Weaknesses for 2007

[Whats Doing]

From the playing roster for next year, my view is that our real weakness will be in the back row.

Apart from Simpson and Newton, we don't have much depth let alone size, power or skill.

We have some up and comers such as Paterson and Snowden but they are not quite first grade material as yet.

The Broncos showed our weakness big time but we have not recruited in the backrow at all.

Thoughts on this and other weaknesses??

 

[thuganomics]

No real recognised star power in the outside backs.

 

[Yosh]

hmm... i used to think we had close to the best back row in the business a while ago. Simpson, Newton and Abes used to be a pretty big back row. I dont know much about the lower grades so was wondering if anyone is coming up looking like a future Mason or anything?

 

[roopy]

We have signed Willie Tupou who was a star of the all conquering roosters Flegg side in 2004 and was signed by Saints who saw him as another Anthony - but injuries have kept him in PL for the last 2 years. He could reach his potential next season (will be about 23 I think).

Jesse Royal has moved to the backrow this year. He is a big backrower - and Smith might make something of him.

Paterson and Ling will both be 20 next year and both are big boys who are improving at a tremendous rate under Rip Taylor to a point where they are both very good PL players now - and will train with the seniors under Smith - which should mean a big off season improvement.

That is four backrowers with plenty of size and ability.


I think our backline looks like a bunch of experienced but not too talented old pros - which are the type of player Smith brings out the best in.

 

[roopy]

Backrowers in order of how they should be picked next season;

Simpson
Newton
Abraham
Brown
Tanner
Tupou
Paterson
Ling
Royal

 

[Ben]

I think our back line will hurt us more next year than our backrow. As long as Simpson and Newton stay fit and Abraham gains confidence in his leg then we should be back to our best back-row that we can field. No more Reynoldson or Tanner starting in the thirteen.

On the other hand, we lose three crucial players in the back line. Gidley has had a sensational year and will be hard to replace, unless Tighe can bring back some of the form we saw last year. We will seriously miss the workload that the two wingers had taking the ball out of the red zone. This will put a much heavier load on the forwards to get back quicker and to take more hit-ups.

 

[Baron Vo Mandor]

No real recognised star power in the outside backs.

1-5 Scare me, Carmont & Thaiday will be our only recognised players and both can be terrible when the mood strikes them!

 

[roopy]

I'm pretty happy with our back 5.
They have a mix of youth and experience that should work well under a good coach.
Smith gets guys like Franze and Kidley playing to their strengths and minimising their weaknesess - so while I can see faults in all our backline players - i can also see Smith forming them into a unit that works.
He will probably have Polglase and Kidley taking charge of the defence - while having Franze and McDougall concentrating on powerful ball returns.

 

[K-Man]

I agree that the outside backs and back row are both concerns.

My feeling is that we will struggle next year and scrape into the top eight at best.

There's just no real strike power out wide. When you compare us to some of the depth and talent in the backs at other clubs, we will be a very workman-like bacline which I just don't think cuts it.

Injuries to Simpson or Newton, or especially both at the same time, would leave us extremely short of impact in the forwards as well.

We just don't have a team with 4 or 5 players where, if they get the ball, you get a little bit extra excited and the opposition get worried. Our attack stems from Johns and Buderus, and I don't think the rest of the team are good enough tools for those guys to give us another premiership. Players that come to mind as guys who are an extra point of attack for their team without necessarily being the playmaker are Inglis, Gasnier, Dean Young, SBW, Mason, Maitua, Hodges, Gallen, Hindmarsh etc and we just don't have players like this unfortunately. I miss the days when our backline was the best in the comp.

I think the problem could be solved if we bought back Tahu and Anthony Tupou. They would both be that "x-factor" - one in the backs and one in the forwards.

I hope I'm wrong, and I'll be cheering my lungs out, but my prediction is for a mediocre season in 07 I'm afraid.

 

[roopy]

We do have strike power.
Thaiday is right up with Slater and Inglis on his day.
McDougall is a bull who will make weak defenders pay dearly.
Mullen is just starting to give us a glimpse of the running game that will be the talk of league for the next 10 years.
Franze is a wrecking ball.
Kidley needs to be watched very closely.
Hang off Johns at your peril.
Riley Brown only needs a sniff of a gap to be away.
Buderus can spot a tired forward like no one else.
Perry and Wooly love a big run.
Seage can make a break.

