'This club is a rabble' thread #5,672...

[The Showstopper]

Too true Slot.

 

[perverse]

It is definitely a sad fact that no team takes us seriously enough to consider us rivals these days. I miss having rivalries with Manly, Brisbane, Roosters...

 

[Knightmare]

Exactly perverse. I used to look forward to playing those very same teams several weeks in advance and would do anything to get to the game if I could. Losing to them could be enough to make me not want to get out of bed the following morning, beating them provided the backdrop to some of my best days/ nights out at the game- notable mentions to the FNF game at Brookie in '06, and even as recently as 2013 the comeback win against the Broncos in Brisbane. Flogging Easts 40-6 in 2001 was an awesome night out, too.

Contrasted to now? I didn't even bother to watch the Manly game the other week. I went to the Broncos game last night just to remind myself of why I don't bother. Well done boys- you reminded me!

 

[perverse]

I can only imagine those same teams now just coast through the week at training, knowing they only need to complete their sets to beat us. That really is all it takes to beat us - a decent completion rate. We'll do the rest for you. It really makes me cringe when one of our players has the hide to say something like "there's no easy games in the NRL" whilst simultaneously providing the easiest fixture on the calendar for opposing teams.

 

[aqua_duck]

I'd imagine most teams see us as a way to improve their for and against

 

[Haffa]

You've summed up my general sense of apathy to the club perfectly.

It has nothing to do with winning. 07 was a fantastic year to support the club, changes were afoot, we were growing up. Then we regressed to infant stage again. Dumb decisions, cheap options on players, make sure our juniors get paid above what they're worth.

 

[Nuffy]

I'd imagine most teams see us as a way to improve their for and against

And coaches see us as a chance to break form slumps, we have an unequaled ability at that.

 

[Haffa]

Our fate was sealed when we gave stone the gig after having months to find someone to continue whatever Wayne was bought in to do.

 

[Knightmare]

The knack this club has for signing people nobody else even looks sideways at is staggering to say the least...

 

[Zoidberg]

Some posts in here perfectly sum up my thoughts and feelings. I really hope the club makes drastic changes because until they do we will not have success.

 

[Nuffy]

I think what depresses a lot of us is that we wish that things would change but in our hearts we know its not going to.

 

[Haffa]

Warren Ryan had the same troubles trying to break the 'locals' power over the club. Much like Smith he dealt with moving on club favourites and facing a backlash as a result.

 

[Knightmare]

The problem is, the same parochial people who thought Wok was the Devil incarnate for showing Matty the door and Brian Smith was a wrecking ball to the club 'culture', are the people who think the fact those two no longer have any involvement at the club somehow proves that they were right all along. They care 100% about that and the fact they believe they were "correct"- yet ignore everything else that shows them up.

They ignore the results over the past 13 years.

They ignore the fact that virtually none of those players who made the club what it was, have anything to do with the club these days (Joey, Matty, Butts etc.)

They ignore that, for all the wanking on about local pride and how special the Newcastle identity is, a concerning amount of the same ex players left the Hunter some time ago for Sydney, Qld or elsewhere.

They ignore the crowds Newcastle used to pull, even during those "destructive" reigns of Warren Ryan and Brian Smith, and instead point to the fact that it didn't last as final proof that only local boys have a clue how to run this club.

These are the same people (I strongly suspect) who continue blasting 80's hits on Triple M all day (or whatever local station caters to their daily addiction to Bon Jovi, The 'Oils and The Angels). The same people who still haven't come to terms with the fact that the steelworks have closed down. The same people who think Henny Penny is the greatest chicken you can get at short notice. The same people who still laugh at Reg Reagan and think "Who ate all the pies?" is a hilarious call or piss their pants when Mario appears on The Footy Show and they make his forehead look massive.

It doesn't help that so many people leave Newcastle behind and leave it to the people I mentioned to influence what happens (or doesn't happen) at the club, and the town as a whole...

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

I think an eventual merger with the Central Coast is a possibility if things continue the way they are.

