Weaknesses for 2007

[aqua_duck]

I'd say Grothe would be quicker than anyone in our 1st grade ranks, remember how he left Matt SIng and Matt Bowen for dead earlier this year?

 

[The Devil]

What i was getting at was he isn't the quickest of wingers out there, but with Smith preferring large backs like Grothe and Ben Smith we can expect to see that our larger outside backs - Franze and Mad Dog - can be used effectively.

Though i'm like you, i prefer some speed in the back line.. but speed is not always good..

Take note of Joven Clarke and Roy Bell

 

[aqua_duck]

I take on board what you're saying but what Parra had were fast big men, Grothe, Tahu, etc weren't the fastest but they were quick enough to be considered speedsters, which is more than I can say for anyone in our backline. I guess our backs follow the same prototype as parras except our models are smaller and slower

 

[CJKnight]

Personally I think that our Forward pack will become our strength in the coming seasons. It has been our weakness in the past for several reasons:

1. not enough mongrel
2. to many aging props
3. not enough size

But with the players we have signed and our juniors coming through. We are looking at a pack that is mentioned with the likes of Manly, Brisbane, and the Doggies.

Perry
Woolnough
Snowden
Patterson
Royal
Sargent
Reynoldson
Simmo
Newton
Abes
Tanner
Brown
Tupou

That is a pack with alot of depth. And plenty of size, experience, and mongrel to match with the Bronx and Doggies. Even enough balance with the speed of the younger guys too.

 

[keeney]

Where is this Mongrel you speak of? Sure someone liek Snowden has it, but he isn't ready for FG... Similarly Royal isn't exactly setting the world alight.

 

[Bicey_18]

Wouldnt be surprised if Anthony Tupou comes home when he is off contract.... he would be great for us up front, he is a major talent

 

[roopy]

We let Frize and Andriessen go to the Qld cup at the end of last season - both were huge guys with pure mongrel in them - and we kept Grant and Steel - who are both small forwards with high workrates and some good skills - but no mongrel.
We let Tilse, the not-so-jolly giant, go - and signed Reynoldson in his place.

Rip Taylor has given us some forwards with mongrel in them - it is what he does - and he has done it well with our Flegg boys. Snowden, Natusch, Ling, Hlad, Laban, Jeans, Tuafua - not a backward step in any of those kids.

 

[Snoop]

Weaknesses include everyone except for Johns, Buderas, Gidley, Simpson, Mullen, Newton and Perry. If Doogs and Abes can stay fit you can discount them as weaknesses as well.

 

[Ben]

I think mongrel is something that is wanted in a football team but is definitely not needed. Our forward pack this year had no mongrel at all. We have two aging props and two workhorse props who you can rely on to get the job done. If you look at our backrow, we have softies like Tanner and Reynoldson and Simpson and Newton cannot be put into the class of SBW in terms of impact value.

We managed to do quite well this year with a pretty soft pack and you never know, if Buderus and Simpson had been on deck we may have gone a bit further.

However, if you really want mongrel, just take a look at the Flegg team. Sometimes it gets the better of them and you get the occasional ten minutes in the bin. But that pack certainly won't get intimidated when the players make the step up to first grade.

 

[MSKnight]

I've heard the problem with Mad Dog over his whole Career, he's a wimp. When he gets injured he actually stay off the field longer than he actually should. You see a player like Buderus busting his backside to be fit and right. MacDougall couldnt even be bothered. Hes a player who once hes down with a one week injury, he thinks his dying and has 6 weeks off....Hypercondriact.:crazy:

 

[aqua_duck]

We managed to do quite well this year with a pretty soft pack and you never know, if Buderus and Simpson had been on deck we may have gone a bit further.

We got pu8mped by 50 in an elimination final, that's not good enough IMO, I know the dogs wouldn't be saying "we did Ok"

 

[CJKnight]

With the money being spent on new rehab equipment and training techniques. I am hoping that will help make our forward pack stronger and fitter. With the signings of Sargent and Tupou, things are also looking up depth-wise.

I think Smith will use the combination of recent signings (Reynoldson, Sargent) and juniors (Snowden, Brown) with incumbents (Perry, Simpson) to create a top forward pack with workrates to match.

