What Have We Become?

[roopy]

I think our juniors are back on track - except we continue to lose all our best every year. Lucas Miller, Liam Higgins, Callan Richardson, Boyd Cordner, Jason Schirnack, Jacob Ling, all guys who played in rep sides from Newcastle and are now playing lower grades for someone else.

 

[aqua_duck]

What have we become? - BS (before Brian Smith/Bull Sh#*) the young blokes of Newcastle tried there butts off to get into the junior knights - it was a considered a privileged and an honour to be selected.

Now Smithy wants to give them away like a footy card from a Weeties pack.

This bloke got no interest in Newcastle.

In 2004 - 2006 we had the best junior team running around. 4 players selected for NSW in 2004 and 6 selected in 2006. the majority of those players have now left through lack of opportunity.

Karma etc are right on the ball, the smith's are killing us.

Players selected for NSW in 2004:
Under 19's
Dane Tilse-was sacked for being an idiot
Under 17's
Jarrod Mullen-Our main playmaker
Jacob Ling-Should have been retained having said that 15 other NRL clubs weren't real keen to sign him either
Brendan Hlad-Park footballer

2006:
Under 19's
Aku Uate-Still at the club
Jarrod Mullen
Luke Walsh-Smith along with most people rate Mullen and Dureau better and was on too much coin for a reserve grader
Jacob Ling
Cory Paterson-signed up long term
Jon Tupou-Played for central last year, too small for a 1st grade forward

Out of the ones let go the only one playing 1st grade is Dane Tilse and he was let go before Brian Smith was here

 

[Karmawave]

I think Flange is talking more about the current crop of juniors yet to play first grade who are playing at other teams that the Smiths simply didn't rate.

Guys like Boyd Cordner for one...

 

[macavity]

I think Flange is talking more about the current crop of juniors yet to play first grade who are playing at other teams that the Smiths simply didn't rate.

Guys like Boyd Cordner for one...

way off the mark there.

no rating involved

just a big bucket of cash from the Roo$ter$.....

all comes back to finances mate.

tell your mate Tinkler that if he buys the Knights, you will throw in some Lakers tickets.... ;-)

 

[Karmawave]

tell your mate Tinkler that if he buys the Knights, you will throw in some Lakers tickets.... ;-)

My mate Tinkler? :lol:


He actually got some season tickets a few years ago , but doesn't talk to me anymore for some reason ;-)

 

[aqua_duck]

Well he referred specificly to the 2004 and 2006 NSW reps, which I named.
In reference to someone like Cordner, obviously the chooks rate him highly, he's a 1st year SG Ball junior and he's been training with 1st grade. Roosters have a reputation of paying big money to poach juniors and we simply can't compete with that. Back in 2003 they paid Albert Hopoate (John's brother) 50K to play jersey flegg in order to poach him from the magpies, 6 years on he's nowhere near 1st grade. We know what peter O'Sullivan's like, he's renowned for working with a big chequebook

 

[cram]

My mate Tinkler? :lol:


He actually got some season tickets a few years ago , but doesn't talk to me anymore for some reason ;-)

:lol:

 

[Pika]

Lingy was one of my favs, I hated seeing him released.

That said, he is only making the bencg in QLD Cup, so maybe that says something....

Regardless, he was a top guy and a fearless competitor.

Josh, Toops, Cordner and Garbo make a solid prop rotation. Boss and Hilton reliable back ups who can both rotate to back row.

I think the NYC squad has some potential for this season.

 

[aqua_duck]

I also think we've got alot of potential in the toyota cup team.
Having seen 2 of the 1st 3 games I think our best team would be

1.Mata'utia
2.Naiqama
3.Williams
4.Fruean/Hunt
5.Edwards/Papamau/English
6.Ford
7.Stig
8.Cordner
9.Wyborn
10.Garbutt
11.Tetevano
12.Morseau
13.Mika

14.Tupou
15.Ailaomai
16.Marlbrough
17.Cook

 

[Pika]

Hard to disagree.

Mybe start Marlborough.

 

[The_Joey_Show]

Yeah that would be my only change. Marls is 10 times the hooker Benny Wyborn is. Apart from that, spot on IMHO.

 

[Whats Doing]

Lingy was one of my favs, I hated seeing him released.

That said, he is only making the bencg in QLD Cup, so maybe that says something....

Regardless, he was a top guy and a fearless competitor.

Josh, Toops, Cordner and Garbo make a solid prop rotation. Boss and Hilton reliable back ups who can both rotate to back row.

I think the NYC squad has some potential for this season.

Saw Lingy play on the weekend with Ipswich and was very ordinary

 

[aqua_duck]

Yeah that would be my only change. Marls is 10 times the hooker Benny Wyborn is. Apart from that, spot on IMHO.

I guess i was impressed with what I saw on sunday. I thought hooker would be a big weakness for us but its now a strength with Wyborn and Marlbrough, also Manaia Osbourne waiting in the wings and Byron Fruean capable of playing there too

 

[roopy]

I also think we've got alot of potential in the toyota cup team.
Having seen 2 of the 1st 3 games I think our best team would be

1.Mata'utia
2.Naiqama
3.Williams
4.Fruean/Hunt
5.Edwards/Papamau/English
6.Ford
7.Stig
8.Cordner
9.Wyborn
10.Garbutt
11.Tetevano
12.Morseau
13.Mika

14.Tupou
15.Ailaomai
16.Marlbrough
17.Cook

Ben Wyborn is a victim of his own versatility.
He had a great partnership with Stig in the halves for several seasons, but last year they moved stig to 5/8 and pushed Wyborn into any vacant spot in the team - but basically he is a large, quality running 5/8 with decent playmaking skills, and maybe that is where he would be best used, rather than being a Mr Fix-it. Even at Hooker you can see him and Stig are a well drilled partnership.
I'd put Jono Ford at lock and Mika in the prop rotation.

Mata'utia
Naiquama
Williams
Edwards
Papamau
Wyborn
Stig
Cordner
Marlborough
Ailoami
Tetavano
Morseu
Ford

Garbutt
Mika
Tupou
Fruean

 

[aqua_duck]

If Jono Ford could catch he'd make an outstanding fullback, in the David Peachey mould. Someone needs to put up 50 high balls for him every training session

 

[Karmawave]

If anyone wants to see 2 blokes who we should be trying to sign, get there early to the game on Sunday and watch the Manly Under 20's halves , Daly Cherry Evans and Keiran Foran.

No reason at all why the Knights shouldn't be chasing either of those 2 guys to join the Knights to give them a first grade opportunity.

 

[CJG 182]

Haven't seen either of them play, but have heard good things about the Forans.

You'd think they'd have them locked up though with Ox remaining a perennial choker and only have a year or two left IIRC.

 

[Misanthrope]

We don't have scouts in place to handle things like this?

What am I saying? We're a club that can't even adequately scout players under contract, let alone those in an area as inaccessible as the city in which the team is based.

 

[Adsy]

Going to try and get my brother's under 20s side on to this. They won 76 - 0 today.

 

[Karmawave]

Peter Matautia is not ready for first grade.


No way in the world.


And reality is, he is the most first grade ready of the lot of them , which doesn't say much about the rest.