Well done Tony Archer...

[Knightmare]

You have successfully single handedly f**ked up season 2008 for hundreds of thousands of Novocastrians, and more importantly, millions of people in New South Wales.

You might think I'm only talking about last nights' game (although it's amazing how through one knee-jerk decision you turn what could have been one of the games of the year into a one-way procession), but I'm not. I remember your similar "efforts" when Newcastle played the Sharks earlier this season, as well as State of Origin, where it appears you were only there to ref one side of the border.

It's amazing that you lacked the vision to award NSW a fair try in the decider this year, instead playing Colonel Klink oblivious and sending it to the men upstairs to deny the people who spent their hard-earned to come to the game (and millions of other people) a grandstand finish it deserved. Yet last night suddenly you had Superman x-ray vision enough to see that Ben Hannant had clearly grounded the ball to score, even if nobody else could see it. I guess if a player is yelling at you that he's scored and his jersey has Maroon on it, it means it's definitely a fair try, isn't it Tony?

It's a damn shame a team can work so hard all season and punch so far above it's weight and then through the ineptitude of one man, you can F**K it all up for they and the people who support them. The NRL must be f**king with us all that you are the best ref this game can get! I would call you the Michael Hagan of NRL refs, but that would be a little too harsh on Hages. Just a little.

Enjoy being shown up for your true incompetance in the semis you blind, no-talent merkin, and if you go down in the first minute next week with a torn hamstring or (please God) blindness, it won't be a moment too soon.

 

[Jono078]

Nup.

I refuse to get angry at him because quite simply we werent good enough.

If we were it would be a whole diff story.

EDIT: haha should have read all your post, you arent just talking about last night.

Sure refs in general havnt been the best for us this year, but really every team gets dodgy calls and if youre good enough you can usually overcome poor ref decisions.

 

[Knightmare]

Newcastle were good enough. I didn't think to go all the way and win the comp, but they were definitely good enough to be playing next weekend.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

It's unfair to single Archer out for costing us a couple of games. There were plenty of others.

 

[Knightmare]

Sure, but in just one of the games Archer screwed the Knights, if he had reffed the game properly the Knights would have an extra 2 points, hence not having to be at all concerned about this weekend's results to have a stab at the finals. I'm not saying the Knights would be premiers, but they sure as hell deserved better than this.

My beef is that the team truly deserved a spot in the 8 after the gutsy performance they delivered this year, and this clown's ineptitude had to f**k with it.

 

[Danish Moo Cow]

Archer screwed us in round 3 V the Eels.

But the biggest screwjob of the year was Jarrod Maxwell in round 12 and Sean Hampstead (and co.) round 17.

 

[MSKnight]

Complain all we want, it's season over. Time to move on.

 

[Stained_Class]

but they were definitely good enough to be playing next weekend.

Apparently not. :lol:

Cry about the ref all you want, but you were clearly beaten by the better team on the night. The ref had nothing to do with your dismal performance.

 

[Belly07]

Newcastle were good enough. I didn't think to go all the way and win the comp, but they were definitely good enough to be playing next weekend.

tbh....Newcastle weren't good enough. Close...but not quite. We only have ourselves to blame. Yes, we lost many games this year to poor refereeing decisions.....my count was 6 games could have gone differently, but in the end.....we still allowed the opposition to win the game. Parramatta and the Sharks games were classics where we made crucial errors within our own 20m red zone that gave the opposition the ball in great field position, and they went on to score from it. There were 4 games this year that we lost by less than 3 points, and these games we controlled. Instead of whinging about the Ref.....maybe we need to learn to win these games that we controlled but blew due to some poor mistakes.

Rd 3 v Parramatta Lost 23 - 24
Rd 12 v Warriors Lost 16 - 18
Rd 15 v Roosters Lost 14 - 16
Rd 19 v Sharks Lost 13 - 16

 

[Karmawave]

Cummins was a far bigger thorn in our side than Archer.


The way I see it is this - the team who took the Knights spot in 8th was the NZ Warriors yeah?

We played the Warriors twice this year, home and away. Away, well the standard combo of Cummins and Houston put pay to that one.

Home?

Well there was no excuse in the world this year why the Knights get beaten by the Warriors 18-16 at EAS.

