Soward, Do ya Love him yet

[Izz]

Was that the year you did melbourne at melbourne in the finals with Witt scoring a very late try?

nah, that was 2008, when we were using Witt, Fein and Rovelli in the halves. So, similar, i guess.

In 2007 we finished 4th and got bundled out in 2 straight weeks. Lost to Parramatta in a tight one, then went to North Queensland and got smashed.

 

[Panther Pete]

I wasnt unhappy when we signed Sowie but more just unsure how he would go. I cant recall him having a bad game for us so far and he clearly showed last Friday night against the Eels he still has it. All up I am very happy with him and assume there is still room for improvement as he continues to combine with Wallace. I agree with MX, Kev Naquaima has been very disappointing.

 

[God-King Dean]

Just one of those players. You hate him if he plays for anyone else, but love him at your club.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Agree about Taylor he is our hardest working player. Runs hard, tackles anything that moves and does all the dirty jobs willingly, real good player.

Taylor is limited in attack, so as long as we have firepower in the rest of the team, he has an important role to play.

 

[Big Mick]

I loved the signing.

I said last year in defense of Soward he was forced to do so much with a shit roster at the Dragons and that he was a scapegoat for Price and Doust.

This year he is proving that right. He doesn't have to do everything and just needs to focus on his job and playing within a system and a great kicking game. He chimes in when he has to but he has the talent around him to make his job easier. At the Dragons he had nothing....and that is playing out this year very much the same as prior years.

You can love or hate his personality but as a footballer he has been exceptional this year.

 

[franklin2323]

I'm not sure how often Gus gets to talk to Soward to motivate him, but Cleary should take the credit for getting the best out of him. I don't disagree that Gus makes speeches that are almost Churchillian and would motivate a corpse to get up and return to life, but I think Cleary is doing the hard yards at Penrith.

Well Gus lined him up the deal with Volvo and everytime he opens the local paper or goes in Westfield's. He sees himself kinda easy to keep confidence up in that case. That with the odd talk here and there. Cleary seems like you if you keep training hard and don't cause trouble in the playing group.

I don't disagree with Taylor. Great tackler and showed great ball skills in Peachey's 1st try last week

 

[franklin2323]

I agree with MX, Kev Naquaima has been very disappointing.

How? He's scored 3 tries in 3 games of NRL with the drop against Parra his only error I can recall. 10 tries in NSW Cup. He hasn't had enough of a run to say his good or bad

 

[PANTHERMIKE]

I love him..

 

[mxlegend99]

How? He's scored 3 tries in 3 games of NRL with the drop against Parra his only error I can recall. 10 tries in NSW Cup. He hasn't had enough of a run to say his good or bad

By not delivering on our expectations. He has been solid at his best so far this year, and not the superstar we were expecting. He has rightfully dropped down the pecking order for first grade, yet most had him as a deserving first choice winger or fullback.

 

[chrisD]

In first grade and his form now K.Naiqama has more than delivered on what I was expecting.

 

[umina panther]

Im with mx on this, Knights fans talked him up like a superstar

 

[Panther Pete]

How? He's scored 3 tries in 3 games of NRL with the drop against Parra his only error I can recall. 10 tries in NSW Cup. He hasn't had enough of a run to say his good or bad

I am disappointed he hasnt produced the type of performances I saw him do last year for the Knights. I thought by now he would have been a regular in firsts but obviously his performances have not warranted that.

 

[franklin2323]

I am disappointed he hasnt produced the type of performances I saw him do last year for the Knights. I thought by now he would have been a regular in firsts but obviously his performances have not warranted that.

Yeah but to be fair did you really expect Mansour or Simmons to not be our wingers this season?

 

[franklin2323]

By not delivering on our expectations. He has been solid at his best so far this year, and not the superstar we were expecting. He has rightfully dropped down the pecking order for first grade, yet most had him as a deserving first choice winger or fullback.

Again though. 3 tries in 3 games I will take that for any winger. He's leading tryscorer in NSW Cup a team which is running 1st. Not much he can do unless Ivan decides to move Mansour or drop Simmons both are unlikely

 

[chrisD]

He was poor until he got picked in first grade where he was good (better than DWZ was) and has been great in NSW Cup since, as best I can tell following write ups as I haven't seen much NSW Cup lately. Don't think there's much more he could have done as of late.

 

[Panther Pete]

Yeah but to be fair did you really expect Mansour or Simmons to not be our wingers this season?

Not unless one of them was performing poorly. Considering Simmons was the NRL's leading try scorer last year, he had to be picked at the start of the season and he hasnt done anything wrong since then that has called for him to be dropped.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Sowie is a Jet. Love him.

 

[MaxPower]

I used to love him. Now i am in love with him.

 

[franklin2323]

Not unless one of them was performing poorly. Considering Simmons was the NRL's leading try scorer last year, he had to be picked at the start of the season and he hasnt done anything wrong since then that has called for him to be dropped.

Exactly. Naiqama has done everything he can to be ready if he gets the call up

 

[ACTPanthers]

I was one of the fans that was openly unhappy with Soward signing with us - Granted he didn't have the quality at the Dragons that he has here, but I was more worried about his attitude and possible adverse effects on his team mates

I have however changed my tune - Not only is he playing brilliant football for us at the moment, he is happy and it shows - The interviews he does now, watching him joke around and have a smile on his face as opposed to that sulking face we have seen in the past, just proves he is in a happy place and enjoying life and footy