Thoughts
The team had like 20% of the ball and dog shit errors. Good lesson for the youngsters.
Katoa, Wilton and Cam are the only ones from our first 13 who were named who would be likely first graders in round 1. Dale probably starts over Cam. Cam had a knock and played SFA minutes. Katoa got a rest early. Wilton played at the level around him. Kaufusi/Hazleton fighting for a spot on the bench. The rest was depth players vs a Knights team sprinkled with first graders in the key positions - halves, hooker, front row.
Cogger came on and changed everything. Knights players fighting for first grade spots actually made a case for their selection. No Cam out there meant no chat, no leadership.
Our depth players did not step up.
Stonestreet showed for the dipshits pushing his agenda he is no where near the level of Katoa or Ronnie. I am firmly a Stonestreet fan based on 20s viewings but we take our wingers for granted.
Iro did nothing. He is supposed to be in a "shoot out" with Sifa to take his jersey. Sifa is safe.
Rodwell had an all time stinker. He is much better than that. But his ceiling is what it is. He is firmly our 5th/6th option at best.
Atkinson and Puru are two halves who want to run and attack. DA was forced to be a controlling half. That is not what we have planned for him. He is the Connor role for us this year. If you put Tracey in at 6 it would be the same outcome/output.
Berrell just wants to run so again with the above halves it isn't ideal. Jets will be fine though. No NSW cup team matches that Knights quality today.
Dykes played his first game since 2022. Before 22 he probably played what 10 games in 20,21 with all the covid shit?
Stoked footy is back.
Spot on.
Tricky & Nico must stay fit for the whole year, otherwise we’re in serious trouble. Of the players we were all keen on seeing (Dykes, Stonestreet, Iro, DA, Puru, JC), not 1 of them did anything to further advance their claims for a spot in the 17, or even to cement themselves as the obvious ‘next man up’ in their position.
Particularly disappointed with Iro - pretty much just anonymous. He should be having a big impact on games against this type of opposition. Was also disappointed in Wilton - looked like he didn’t really want to be out there, maybe worried about getting injured in a pointless trial. He needed to be a leader whilst out there - he wasn’t.
All that said, I’m not a fan of trials, I don’t read much into them at all, so none of it really matters. I am also part of the ‘don’t risk a single important player by playing them in a pointless trial’ camp.
