That's the season

[Knight87]

I have stated it a few times this year, our starts against lesser sides in the comp are indicative of a team that doesnt know how to dominate games. We were expected to come nearly last this year. We have always played our best football when we are expected to lose or we are losing. Its all mental and its something we need to develop a stronger mind set for. There is nothing harder than developing a winning culture that overrides self doubt or worry. The knights in the last two matches have been very very sloppy and unable seemingly to take the game by the throat and dominate it.

Strangely enough EAS seems to highten their issues significantly. It seems to me just watching them that the pressure of being in front of a very expectant crowd is combining with their own doubts and they just arent concentrating on the simple things that get football games won. It seems harder for us to win at home because we are expected to win at home, and we arent performing in games we should win.

I guess its a reflection of young players, none of which have been in a winning culture at Newcastle and are yet to understand how to go about rolling over sides. I dont believe there is anything harder for a coach to do than to transform the mentality of players into a dominating mind set. Its not hard to just charge onto the ball and tackle hard when your back is against the wall, but it seems to be much harder for them to pick apart a side from the start. They need to learn some patience with the ball, and how to build pressure with it and wear down their opponents. Its not going to happen overnight.

I maintain my early season prediction with these guys of 10th. I want to see that mental side turn around soon, EAS should be a key to that, not a hinderance.

Looks like the tide's turned, Hanscholo. Back in the 90s, it was the other way around.

I remember games back when in Primary school in the 90s had LOTS of atmosphere and noise. That old Eastern Hill was sooo deafening. It was almost as if you knew every single person on that hill, you could connect with everyone (you could even give anyone a hug and a kiss. I mean, it was like that: that sense of connection, community feel and spirit was at its best) and you could feel the whole pride, spirit and joy of the town of Newcastle on that hill. A middle-class, working class, town who would always give their all to make sure the Knights could get across the line.

However, a trend has started to develop. I watched the telecast of the Knights/Tigers match last week, and sadly, I didn't hear much noise made (only temporarily in the passage when the knights started to comeback late in the 2nd half). This was the same with the Broncos match I went to earlier in the year, and also has been the case of most Knights matches of the last few years. I'd say that the atmosphere started to become subdued circa 2004, when the Eastern Grandstand was being built and the Eastern Hill was no more. That old famous "NEWCASTLE" chant has slowly diminished and is a rare occurence today (as you will notice). If you even yell or chant, the old folky look at you with very whimsical and glaring looks, like you're some sort of delinquent juvenile. heck, even ppl there bring knitting materials!!!!!!!!! KNITTING MATERIALS!!!! They should be thrown away at the front gate, and instead, those ppl should be on their feet, supporting and yelling with the pride and passion that has been passed down from years gone by. If they wanna do knitting, go to an art-and-craft class or furthermore, go and relocate to a retirement home. Someone also got p$$#@ off because he wasn't able to bring his LPG gas cylinder to the games, so he could cook himself some food. If you wanna cook, go to a cooking school or apply to be a chef at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, but EnergyAustralia Stadium is a colluseum for Rugby League! A colluseum, where legends are born and made, and where true, fighting warriors are.

It makes me very heartbroken to see the situation that now exists. That's why its called 'home ground advantage'. Marathon Stadium (as it was once called) was a place where opposition sides feared and hated playing at. There was that sense of intimidation factor in it, and the Knights really made it a 'fortress'. But, the recent Knights home games I've been to, that sense of fear is no longer there for opposition sides. Which defeats the whole purpose of home ground advantage in the first place. I read in an article recently on Toyota Stadium (Cronulla) and how the atmosphere from there has gone. Well, similar has happened to Newcastle. Even with 20,000+ crowds, the atmosphere is not what it use to be. People need to start seeing going to the game as not only a unique privilege (as theres loads of ppl whod love to go to the game, but are unavailable to, due to living in Country areas that are too far away from the stadium), not only as just 'another game of Rugby League", but as an "event". An event, full of action packed entertainment and joy to the fullest. Once the ppl who attend games starting seeing it like that, the domino effect will start to take over: The players will also start to pick up on that and will even give and demand more from themself than what anyone expects from them to do. Combine this with the fact the team is winning, then there is no reason, regardless of rain, hail or shine, that we cannot be playing infront of a 'packed house' like we use to be able to achieve in a regular basis. The atmosphere of the 1990s will return as well, and to make reference to a U2 song, oh, it will be 'a beautiful day'

I know it makes me a bit sad to hear you say that our boys feel very daunted playing infront of all those many ppl. But, sadly, its true. Furthermore, they shouldn't see it like that. They should see it as a privilege: a privilege that many good rugby league players in the lower grades never got to experience

 

[perverse]

2 excellent posts knight87. i too have been at a game this year, screaming my lungs out - only to be ridiculed by the so-called "fans" around me.

it's a ****ing joke. we need to reclaim the stadium.