So the forward pack will NOT be our weakness in 2007 IMO. It will be our backs. Thiaday was never a safe fullback. While Carmont, although improved, still doesn't have the strength or speed. Gidley will be a loss too.

Macdougal, Polglase, and Franze are our replacement signings. Not exactly up to Gidley or Carney standards. Alot of mis-match at the back could hurt us. Tahu would be a great signing for '08 if we can get him.

Smith will most likely intorduce a specialist fullback for his safety, even if that means bringing Hinton into the starting lineup full-time. He has also guaranteed Tighe the 1st open center spot, which is a good thing.

Johns will still be there to tie it all together for another season. Which will give Smith time to develop Mullen's game. Butfor the most part, our halves are looking pretty good post-Johns.

 

[Bicey_18]

Carney may have been dynamic in attack but his defence was very ordinary! How many tries did he let in over the year? He wont be that great of loss imo in regards to his defence, and yes Quinn will be missed for sure, but really how many penalties did he give away? MacDougall on his day is still so damaging, his defence isnt bad 2, Polglase wont start but is not a bad lil player puts his heart into everything.. and Franze if he can regain that form before his knee injury will go great guns

We have so much talent to come through in our backline... guys like Uate, McManus, Gordon, Richardson, Cooper, Wright, Wooden.... and our forwards will be a force as well with the likes of Snowden, Patterson, Taufua, Natusch coming through the ranks.

Our future is looking very bright imo.... In a few years when Mullen is a rep player and is out of the side .... we would have the luxury of bringing up Scotty Dureau to partner Walshy and we all know what a combination they are!

 

[Burwood]

It looks like there's going to be a lot of pissed off knights supporters next year who feel they have been lied to if Tighe doesn't get his "promised' centre spot. In an attempt to clear this up (again), Tighe was never promised a spot in the top 13 next year- all Smith said was that he will get first crack at it, and this time is sure to come in the pre-season trials. Once the season proper starts, Smith is under no obligation to pick Tighe in the centres if he doesn't impress. Tighe still has a lot of work ahead of him.

I'm also thinking that Carney won't be as sorely missed in the backline next year. Gidley has always been the centre who gave some of the best try-scoring opportunities seen in the NRL- look at what he did for Albert, Tahu and Carney. let's hope that gidley has been teaching his little brother over the years the secrets behind the famous gidley-flick pass and his uncanny ability to draw in the winger

 

[ArturiusX]

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).

I played with Willie Tupou for school and against him a few times in local league, and unless that guys improved dramatically in his natural ability (unlikely), he will not save Newcastles lack of outside backs. I doubt he'll ever be a first grader.

 

[Frederick]

I played with Willie Tupou for school and against him a few times in local league, and unless that guys improved dramatically in his natural ability (unlikely), he will not save Newcastles lack of outside backs. I doubt he'll ever be a first grader.

I dare say he wouldn't do that anyway, as he's a back rower from my knowledge.

 

[ArturiusX]

Well, he was a centre when I played with him, but he wasn't much at all. If he makes first grade, I'm making a full time training comeback because it might be my big break

 

[roopy]

Willie Tupou never got a run at Newcastle, but he moved to the roosters with his big brother and obviously trained his guts out, because he went from nothing to being a star in one of the best Flegg sides ever put together (Roosters 2004).
He lost most of that form because of injury restricting his training - but it seems obvious that the Tupou brothers really benefit from time spent in the gym.
I think young Ben could be the best of the brothers - he is only 15 and already as big as the others - and the others are all a little bit small if they have a fault.

 

[Alex28]

He has also guaranteed Tighe the 1st open center spot, which is a good thing.

I've seen this quoted here more than a few times - find me something where Brian Smith is quoted saying this or stop saying it. Tighe hasn't looked close to challenging for a first grade spot in the later half of this year and if the club is going to reward mediocrity just because he threatened to go somewhere else, then management hasn't improved any over the last few years.

 

[CJKnight]

Just taking another bloke's word for it mate. I should have checked my facts first. But I certainly hope Smith HAS guaranteed Tighe the spot. He deserves a solid run in the top grade.