Spine - 2016 Edition

[1qaz]

Mullen and Hodkinson are the starting halves no doubt but big question marks over fullback and hooker.

Should Mamo continue developing his game in first grade at fullback next season?
Or is he better off learning his trade on the wing?
Should Dane be given an off season training at fullback to show us what he has in the 1 jersey?
What about Ross? Is he a stopgap option until Mamo is ready?


Should Clydesdale be given another season in first grade to show us he's the next Cameron Smith?
Is Levi ready next season to play big minutes?
What about Tyler? Is he the next Kurt Gidley of the Newcastle Knights and could do a job until Levi is ready?

Interesting times ahead for the next coach.

1.
6. Mullen
7. Hodkinson
9

 

[The Showstopper]

The key for Levi is getting match fit to play 60/65 mins a game at worst. At his age it should be a fair goal and one he works towards. If we get him there we will be a far better side.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

I still hold a lot of doubts whether the Knights have the ability to get mamo to the next level. There is a load of talent there but there is a lot of derp in him too.

Gagai is naturally good at fullback but he doesn't want to play there.

My personal preference would be gagai at FB, mamo on the wing.

Clydesdale has been better the back end of this season so he will be first choice. My personal preference is to have Levi as the number 1 hooker.

Whoever is our future hooker he needs to be an 80minute player like all the top hookers are, hookers shouldn't need to have a spell.

 

[K-Man]

I think there's a high chance Randell will get a bench role purely because we'll need some backup for the starting hooker unless Clydesdale / Levi can develop into 80 minute players in one off-season, and he's the only one who could also cover for injury in the backs, halves and forwards. With the new interchange rule, you probably can't carry a bench hooker, but if the bench hooker is basically a utility for almost every position on the field then it's a big tick.

I'm not really a fan of Randell, I just think that's what might end up happening.

As for fullback, I hope whatever the coach he decides, he decides it quickly. Mamo or Gagai need a full off-season training to be a fullback. I'd go with Gagai, but I'm okay with it being Mamo as long as massive work is put in and we don't realise after a month that Gagai is a better option when Gagai has trained for months at centre. Make a call and commit to it.

 

[Frederick]

Mullen and Hodkinson are the starting halves no doubt but big question marks over fullback and hooker.

Should Mamo continue developing his game in first grade at fullback next season?
Or is he better off learning his trade on the wing?
Should Dane be given an off season training at fullback to show us what he has in the 1 jersey?
What about Ross? Is he a stopgap option until Mamo is ready?


Should Clydesdale be given another season in first grade to show us he's the next Cameron Smith?
Is Levi ready next season to play big minutes?
What about Tyler? Is he the next Kurt Gidley of the Newcastle Knights and could do a job until Levi is ready?

Interesting times ahead for the next coach.

1.
6. Mullen
7. Hodkinson
9

Gonna be awful hard for you to work all this out since you don't watch knights games...

 

[otori]

I want Mamo to be fullback next year and be told the position is his. I agree with the commentators the other day that he does everything at a million miles an hour which leads to errors. However, I believe his ceiling is higher than Siones. If we get Madge as coach, I think he'll play Origin in 3 years time.

 

[slotmachine]

Mamo playing Origin in 2018? His mates the next Cameron smith and the next Israel Folau might be there too!

I would have Gagai at FB if there was someone else to play centre. But there isn't.

 

[1qaz]

I want Mamo to be fullback next year and be told the position is his. I agree with the commentators the other day that he does everything at a million miles an hour which leads to errors. However, I believe his ceiling is higher than Siones. If we get Madge as coach, I think he'll play Origin in 3 years time.

I think you're going a bit overboard there.
If Mamo is playing origin in 3 years times, NSW are in big trouble.
Don't get me wrong, Mamo has some potential but he needs more than just some pace and enthusiasm

 

[otori]

I think he's already better than Tupou so I don't see why a wing position in 2018 is unlikely. Morris will likely be getting past it at that point as well.