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

I will stand against most of the Knights fans and say Dureau is Sh$t. He has no pace, doesn't control the game as a half, spends most of his time at dummy half, kicks on the full and throws intercept passes.

We will not win a comp with him at half.

Shoulder to shoulder mate

 

[Knight87]

2 excellent posts knight87. i too have been at a game this year, screaming my lungs out - only to be ridiculed by the so-called "fans" around me.

it's a ****ing joke. we need to reclaim the stadium.

I'm glad you see what I'm trying to say. Perverse, it just makes it more embarrasing to see that this isn't the case at A-League (which is a lot less superior than the NRL, in terms of popularity and reputation) Soccer matches involving the Newcastle Jets. Heck, I was at the GF Qualifier vs Central Coast in Gosford and GF vs Central Coast at SFS, and I tell you, the atmosphere that those Jets fans and the Squadron exerted into the match in both games was more than the combined atmosphere at all Knights home games over the last 5 years. And no, I'm not kidding. Even though I don't getta attend as many home games as I use to, due to the fact that I'm now in Sydney, I've been to Knights home games since 1994, so I do know what I'm talking about.

As I've mentioned in the previous two posts, the Knights fans back in the 90s and early 2000s really wholeheartedly got behind their team. With players like the Johns boys, Chief, Butts, Robbie O, Mad Dog (when he was really mad and the most explosive backline player the Knights ever had, before he became some broken down steam train, riddled with injuries), Boozie, Gids, Alby and Sarge, you could really connect with those blokes. They were more than just footballers: they were entertainers, they made other sides let their presence known everytime they stepped onto our turf. This was our town, our team, our ground, our turf. They let other sides know that if they wanted the two points, they'd have to play at their absolute best and overcome the daunting and yet amazing atmosphere at our ground. It's amazing how much psychology can do to a player. If you can win the psychological battle, you're already more than 50% of the way there to winning the game.

From what I heard on the radio tonight, it sounds like the Knights crowd didn't get involved until the last 10 mins, and even when they did, the NEWCASTLE chant only went up for like 10 seconds, before it evaporated into silence. Not to mention, 15,489 is a pretty crap crowd attendance for us, given that it was perfect conditions for a night match.

 

[Apey]

From what I heard on the radio tonight, it sounds like the Knights crowd didn't get involved until the last 10 mins, and even when they did, the NEWCASTLE chant only went up for like 10 seconds, before it evaporated into silence. Not to mention, 15,489 is a pretty crap crowd attendance for us, given that it was perfect conditions for a night match.

This myth is suggested every game, maybe it's just the new stadium or something. From where I sit in the Joey John's stand it's loud as it always has been for me, the Newcastle chant was quite strong. The only time it seems to go quiet is when we are playing like crap, and the chant failed to inspire them the previous time so people give up.

The noise factor was loud tonight, lots of ooooh and ahhhs, as well as the Newcastle chant.

You also have to remember it is Saturday night against the Warriors, although it was much lower than I had expected. I feel sorry for the other 15,480 fans that watched the game with me.

 

[Whats Doing]

i'm kidding myself? you're kidding yourself! he steered the team around brilliantly in each game from halfback this year bar tonight. it's buderus' job to keep the forwards rolling over the advantage line - not dureaus. just like buderus did in origin 1 to perfection.


scores tries though. i suppose you'd prefer gidleys signature cut-out-ball to bay 12?

At least it doesn;t get intercepted and in the ned cost us 6 points from the only time Dureau decided to take the line on.

i'll thank you not to forget it in the future.


we won the roosters game through sheer enthusiasm, self-belief and a fair bit of luck. it had absolutely nothing to do with gidleys average-to-ok game at halfback. we had absolutely no kicking game in the roosters game whatsoever. and i mean zero kicking game - absolutely nothing. it still stuns me that we won that match. it had every trademark gidley kick all in the one match - "the **** chip", the classic "roll the ball over the dead ball line".. and we can't forget "the fullback choker" either. yep. that game had it all.