The Knights rely heavily on gate takings to prop up sponsorship money and historically we continue to bleed money. What were we? Like $6m in debt before Tinkler. I can foresee debts like that coming our way and go even higher with dwindling crowds, less sponsorship and less merchandise sales.

the Knights are severely on the nose in newcastle and if these trends continue I can't see the NRL continually forking out millions of extra dollars each year for the rest of our existence.

A merger with the central coast taps into another potential fan base, access to Central coast businessmen with potential for them to partially fund the joint venture and also access to the central coast catchment, increasing our playing stocks and hopefully better players.

To the die hard supporters this may sound absurd, and it probably is, but I wouldn't write it off if things don't change over the next 10 years.

 

[The Showstopper]

I think an eventual merger with the Central Coast is a possibility if things continue the way they are.

The Knights rely heavily on gate takings to prop up sponsorship money and historically we continue to bleed money. What were we? Like $6m in debt before Tinkler. I can foresee debts like that coming our way and go even higher with dwindling crowds, less sponsorship and less merchandise sales.

the Knights are severely on the nose in newcastle and if these trends continue I can't see the NRL continually forking out millions of extra dollars each year for the rest of our existence.

A merger with the central coast taps into another potential fan base, access to Central coast businessmen with potential for them to partially fund the joint venture and also access to the central coast catchment, increasing our playing stocks and hopefully better players.

To the die hard supporters this may sound absurd, and it probably is, but I wouldn't write it off if things don't change over the next 10 years.

it would hurt but A merger with the Coast would make the club far more powerful and easier to get sponsorship. Central Coast is essentially Sydney's most northern suburb. Living on the Coast now I can tell you there are a lot infrastructures slowly taking foothold at a far greater rate than Newcastle. There is a huge Chinese cultural centre being planned on Sparks Rd for a start. The money will be there long term. Or alternatively the threat of a merger will be their Ace in the pack to force WESTS hand or the fans. It would be so Newie to let things reach such a crisis point before we act.

 

[aqua_duck]

Our fate was sealed when we gave stone the gig after having months to find someone to continue whatever Wayne was bought in to do.

Wasn't even the appointment of Stone that annoyed me, it was the way they went about it, they changed the criteria so it left Stone the only viable candidate then delayed the announcement for weeks to make it look like they conducted a thorough process when really Stone was the only candidate

 

[Jobdog]

The sooner the club manages to embrace change the better things will be and improvement will be made.

It's not about having 17 blokes running out in that blue and red jumper purely because they're local and they should care about it. It's about having a playing group that is willing to do whatever it takes for that jumper week in, week out. It doesn't matter whether they grew up and went through the ranks at Wests or the ranks at West Wyalong.

The crowds don't care whether the players are local, sure it would be great if they were, but if they're supporting a team that they know will have a dig it doesn't matter where we got them from.

 

[Serc]

Interesting thread...one to bookmark potentially...

Not going to repeat what pretty much everyone else has said, but I too had a bit of a watershed moment last night also. Wonder if the same has happened in a number of people's minds across the organisation...only time will tell I guess!

Will make a quick comment about Stone though - I thought he did pretty well in the latter half of 2009, and in both 2010 and 2011 to deserve a good look in to the job when Bennett left, and when he got the job I was happy enough to see how it went. I'm not saying it's just his fault, but I'm a bit worried now and if coaches like Bennett and Smith couldn't 'fix' the club, Stone has three tenths of stuff all chance of getting the right results.

Edit: Obviously living up here and having all my Broncos mates giving me hell after the game last night didn't help either

Edit 2: I was one of the people at the 71-6 game in 2007, and I didn't feel as embarrassed about the result, and apathetic towards the club as I did last night

 

[BestWingerBoyd]

Your not true fans.

 

[Jobdog]

Just on the whole being embarrassed and disillusioned after that performance last night.

I wasn't embarrassed, I wasn't disillusioned, maybe I just don't particularly care anymore. I'm not sure.