 

[aqua_duck]

Tupou is a premiership winning winger who has played for state and country, Mamo is still a fringe first grader. Besides they wont pick an undersized winger in origin

 

[1qaz]

Tupou has been hot and cold this year.
Comes up with some big plays but also has a clanger in him.
I would still have him over Mamo on the wing.

You got to think the players he'll be competing with for an origin spot in the backline..
Morris brothers, Jennings, Ferguson, Wighton, Dugan, Walker, Johnston, Mansour, Tedesco, etc
I would have Sione over Mamo on the wing too.

 

[aqua_duck]

I'm excited about Mamo too but he's only played like 10 games

 

[Joker's Wild]

Mamo playing Origin in 2018? His mates the next Cameron smith and the next Israel Folau might be there too!

I would have Gagai at FB if there was someone else to play centre. But there isn't.

This is pretty much the crux of it. Gagai has to play in the centres, we have no one else who will be FG ready.

I must be one of the only ones who thinks Mamo is almost there as a FG fullback. I don't think the mistakes he has made have been all that bad. The one thing I'd like to see is him working on his strength, much like Slater did early in his career. Mams gets manhandled too easily

 

[Swarzey]

Mamo will be fine. The kid is rocks and diamonds but doesn't have an ego that clouds his own perception. He's improving with every game, no doubt. Getting more involved, making better decisions; I see a lot of Tedesco in him. The club needs to persist with him at fullback, moving him to the wing won't do any good.

 

[Shenry4]

Gagai doesn't want to play there and we've got no one to replace him at centre. He can't take hard runs either and is susceptible of being dragged back into the in goal area.

Mamo seems the man for the job atm, a full pre season should smooth out his rough edges.

 

[Joel-22]

Mamo will be fine. The kid is rocks and diamonds but doesn't have an ego that clouds his own perception. He's improving with every game, no doubt. Getting more involved, making better decisions; I see a lot of Tedesco in him. The club needs to persist with him at fullback, moving him to the wing won't do any good.

Tedesco is lightning. Mamo is quick over like 30-40ms, beyond that appears to be nothing impressive. We need some speed in our side now that aku is slower than 34 year old ben cross. Gagai and sione are both quite slow for backs

 

[Bring it home Knights]

There's an argument going that gagai needs to be in the centres as we are short of players that can play that position. I'm getting to the point now where I'd accept a Nathan Ross or James McManus player over him. He simply can not defend. It's borderline embarrassing. He struggles reading the defense and his initial contact is diabolical. At least at fullback he'll have to defend a lot less.

 

[Joel-22]

There's an argument going that gagai needs to be in the centres as we are short of players that can play that position. I'm getting to the point now where I'd accept a Nathan Ross or James McManus player over him. He simply can not defend. It's borderline embarrassing. He struggles reading the defense and his initial contact is diabolical. At least at fullback he'll have to defend a lot less.

the thing with gags too, is that for someone who is so thin, he's not particularly fast or elusive.
He really needs to get stuck into it this pre-season

 

[Allstar Knights]

I don't think Gagai's pace is much of an issue but he is quite similar to a Lyon, Walker, Whare, Matai, Croker, etc. They don't have genuine pace (still more than enough though) but have the footwork and smarts to go with it.

 

[1qaz]

the thing with gags too, is that for someone who is so thin, he's not particularly fast or elusive.
He really needs to get stuck into it this pre-season

Dane had the most line breaks in the NRL up to origin this year.
Too much sideway running from the rookie fullback Mamo hasn't helped since.
So not sure what your definition is elusive is.
Speed is great to have but you only need to look at the teams with some of the quickest guys in the NRL are placed.
Tigers with Tedesco, Titans with Roberts, Raiders with Wighton etc
They are all ball runners first.
Then you look at the backline of a team like the Broncos.
No real speedersters but they do have a fullback that can create and setup their outside backs.
That's why I think with Dane out the back along with Mullen can create enough points even with someone like McManus at centre.
Get Hodkinson to direct the play and and do most of the kicking.
The Sims brothers and Tapine running off short passes from Hodkinson on the edges.
Levi getting the forwards rolling foward and quick darts from dummy half with quick play the balls.
Then let Mullen and Dane do their stuff in backline movements.