So Kidley had nothing to do with the winning the Roosters game. He was only average to OK. You really have no idea and as I recall I believe he was judged man of the match. His game against the Roosters was not average to OK but extremely good and you just blindly do not want to accept the fact that he has matured as a footballer and is better than in previous years.

If the NSW selctors were willing to put him in as the NSW half, they have a fair more clue about football than you.

If we had a decent alternative I would put back Gidley back at fullback. The fact is we haven't and he is our best option. We do not possess an alterntive half to control a game let alone win a comp.

I said last year we needed to buy a half back in case Dureau and Walsh do not stand up. My predictions are coming right and until we get a decent half back, Gidley remains our best option. The NSW selectors can't be wrong!!

 

[Nuffy]

I think the best combo is Mullen and Bailey, thats the only one thats actually worked.

 

[Apey]

So Kidley had nothing to do with the winning the Roosters game. He was only average to OK. You really have no idea and as I recall I believe he was judged man of the match. His game against the Roosters was not average to OK but extremely good and you just blindly do not want to accept the fact that he has matured as a footballer and is better than in previous years.

If the NSW selctors were willing to put him in as the NSW half, they have a fair more clue about football than you.

If we had a decent alternative I would put back Gidley back at fullback. The fact is we haven't and he is our best option. We do not possess an alterntive half to control a game let alone win a comp.

I said last year we needed to buy a half back in case Dureau and Walsh do not stand up. My predictions are coming right and until we get a decent half back, Gidley remains our best option. The NSW selectors can't be wrong!!

Oh my god.

He was not excellent in that game! Just because we won does not mean the halves were excellent. Kurt Gidley is a sub par halfback. NSW selectors CAN be wrong and ARE wrong. They have been wrong a number of times in the past, they are still doing things wrong, why can't they be wrong this time?

Gidley playing halfback in game one would have meant NSW losing 1 - 0.

He best position is fullback, anyone doubting that or suggesting a move is absolutely mental.

 

[strewth_mate]

So Kidley had nothing to do with the winning the Roosters game. He was only average to OK. You really have no idea and as I recall I believe he was judged man of the match.

But as said elsewhere, there was very little in that match that indicated he is a quality halfback. He played his normal game with a number 7 on his back, and our impossible comeback wasn't due a decent halves display, it was more a change in fortune and a flying pig.

With him in the 7 tonight, we might have gone better, I don't know - but the problems we had with attacking structure, I don't think they would have been alleviated. He does not play like a halfback, he plays like Kidley. There is a difference between him playing well with in the number 7 jersey, and him playing like a number 7, and if you look at how he plays, the former does not equal the latter. As it stands, I'd prefer to just have him back.

 

[antonius]

So Kidley had nothing to do with the winning the Roosters game. He was only average to OK. You really have no idea and as I recall I believe he was judged man of the match. His game against the Roosters was not average to OK but extremely good and you just blindly do not want to accept the fact that he has matured as a footballer and is better than in previous years.

If the NSW selctors were willing to put him in as the NSW half, they have a fair more clue about football than you.

If we had a decent alternative I would put back Gidley back at fullback. The fact is we haven't and he is our best option. We do not possess an alterntive half to control a game let alone win a comp.

I said last year we needed to buy a half back in case Dureau and Walsh do not stand up. My predictions are coming right and until we get a decent half back, Gidley remains our best option. The NSW selectors can't be wrong!!

You have no idea. Gidley might have been named at halfback but he didn't play a halfbacks game against the Roosters. He played as an extra dummy half, whenever he was calling the shots on the last play they were poor options and he certainly didn't direct the play. He has no decent last tackle options when he has the ball,and I'll say it again, he has absolutely no kicking game whatsoever, He just cannot organise the play at halfback he doesn't think quickly enough.Don't get me wrong Gidley is a great player he is a great returner of the ball, great kick chaser, good out of dummy half, but that doesn't make a good number 7, his spot is at 1. Dureau has one ordinary game and everyone wants his head. Forget about the other games where he's stood out as one of our best, The bloke has only played a handfull of first grade games and you expect him to be faultless. He played behind a very very poor pack last night, start unloading on them not Dureau. We had Gidley at 7 for an eternity and he was never any good there, nothing I've seen this year sugests he is any better now.

