So what do we do?

[Alex28]

But this is the thing...a few weeks ago they weren't struggling. There was belief in each other. That isn't there now.

We need to get over the locals/imports thing. It has been something that has been dogging the club for the last few years. It doesn't matter who is in the jersey - they are our team and they deserve as much support as a local guy does. It isn't something that is going to go away with Smith's departure.

This is something that needs to be reinforced in to everyone who is involved and supports the team. The season is not dead. Time to put all the internal stress and the excuses and the poor form behind us - if the boys are not going to do it for Smith, or for Stone, or for the fans or for anybody else, they need to do it for themselves and prove to everyone that the first half of the season wasn't "overachieving" or "luck" or anything like that.

It's time that we get a bit emotional and passionate about the club as well. The season isn't dead. We still have a chance. Let's make the most of it.

 

[Jono078]

I got no idea what's got into them.

They're all playing like like they're lifeless and just going through the motions and collecting their pay. There is no more drive and desire to achieve anything.

 

[roopy]

Wake up and smell the coffee guys.
Gidley, Mullen, House, Sau and Simmo are all playing injured.
I don't think the whole Smith drama is more than the iceing on the cake, but our young team had a crack this year, got some pretty big scalps, look good for next year - but this year is over.
We might, by some miracle, fall over the line into a top 8 spot, but we'd just be cannon fodder unless Cross, Jimmy, Tolar and all the walking wounded get a visit from Jesus and some serious miracles happen.

 

[Alex28]

So why subject the cream of an under performing Toyota Cup squad to being this cannon fodder? Why set the next generation back the few years that we set the 2007 year back?

Personally I think their attitudes are posing a bigger problem than their injuries.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Wake up and smell the coffee guys.
Gidley, Mullen, House, Sau and Simmo are all playing injured.
I don't think the whole Smith drama is more than the iceing on the cake, but our young team had a crack this year, got some pretty big scalps, look good for next year - but this year is over.
We might, by some miracle, fall over the line into a top 8 spot, but we'd just be cannon fodder unless Cross, Jimmy, Tolar and all the walking wounded get a visit from Jesus and some serious miracles happen.

Dead set roops, you and macavity are 2 of the biggest emos on this forum :lol:

 

[antonius]

Probably get shot down in flames for this but I don't think Kidley is the right guy to captain the team. I get the impression that when push comes to shove and things aren't going well nobody takes any notice of him. I think we need an old head as captain, that probably means Simmo or Doogs, someone the rest will listen to. Getting Andrew or Matty Johns to help Stone for the rest of the season is not a bad idea, as is the idea of getting some of the old boys to have a serious heart to heart with these guys. Alex is right all the pride and passion has gone out the window, they are the guys that can explain what it means to be a Newcastle Knight.

Like everyone else I'm bitterly disapointed how the Smith Era has turned out, and have to say I'm worried what we will end up with next year. Are the players we have here now going to perform for another coach? For most of them that wasn't the case prior to arriving here. Wicks has slipped back to his old self, Sau is almost none existant out there. It worried me that there were suggestions of getting players to have input into who will be coach. If that happens and they have a big influence Stone is a shoe in, and I'm not sure he's the right man. Some deep thinking is required of the board, are they up to it?

 

[perverse]

i was going to start a thread about Captain Kurt actually antonius. i think he leads by example... but i'm not sure he's a true leader of men.

 

[macavity]

Dead set roops, you and macavity are 2 of the biggest emos on this forum :lol:

emo maybe, realistic more likely.

they are yet to prove me wrong...

 

[macavity]

i was going to start a thread about Captain Kurt actually antonius. i think he leads by example... but i'm not sure he's a true leader of men.

Crossy for captain.

if they aren't scared of him, they should be.

 

[antonius]

i was going to start a thread about Captain Kurt actually antonius. i think he leads by example... but i'm not sure he's a true leader of men.

Exactly the point I was trying to make. If they followed his example we'd be world beaters, but that's not what captaincy is about, as you say you need a leader of men, someone everyone wants to win for, Kids isn't that IMO. It's a good idea for a thread perverse, you'll get some discussion going I think.

 

[antonius]

Crossy for captain.

if they aren't scared of him, they should be.

gotta get him on the field first. :roll:

 

[perverse]

maybe we could just have the captaincy part of this thread moved to a new thread by one of our friendly mods?

 

[roopy]

The obvious captain is House.
He puts his hand up when the going gets tough, he is smart, well spoken, motivated - one of only three men in our side with a degree (the others being Doogs and Timmy) and he has actually worked at a profession outside football (shoolteacher).
I think he is a natural leader both on and off the field, and the sort of person we want to be the 'face' of the club.

 

[perverse]

i think house would be a great captain too... and has been earmarked as a leader since before he hit first grade.

... but how would the newcastle faithful react to an import being named as captain? particularly a fresh one.

 

[cram]

The obvious captain is House.
He puts his hand up when the going gets tough, he is smart, well spoken, motivated - one of only three men in our side with a degree (the others being Doogs and Timmy) and he has actually worked at a profession outside football (shoolteacher).
I think he is a natural leader both on and off the field, and the sort of person we want to be the 'face' of the club.

Good point Roops, you might be onto something there...but realistically I can't see them taking the captaincy away from Kurt.

 

[roopy]

Good point Roops, you might be onto something there...but realistically I can't see them taking the captaincy away from Kurt.

Stroke of a pen by the new coach.

 

[Jobdog]

i think house would be a great captain too... and has been earmarked as a leader since before he hit first grade.

... but how would the newcastle faithful react to an import being named as captain? particularly a fresh one.

Someone said this before (Alex maybe?) about the fact that us as Novocastrians need to get over the whole "Imports vs Home-grown talent" thing. While I can see their point to an extent, surely whoever pulls on that blue and red jersey deserves our support whether they've been in our system since they were old enough to hang onto a footy, or whether they've been brought here.

 

[doggone]

We all need to get to the f..ing game and fire them up. That's all they need and get the forwards going forward and big hits. That's whats working at the moment for other teams. They have the talent