experience in the round-to-round grind of NRL, Bedsy is hurt (he is old, it happens), Gids is hurt again........

Forward pack has proven to be slow and lack skill. That probably isn't unexpected as it wasn't put together with that in mind. But if you're going to play a "grinding" style with the pack Bennett has assembled then you've got to get it right!!! Have to be disciplined. The experience of Scott, Bedsy, and Smith hasn't done enough via injury and suspension. Other players don't seem to have lifted their games because of these leaders. Mason has been solid though.

If there are problems in the spine and the pack, no point talking about the outside backs much.

I don't see enough of this mental toughness or discipline or consistency that Wayne was paid to bring. There are positive glimpses but it is disappointing.

What chance in 2014?

 

[Dave_]

Gower will surely be halfback next week. I'll reserve judgment on our seasons chances until I see how he performs.

It's always good to have some form of hope ay?

 

[Louiethefly]

The Raiders hare the Dragons bogey team, and St George Illawarra has been Newcastle's bogey team for the last 10 years. So when the Newcastle Dragons play the St George Illawarra Raiders you guys are so cursed its unbelievable, not to mention Bennetts terrible record against former clubs...

 

[Jono078]

To those saying 'Oh the emos have arrived tonight' - I say, no. This has been happening for the best part of the last 2 months.

We're 1 from our last 6! That's not good enough for a team like us that wants to be up there with the top teams.

We've lost 3 in a row now, 2 of those teams were not even in top 8 contention when we played them. The Warriors with just one win, and the Dragons with 4 going into tonight.

Next week is a must win if we are to prove anything.

 

[Misanthrope]

Seriously guys there is still more than half a season to go. After the Bulldogs game we were top 4 material and that was off the back of a belting by the Raiders, where this forum had went into meltdown afterwards

Nobody who actually watched that game would believe that. We haven't beaten a single team that was playing at even 50% capacity.

 

[Spot On]

To those saying 'Oh the emos have arrived tonight' - I say, no. This has been happening for the best part of the last 2 months.

We're 1 from our last 6! That's not good enough for a team like us that wants to be up there with the top teams.

We've lost 3 in a row now, 2 of those teams were not even in top 8 contention when we played them. The Warriors with just one win, and the Dragons with 4 going into tonight.

Next week is a must win if we are to prove anything.

And you are 100% correct. To those saying we don't have the top squad available - see the Penrith Panthers. They are showing all the signs they will be playing finals footy with a squad you would have laughed at before round 1. I have no doubt we have a roaster to make the 8 but playing the style we are and scoring 8 points a game aint gunna get you any wins.

How we could play 40 mins (first half) without 1 offload is simply amazing. Amazingly boring.

 

[The Showstopper]

Gower in the 7 and Roberts can go back to NSW Cup where he belongs. time to accept Roberts is average with a good sidestep. That is it.

 

[Dave_]

Gower in the 7 and Roberts can go back to NSW Cup where he belongs. time to accept Roberts is average with a good sidestep. That is it.

I'm beginning to think the same. Opposition teams have worked out that he's a one trick pony and now he's got nothing to offer.

 

[Joker's Wild]

*sigh*

I f**kin give up with you lot. Honestly, after we win there is no one around here saying that our opposition simply didn't turn up but now that we've lost a couple we suddenly can't win a game off the back of our own abilities. I mean, we couldn't have pressured and shut those teams down could we. Those teams must have a real mental block when it comes to playing the Knights to be so completely inept

FMD

 

[Jono078]

It's not a couple. It's 5 of our last 6. Only win we managed in that time was a team lingering at the bottom of the table Bulldogs.

I'm still hopeful of making the finals and doing well, but the last 6 weeks has been hard to put up with.

 

[Jobdog]

Well, in fairness, we didn't have Waddell playing hooker in the Bulldogs game.

 

[The Showstopper]

*sigh*

I f**kin give up with you lot. Honestly, after we win there is no one around here saying that our opposition simply didn't turn up but now that we've lost a couple we suddenly can't win a game off the back of our own abilities. I mean, we couldn't have pressured and shut those teams down could we. Those teams must have a real mental block when it comes to playing the Knights to be so completely inept

FMD

So explain the inconsistency? Why we choke in NZ and against the Dragons repeatedly regardless of their form. Yes we did pressure teams. The problem is we execute poorlly.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Every team in the comp is inconsistent when they have a run of injuries/absences to their key players. Have we had the same hooker rotation 2 games in a row this year? There wouldn't be many occasions

How about our backrow? Or our outside backs?

The effects of this are being ignored it seems

 

[Jobdog]

As incredibly annoyed as I am at the moment due to our last month of football, I'm willing to ride this one out until we get players back.

I think we should write the Melbourne game off, have the bye and then hopefully get Buderus, Uate and probably Scott (think he'll cop a charge for the crusher tackle) back for the Titans game.

 

[Nuffy]

We are the team every loves to play because in most cases we drop to their level and give them a sniff which is all they need. We are guaranteed to run them back into form.

Seriously if we had half a clue we would have put 40 on them, bogey team or not because they have been a rabble. But we find a way to choke in the end, again.

Constantly hoping for the return of injured players isn't a strategy, because by the time they are back on deck, there will be too much to do, just like last year, we are losing games that we should be winning easily, we just fold as soon as the opposition come at us hard. We can beat up teams that self destruct, but if there's an arm wrestle , we will lose 10/10.

Season may not be over but if history is a guide, then it doesn't look promising.

 

[Nuffy]

As incredibly annoyed as I am at the moment due to our last month of football, I'm willing to ride this one out until we get players back.

I think we should write the Melbourne game off, have the bye and then hopefully get Buderus, Uate and probably Scott (think he'll cop a charge for the crusher tackle) back for the Titans game.

Just on Scott, seriously first game back and he does that, he's missed 12 games though injury and then looks likely to be suspended. Real value for money there.

 

[Joker's Wild]

I really don't think it was intentional, it was a bit of a combo of the way the Dragons player fell and Scott's enthusiasm to dominate him

 

[Misanthrope]

Danny Buderus Anthony Quinn Kurt Gidley Akulia Uate Timana Tahu Josh Mantellato Alex McKinnon Matt Hilder

I'm sorry Tony, but Quinn, Mantellato, and Hilder really shouldn't be anywhere near a full strength side. There'd be question marks over Tahu as well.

 

[RHCP]

*sigh*

I f**kin give up with you lot. Honestly, after we win there is no one around here saying that our opposition simply didn't turn up but now that we've lost a couple we suddenly can't win a game off the back of our own abilities. I mean, we couldn't have pressured and shut those teams down could we. Those teams must have a real mental block when it comes to playing the Knights to be so completely inept

FMD

I'm with you JW. At first I thought it was stupid, now I just think its funny.

'Oh, those next four games will be easy. We're top four material!!'

Suddenly...

'Sack Bennett! We suck!'