SG Ball squad

[billy2]

Phil Williams will make a lot of changes to the Ball side as the season goes on.
Last year the side at the end of the season looked nothing like the starting side in round one.
The fact that last years player of the season was on the bench in round one shows he is looking at players still.

 

[billy2]

First home games of the year this weekend.

In the first round we lost both games against Penrith in Penrith.
Second round we won both grades against Parra at Parra.
This week we play Illawarra at Cessnock.

Illawarra has lost all it's games in both grades so far. They played Parra at home in round 1 and lost both games - we beat Parra in both grades away - so we really should start favourites - not that that counts for much in the juniors.

 

[rooster lions]

Any team lists for the weekend?

 

[billy2]

Mathews

1. Jake Hourn
2. Dean Gavin
3. Adam Settree
4. Sione Mata’utia (C)
5. Brock Hollis
6. Travis Edwards
7. Tyrone Walsh
8. Tyrone Amey
9. Tom Johnson
10. Sam Apthorpe
11. Tevita Pangai
12. Tom Madden
13. Robbie Rodger

14. Daniel Jurd
15. Ryan Holman
16. Ryan Glanville
17. Jake McNamara
18. Blake Bradney
19. William Pugh
20. Dylan Campbell
21. Brad Mullins
22. Hayden Alderton
23. Callen Edwards
24. Joey Morris
COACH: Matt Hunter

Ball

1. Steven Widders
2. Tim Marsh
3. Jack Jones
4. Matt Hay
5. Jake Mamo
6. Nic Andrews
7. Jarrad Rotumah
8. Jayden Eneliko
14. Ben Edwards
10. Blake Chaffey
11. Jake Lawrence (C)
12. Ben Steven
13. Lachlan Fitzgibbon

15. Luke Yates
17. Trae Clark
18. Jed Hill
20. Jack Laing
21. Brad Russell
22. Dalton Peel
23. Mitch Barnett
24. Aiden McGee
25. Chance Peni
26. Mitch Stanton
27. Khaele Bowen
28. Josh Kiem
29. Sam Keenan
COACH: Phil Williams

 

[billy2]

Phil Williams is doing his usual in the Ball side of keeping a huge squad in play and making 2 or 3 changes every week till he settles on a winning combination in time for the finals.

 

[billy2]

Mathews won - Ball lost.

Mathews had a comfortable win in the end but apart from our defence we were absolute rubbish. We would have only had 40% possession because we gave up heaps of penalties and make every mistake possible with the ball. Pangai must have lost the ball on the first tackle about 5 times. Despite being rubbish, we got over the line nearly every time we could hold it for 6, and we kept them out time after time - don't think we touched the ball for more than 1 tackle for 15 minutes in the second half and we kept them out for the whole 15.

Ball was an exciting game on the scoreboard with it being 18-14 to them at halftime, 20-18 to us for a good part of the second half, and 22-20 to them right up till the last minute when they made it 26-20, and we had one minute of attacking their line and nearly scored twice.
Apart from that the game was a bit ordinary, with poor hands from both teams meaning both butchered try after try.
Our best was easily captain Jake Lawrence. He was a good player last year as a 16 year old in Ball, but this year he not only plays 70 minutes (full game) in the second row, but he is also strong enough and big enough to be our most dominant forward. He will play NYC from mid season.

 

[drago brelli]

The much promoted Newcastle SG Ball team isn't all that good. Illawarra beat them 26-20 up Newcastle way. The Illawarra team is mostly 17 and surely the smallest team in the comp. I saw Souths beat them a few weeks ago. Illawarra is well coached, I'll give them that.

 

[billy2]

The much promoted Newcastle SG Ball team isn't all that good. Illawarra beat them 26-20 up Newcastle way. The Illawarra team is mostly 17 and surely the smallest team in the comp. I saw Souths beat them a few weeks ago. Illawarra is well coached, I'll give them that.

All the players who won us the title last year are now in the NYC squad and this years Ball squad doesn't look great at the moment, but you can't write off a Phil Williams coached side on early season form. He is still using a squad of around 30 players and making regular changes, as he does every year. He'll put his best squad on the park in the finals. Till then he'll try out every combination possible.

 

[stormy77]

Yeah saw the knights play yesterday, i think they might struggle this year, they look a bit light on, around 9&7 and front row...... could even struggle to make the, cant really afford to drop to many more games,,,,,

 

[billy2]

Matts up 12-0 over Wests at halftime

 

[billy2]

Matts lost 22-18

Ball need to win the next game to be in the race. If they lose it will be 1-3 record for them.

 

[billy2]

6-6 at halftime in Ball

 

[billy2]

Ball lost 10-6

we have a pretty easy draw from now on, but they must win at least 4 of their last 5 now to make the finals - and 5 to finish in a good position.

 

[Boss]

Who do you think has been the standout performer this season in ball?

IMO i think Jake Lawrence has been super and showed why he is captain... He deserves all the accolades he gets!

 

[billy2]

Who do you think has been the standout performer this season in ball?

IMO i think Jake Lawrence has been super and showed why he is captain... He deserves all the accolades he gets!

I agree.
He is a kid from the country who played for Australia in under 14s i think who the Knights signed for 4 years a few years ago.
He played a very important but little recognised part in our under 18s title last year. He didn't have massive impact last year, but he played quality football for massive minutes, often playing full games and allowing impact guys like Ma'a and Rob Mason to come on for short spells and create havoc.
This year Jake is playing full games still and now he seems to be our biggest forward with the most impact. If we had 3 more like him we'd win the title again.
Him and maybe Luke Yates are the only ones i can see making NYC this year.

 

[billy2]

Jayden Eneliko is another who might crack NYC, but probably next year because we have enough props this year.
Last year he was a fat kid who played short minutes and had a bit of impact. This year he has lost a lot of excess weight and rules the middle of the field for decent minutes.

 

[billy2]

Matts won against canberra, but Ball lost again.

Matts won without Sione Mata'utia I think, which is a good win.

Ball is pretty much done for the season - they might make the finals if they win every game, but probably not.

 

[billy2]

Big game for Mathews this week.

We need to win against Central Coast, which every other year would be a given, but this year Central Coast have a good squad curtesy of our overflow, and this week we have star players Sione Mata'utia and Tyrone Walsh injured and Tevita Pangai suspended.

Ball might sneak into the 8 if they win the next two.

 

[billy2]

An interesting point is that Jake Houm has been named at hooker this week. Last week he scored 5 tries as a winger and the week before he scored 2 tries as a fullback.
He looks like a 12 year old choir boy, but having watched him score 5 really good tries last week I have to say he is a quality athlete with speed, strength and hand eye co-ordination well beyong his years, despite being literally 5'2" and less than 50kg.
Not sure what his passing game is like, but he will zip out of dummy half if they don't keep an eye on him.

 

[billy2]

Matts won 38-18
Ball won 56-6