Uate dropped?

[NoSchitSherlock]

thanks mate. What did he say?
There's no doubt he needs to bulk up. Denniss & Gagai should be training partners in the off season. Both would be twice the players they are now if they managed to add 5-6kgs

Forget the exact words but, basically, Brown was impressed and pondering what he'd be like in 2-3 years with a bit more bulk.

 

[1qaz]

Uate has played a lot better than Mamo this season.
Mamo had an okay game last night, but still no way deserving to get picked over Uate base on this year's form.

 

[Rod]

Uate is unlucky as his play has been pretty good this year and as others have pointed out it's not like Mamo has taken his chances so far.

That being said I like what Brown seems to be doing with this team in general so I'm not too fussed about it.

 

[Spot On]

Uate has played a lot better than Mamo this season.
Mamo had an okay game last night, but still no way deserving to get picked over Uate base on this year's form.

500K a season. Brown expects better. A few other highly paid 'stars' will have their managers looking for a door out sooner than later if their heart and form don't improve out of sight ASAP

Love it..

 

[slotmachine]

Uate has played a lot better than Mamo this season.
Mamo had an okay game last night, but still no way deserving to get picked over Uate base on this year's form.

I probably would have made that tackle on Gordon. Unforgivable.

 

[Spot On]

Exactly. But it's become a forum past time to assume Aku should never make an effective tackle unless it's a pure one on one situation or one he doesn't have to make a read on or move much to position himself (even then he struggles).

The running joke has been that all the tries down his side when faced with 3 on 1 situations are all Aku's fault as some expect him to be able to shut that situation down time and again.

As I said before, he's looked ok as teams haven't had to target him as we haven't really been in tight/ pressure games. Teams have simply shifted the ball around us. But when the tackle needed to be made like the one on Gordon, he fluffs it. That one had to be made in the context of the game.

Obviously Brown expects a lot more from Aku than some forumites.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Could all the trys down aku's side be due to lack of communication? Its his job to call for more troops if he is out numbered. He isnt doing something that brown wants him to do and that might be it.

 

[slotmachine]

The miss on Gordon had nothing to do with communication or reading the play or being short of numbers. Gordon ran straight at Aku.

But I think it's a lot of things on that edge. Aku having never been a good defender (technical tackler or reading the play), Sione gambling shooting out of the line (looks spectacular when it comes off, leads to Eels first try when it doesn't), Tariq mailing it in generally.

Aku looked competent when Mad Dog was around, maybe he just needs someone out there telling him what to do.

 

[Spot On]

I guess after playing 160 NRL games and almost 30 rep games Brown is expecting Aku to know what to do more often than not and talk if numbers are needed his side?

 

[Caped Crusader]

Could all the trys down aku's side be due to lack of communication? Its his job to call for more troops if he is out numbered. He isnt doing something that brown wants him to do and that might be it.

This is actually the job of the centre and edge backrower. They need to be counting numbers and calling for the shift, not the winger who generally cant be heard from that far out. Also the fullback has a good amount of responsibility of calling numbers

I have little doubt that our edge defencive structure suffers from the above as it generally happen on both sides for us

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Just listed to the podcast at http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/new...rss&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed
A bit of talk about our roster, Tariq and Uate about 1/2 way through.
Hagan says that Uate had an offer to leave at the start of the year but the club wanted him. Also hinted that dropping him is a way to force a move.
Also I saw somewhere that the payers association is advising clubs not to sign beyond 2017 until the 2018 cap is known.

 

[The Showstopper]

The question for Aku is where does he go? He isn't exactly selling himself of late. The only coach who could save him is Bellamy IMO because he would be doing so many defensive drills until he got it right, he would barely be able to stand up. I do not want Akuila Uate's legacy to be that he failed to live up to his potential. The facts are we have not been able to get a decent game out of him for around 2 years. One day someone will work out why Mullo and Aku went the way they have and it will make great reading. Two blokes of immense ability who were stuck in a culture that did not challenge them at all. Why did they not rise above that? I am old school and I believe you reach a point in life where you have to lift your game even when those around you are not.