 

[jb2]

Have to agree with you guys, I was thoroughly disgusted with the performance putting it politely. This game was a reall opportunity of getting the team going again after falling in the hole since about round 7.

Absolutely no passion, Mullen & Budeurs did ok and made up for some errors, Bailey was good and I thought Simpson was ok as well.
As I have said before Houston made critical errors AGAIN, 2 or 3 per game is his average and I would love to see him sacked.
Dureau - what gives ? when he kicked the ball on the last tackles they were just mindless kicks into no mans land.
Wicks again waste of space and the list goes on.

 

[otori]

Even if Kidley was a better halfback than Dureau or Walsh (which he isn't) it means that we're basically crippled at fullback if we put him there. We have a NSW standard player at fullback not at halfback.

 

[Frederick]

I think people are being unfair on Houston. His stats are good:
10 hitups for 95 metres
35 tackles, 1 missed
1 offload
2 errors

Of those 2 errors, one of them was a clear rake in the early stages of the second half that, had he been playing for any other team, would've been given a penalty. He is also only averaging 1.3 errors per game, not 2 or 3. Mullen made 2 errors last night, and he's averaging 1.25 errors per game too...would you like to see him sacked?

 

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

Our last 2 games has made me feel just as depressed as early 05 and last year. We should have won that game by a fair margin. We just find ways to lose game after game. How hard is it to to catch a ****ing ball. And how they let Henderson score that try, we stopped them 2 tackles when our line was all over the joint and scrambling and when we were set and ready they let a dummy half run out of dummy half, stop, turn around, and run 5 meters through a gap to casually place the ball over the line before anyone realised what was going on.. Disgraceful.

 

[Whats Doing]

You have no idea. Gidley might have been named at halfback but he didn't play a halfbacks game against the Roosters. He played as an extra dummy half, whenever he was calling the shots on the last play they were poor options and he certainly didn't direct the play. He has no decent last tackle options when he has the ball,and I'll say it again, he has absolutely no kicking game whatsoever, He just cannot organise the play at halfback he doesn't think quickly enough.Don't get me wrong Gidley is a great player he is a great returner of the ball, great kick chaser, good out of dummy half, but that doesn't make a good number 7, his spot is at 1. Dureau has one ordinary game and everyone wants his head. Forget about the other games where he's stood out as one of our best, The bloke has only played a handfull of first grade games and you expect him to be faultless. He played behind a very very poor pack last night, start unloading on them not Dureau. We had Gidley at 7 for an eternity and he was never any good there, nothing I've seen this year sugests he is any better now.

Antonius, you think I have no idea. Firstly, I have coached at QLD Cup level, I have a Level 3 Coaching Certificate and have coached under age rep teams. You may wish to contact Warren Smiles about my footy knowledge.

Is Kidley a better fullback than halfback. Of course he is. However that didn't stop Bennett from moving the world's best fullback Lockyer to 5/8 and perservere with him which took a long time as it provided a better baalnced team.

You pick your best 13 players and slot them into positions that will give you the best balance. They did this with Johns in the Australian team where they played him at hooker because it game the team better balance overall. I am saying that Kidley at half and either Wes, Gordon or even Doogs would give us better balance than Kidley at fullback and Dureau at half.

Dureau has had one good game, one shocker and the rest average at best. We need our number 7 to be the contol of our attack, the player who can take it to the defensive line by running the good lines and putting his support players through the gaps.

You went to great length's to point out Kidley's weaknesses at half but Dureau has more. You say I am unloading on a player after one bad game. As I said above, my opinion he has had only one good game.If you play at first grade level, you get judged as a first grader.

 

[Big Tim]

Dureau - what gives ? when he kicked the ball on the last tackles they were just mindless kicks into no mans land.

What makes you say that???

He kicked one out on the full, that would have been a 40/20, other than that he did well considering he had no time.

I made the comment at the ground, that he would plan to kick right, look and see the Fullback, and within a step kick down the middle and find the ground. No other player in our team has that vision.

Its much better to kick the ball into space then straight at the defender.

 

[Pika]

You guys get so carried away.

We have had two poor games in arow, and everyone is knifing themselves.