The stat of our season is this:-

Knights - Warriors

Head to head.

Played 2.

Warriors 2 - Knights 0.

Warriors 8th, Knights 9th.

 

[Knightmare]

Yeah, although the Warriors' away form in general puts the equation back in the balance.

 

[Jobdog]

Cummins was a far bigger thorn in our side than Archer.


The way I see it is this - the team who took the Knights spot in 8th was the NZ Warriors yeah?

We played the Warriors twice this year, home and away. Away, well the standard combo of Cummins and Houston put pay to that one.

Home?

Well there was no excuse in the world this year why the Knights get beaten by the Warriors 18-16 at EAS.

The stat of our season is this:-

Knights - Warriors

Head to head.

Played 2.

Warriors 2 - Knights 0.

Warriors 8th, Knights 9th.

In the light of day, that pretty much sums it up Karma. We threw that game away against the Warriors here early in the year regardless of whether the penalty at the end should have been awarded or not. We win that game, we make the eight.

Onto the subject of Archer, IIRC he single handedly screwed us against the Sharks by giving them two penalties which Covell booted. The end margin of 3 points is covered just there.

At the end of the day, and I think Perverse covered this about two or so weeks ago - this year, we've been near enough, but on the odd occasion we haven't quite been good enough.

 

[Hanscholo]

I have to admit that i was stunned a couple of seasons ago when the in crowds on TV started to spruke about Archer as being the number one referee. Previous to that he was heavily criticised every week for his lack of skills.

I dont think he cost Newcastle as much as we blew it ourselves over the long haul but that doesnt change that fact that Tony Archer has never been a good referee, and most likely never will. He is in good company though, i cant recall having faith in any referee since Greg Mcallum retired 15 years ago.

The penalty we gave away at the very start of the 2nd half in Brisbane, where Sau accidently brushed Hodges at dummy half. Brisbane go up field, score and that was the game. To me that sums Archer up, reflex petulant penalties for non issues then a complete "Bill Harrigan" style of ignoring every other blatant incident because he wants to keep the flow of the game going. Its manipulation rather than officiating.

 

[Hanscholo]

Cummins was a far bigger thorn in our side than Archer.


The way I see it is this - the team who took the Knights spot in 8th was the NZ Warriors yeah?

We played the Warriors twice this year, home and away. Away, well the standard combo of Cummins and Houston put pay to that one.

Home?

Well there was no excuse in the world this year why the Knights get beaten by the Warriors 18-16 at EAS.

The stat of our season is this:-

Knights - Warriors

Head to head.

Played 2.

Warriors 2 - Knights 0.

Warriors 8th, Knights 9th.

There is no doubt about it. The Warriors, Tigers and StGeorge home games this year were the reason we didnt make the 8, maybe throw in the Brisbane game for good measure where we somehow managed to be totally dominant and lose.

The refrees can have some buy in on our season overall but when it got down to it, we lost some games at home we should have won.

I think the one major block we got over late in the year was getting up for home games and playing well. Mid season we seemed to get stage fright there as in years gone past. I think the lads now realise, teams lift when they come to Newcastle and it isnt just a matter of running out there.

In order for us to be a really successful team again we need to make our home ground a place where teams dread going to. Take a look at the Melbourne and Canberra home game records this season, that is where we should be aiming in terms of win/ loss. If we can acheive that we are top 4 material in 2009 and beyond and i dare say our gate will go up as well.

 

[cram]

The Knights season is a little like a fishing tale, the one'(s) that got away....

 

[Johns Magic]

The Knights season is a little like a fishing tale, the one'(s) that got away....

Every club could say that though.

At the end of the day we just weren't good enough. We can complain about the refs, injuries, the draw, but I just don't think we were a finals quality team this year.

 

[Newie is God's Country]

Don't blame Archer. Pardon the pun here but you are drawing a very long bow Knightmare. The Knights had a tough draw which was simply desgined to make things hard for them. We played Each team in the eight twice bar the Dragons and Cronulla. That is where the blame should lie. Right at the feet of the joke that is the NRL. What chance did we stand? Nowt that is what. We played superbly this year and beleive me when I say that every one of those top seven sides is glad it was the warriors and not us that finished eighth.