 

[Jono078]

The question for Aku is where does he go? He isn't exactly selling himself of late. The only coach who could save him is Bellamy IMO because he would be doing so many defensive drills until he got it right, he would barely be able to stand up. I do not want Akuila Uate's legacy to be that he failed to live up to his potential. The facts are we have not been able to get a decent game out of him for around 2 years. One day someone will work out why Mullo and Aku went the way they have and it will make great reading. Two blokes of immense ability who were stuck in a culture that did not challenge them at all. Why did they not rise above that? I am old school and I believe you reach a point in life where you have to lift your game even when those around you are not.

Why would they rise above it? They would've been the kings of Newcastle for a long time.

We need players with the mentality of being Australia's best sports person and be ambitious with what benefits that could bring them.

Instead we have a team happy to be big in Newcastle and live the comfortable lifestyle, IMO.

We should have the underdog mentality, we are the team left behind and we're just from small Newcastle while these other teams have the big names and dollars and we should be giving it to them to show what we can do. But for some reason - I believe it started with Hagan - we are just happy to take part and not strive for anything great.

I think Brown is doing his best to change this and it will take time unfortunately.

 

[The Showstopper]

Browny's finished product here will be one that has changed the entire club's approach. It is up to his successor to run with that. If the club is smart they make Brown a career coach here. Take the AFL approach. I want Nathan Brown to make this HIS club like Bennett did at Brisbane. He needs to be boss of everything outside of the money accounts and business dealings non player related.

 

[aqua_duck]

The question for Aku is where does he go? He isn't exactly selling himself of late. The only coach who could save him is Bellamy IMO because he would be doing so many defensive drills until he got it right, he would barely be able to stand up. I do not want Akuila Uate's legacy to be that he failed to live up to his potential. The facts are we have not been able to get a decent game out of him for around 2 years. One day someone will work out why Mullo and Aku went the way they have and it will make great reading. Two blokes of immense ability who were stuck in a culture that did not challenge them at all. Why did they not rise above that? I am old school and I believe you reach a point in life where you have to lift your game even when those around you are not.

I think Aku's legacy has been sealed, a bloke who's star burned bright for a short period but who's career nose dived when he should've been in his prime

 

[Still Nutty]

Browny's finished product here will be one that has changed the entire club's approach. It is up to his successor to run with that. If the club is smart they make Brown a career coach here. Take the AFL approach. I want Nathan Brown to make this HIS club like Bennett did at Brisbane. He needs to be boss of everything outside of the money accounts and business dealings non player related.

This so much!!! Said the same as much in the 2016 positives thread

 

[The Commissioner]

Hi all,
I'm a Dragon supporter but I wanted to say what a credit you Knights fans are to your team and the game.
Browny will build you a team that will be very successful sooner rather than later and it's a credit to you guys to stick tight and support the team no matter what is happening at the moment.
The NRL needs a strong Knights side and you lot will be that within a few years.
Take care lads and good luck for the rest of the year.

 

[The Showstopper]

Hi all,
I'm a Dragon supporter but I wanted to say what a credit you Knights fans are to your team and the game.
Browny will build you a team that will be very successful sooner rather than later and it's a credit to you guys to stick tight and support the team no matter what is happening at the moment.
The NRL needs a strong Knights side and you lot will be that within a few years.
Take care lads and good luck for the rest of the year.

Knights and Dragons will always have a healthy rivalry that is based on respect. Have nothing but respect for the Dragons. Even if you have had our measure for years.

 

[Noname36]

Hi all,
I'm a Dragon supporter but I wanted to say what a credit you Knights fans are to your team and the game.
Browny will build you a team that will be very successful sooner rather than later and it's a credit to you guys to stick tight and support the team no matter what is happening at the moment.
The NRL needs a strong Knights side and you lot will be that within a few years.
Take care lads and good luck for the rest of the year.

Thanks mate, that's very nice of you to say.

Obviously we're not overly optimistic at the moment but I don't think Browny has made a call yet which I didn't agree with. Obviously he's going to make mistakes but I think we might finally have a coach that is prepared to put in the hard yards and make the tough calls to help the club.

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

Read last night that Aku had an offer from Japanese Rugby at the start of the season and another from European Rugby just over a month ago.
He turned them both down because he had a young family and 'loves the place' (Newy).
The club wasn't standing in his way.