We are not yey halfway through the season, why so doom and gloom.

There is nothing to say we cannot recapture the from that has seen us beat three of the top four sides in this competition.

Everyone take a chill pill

 

[Yosh]

I think after years of having the world's best player as our halfback we have set very high standards for Dureau... I mean he has only played a handful of games at the top level, with an overall inexperienced side as well. Obvoiusly he was going to struggle to fully and competently guide the team around all game every game. So far this season he has played pretty well, his kicking game wasn't too bad, he wanst a defensive liability also he has put some try assists in to. Him and Mullen seem to have worked up a pretty good combo to.

The whole attacking game of the Knights seem pretty limited. Get quick plays of the ball, make metres left right and centre, using our best attacking weapon in Kidley, then looking to just push over the line. I really dont like it how we usually only have one runner, no decoy runners confusing the line, then we usually look for a offload and good 2nd phase play to score off...

Bailey is going next year... So I think its more valuable for us to work up a combination in the halves for the future... Its a pity Bedsy is leaving as well, if we have Degois/Duearu/Mullen/Kidley which has a world of potential but very very inexperienced and could hurt if they fail to gain good confidence... However I have total faith in Duearu personally and I can see him becoming a quality halfback maybe not quite rep quality with players like Mullen/Carney/Wallace/Pearce all in front of him but a good solid halfback for our club.

Players I acutally have a problem with:
Houston, not enough quality. Solid but nothing spectacular, definately doesnt desereve to start over Patto. Makes way too many penalities and errors. Needs time in PL.
Lulia and Wes are holding Uate back... One or two of them need to be dropped. McManus can slot into centre, which is something I have said for a while now, and Uate FTW!!!!
At first I was a big Wicks fan, however definately needs some time in PL... I dont understand how he isnt dominating... He is big fast and agile... Has all the natural ability in the world, doesnt really give that many stupid penalties away either. All he has to do is ask for the ball, take a hit up and make his 10m... Seroiusly, maybe one of the senior players in the team, probably Bedsy should keep revving him up and giving him the ball while he is on the field... We need more quality and quanity from the bloke.
Cross... garbage getting injuried all the time, however I have faith in him to come good in time.

 

[Yosh]

What makes you say that???

He kicked one out on the full, that would have been a 40/20, other than that he did well considering he had no time.

I made the comment at the ground, that he would plan to kick right, look and see the Fullback, and within a step kick down the middle and find the ground. No other player in our team has that vision.

Its much better to kick the ball into space then straight at the defender.

I agree, probably the teams fault for not having a back up kicker beside him so that he could offload the ball to if too much pressure...

 

[antonius]

Antonius, you think I have no idea. Firstly, I have coached at QLD Cup level, I have a Level 3 Coaching Certificate and have coached under age rep teams. You may wish to contact Warren Smiles about my footy knowledge.

Is Kidley a better fullback than halfback. Of course he is. However that didn't stop Bennett from moving the world's best fullback Lockyer to 5/8 and perservere with him which took a long time as it provided a better baalnced team.

You pick your best 13 players and slot them into positions that will give you the best balance. They did this with Johns in the Australian team where they played him at hooker because it game the team better balance overall. I am saying that Kidley at half and either Wes, Gordon or even Doogs would give us better balance than Kidley at fullback and Dureau at half.

Dureau has had one good game, one shocker and the rest average at best. We need our number 7 to be the contol of our attack, the player who can take it to the defensive line by running the good lines and putting his support players through the gaps.

You went to great length's to point out Kidley's weaknesses at half but Dureau has more. You say I am unloading on a player after one bad game. As I said above, my opinion he has had only one good game.If you play at first grade level, you get judged as a first grader.

I don't care if you've coached Australia, I'll stick by what I'm saying. Dureau has been impressive in all his games at 7 and 9 this year except last nights, and a lot of that can go down to the performance of the forwards (Simmo excepted). Gidley did not play a halbacks game against the Roosters. You are infering he did. If you are as qualified as you say then you'd know Gidley isn't a halfbacks arse. Yes I know he was bandied around as NSW halfback, but he wasn't selected there was he, and it's assumption that he would've been, and that he would have been any good there if he had been. Tell me what attributes Gidley has that make him a quality halfback? I'm all ears, and Gidley does not put supporting players through gaps.