Of the younger guys - Uate has the power to break tackles, the step to worry any defender - and when he is away you just put the glasses down - he has bolted.
Paterson is a big forward but the guy can run and step - and even does the odd tactical kick with a lot of skill. He is scoring at a try a game in PL.

With Mullen improving rapidly, kidley finally allowed to concentrate on making things happen for himself, Thaiday back to fitness, and McDougall and maybe Uate on the wings - we will have strickpower to burn.

 

[keeney]

Realistically though, Adam will play 5-9 games next year, Thaiday may not be back, Uate may not be ready, Franze is a definitely 50/50 chance at being good at best, Kidley may be persisted with out of position etc. We have the possibility of having a very good backline, but in the same breath, the possibility persists that it may be horrible.

 

[The Camden Leisure Pirate]

I know what this is going to sound like (crap), but I truly think that we have lost our biggest weakness.

Michael Hagan.

I know he is a popular target with Knights fans, but honestly the bloke can't coach his way out of a wet paper bag.

I'm really excited to see what Smith and Co. can get out of some of the younger blokes in 2007.

 

[roopy]

Realistically though, Adam will play 5-9 games next year, Thaiday may not be back, Uate may not be ready, Franze is a definitely 50/50 chance at being good at best, Kidley may be persisted with out of position etc. We have the possibility of having a very good backline, but in the same breath, the possibility persists that it may be horrible.

That assumes our new coach will not make the best of the resources available to him - I think he will.

 

[antonius]

Wouldn't it be great to see Doogs return to his block busting best, and play the majority of the games next season? Franze is a bit the same. Was a real prospect at the Knights, and after leaving and getting a bad knee injury hasn't really got back to his best, lets hope next year he can.

 

[League_God]

LoL just a quick question

what happened to Craig Hall???

 

[Super Sub]

LoL just a quick question

what happened to Craig Hall???

He was injured for most of last year and subsiquently lost his spot in the team and ended up playing in the English Super league this year I think...

 

[aqua_duck]

I wouldn't say not enough size in the pact but more a case of not enough mongral. We just don't have anyone who imtimidates the opposition, there are certain forwards who have an aura about them that just scares the opposition, guys like Mason, O'Meley, Webcke, Morley, Bailey, etc, we njust don't have anyone remotely like that. The compound that we don't have any big impact forwards, someone like a Frank Pritchard or a Sam Thaiday who can just come up with a big run, now and again, yet again we don't even have anyone remotely resembling that.

Now lets look at the backs, a backline of Thaiday, Polglase, Carmont, MacDougall, and Franze would be just about the slowest in the comp, heck I'd back the bulldogs forward pack to outpace our backline. There isn't a player in there who you would call a genuine try scoring machine, like a Tahu. Polglase is 'solid' but won't win you a match off his own back too often, Thaiday is awesome one day, terrible the next, Carmont I still don't rate, isn't anywhere near consistent enough to be demanding a starting spot week in week out in a top 4 backline, MacDougall will be 32 next year and Franze hasn't been the same player since his knee recon a few years back.

 

[Super Sub]

We just don't have anyone who imtimidates the opposition

I think Josh Perry has really stepped up in this regard this year. He has always been the forward of ours who got crazy and put the big hits on but this year especially he has really dominated some forward packs, he's made a few line breaks and he has put on some MASSIVE hits this year. Does anyone remember the hit on Moimoi at Parra stadium?

 

[aqua_duck]

I think Josh Perry has really stepped up in this regard this year. He has always been the forward of ours who got crazy and put the big hits on but this year especially he has really dominated some forward packs, he's made a few line breaks and he has put on some MASSIVE hits this year. Does anyone remember the hit on Moimoi at Parra stadium?

Perry puts on big hits sometimes but he hasn't got that reputation that makes the opposition sh*t themselves, I guess its maybe because he's been abit of a laughing stock in the past that the opposition players don't fear him perhaps as much as they should

 

[The Devil]

The emergence of the Flegg boys will be a breath of fresh air in the club when they all mature into FG standard players. Even in PL we have Tighe waiting around the edges and he is not slow coach himself. Mullen is also deceptively quick. Wingers do not necessarily need to be quick to be successful, look at Grothe. He isn't the fastest bloke around but is still a quality winger. We will miss some speed when it counts, but with a National level sprinter in Uate developing, i wouldn't worry too much about speed at this moment in time.