What Have We Become?

[Karmawave]

Is this a joke?


http://www.theherald.com.au/news/lo...ights-keen-to-beef-up-youth-side/1471795.aspx


I had to look at the date, because I thought at first its April Fools Day.

Sure, sides deal with injuries, but is the scouting and junior development department for the Under 20's team that hard up for extensive knowledge of shadow players that they have to go knocking on the door of local teams seeking a few players?

Do they take any notes at all when they trial players in summer and 150 blokes rock up? :lol:


Its possible the Knights junior system has just sunk to depths lower than its ever been before.

The Rohan Smith venture looks like it will be a dismal failure. An untried coach barely older than the players he is coaching who isn't even from the area, and is not familiar with any local standout players who are good enough to be called up for the Under 20's Knights?

Looks like the future is bright! :roll:

 

[Jobdog]

That's better! The old Karma's back.

 

[The Seedman]

Good call Karma,where are our young backrowers coming though the system.I see very few future f/g players in our 20's!!VERY FEW!!

 

[Jono078]

A few is better than nothing, are you expecting the whole under 20s side to be future FGers?

 

[roopy]

The prop situation in under 20s is insane.
McHattan was injured in the last trial.
Tupou is serving a suspension.
Boss was injured in round 1.
Cordner was injured in the preseason.

That leaves our two big boppers Ailoami and Garbutt - neither of whom have big minutes in them.

Last week we started with a big winger at prop and he did 4 tackles and 1 hit up in his first stint of 20 minutes on the field (English).

We had several guys who were dropped last year and who played SG Ball last year, and hopefully some of them have been having a run with local clubs - because we are two props short right now.

This week we have Tetavano at prop, and Dargan moving from centres to second row to cover him, and we also have 3 small second rowers on the bench.

I'd move Mika to prop - but the guy has delusions of being a 5/8 some day. even though it is obvious he will be a prop within a year or two.

 

[stuke]

what do some of the 'official' guys get paid for? there are enough polo shirt and track suit wearing guys on the payroll who cruise along to all of the official events and sit on their backsides. too many of them have been in and around the club for far to long.

 

[roopy]

I don't think it's unusual for us to be looking to our local comp for a prop just now, but any guy that gets a run will need to impress quickly, because within a month or so we will have our SG Ball props (Jake Finn) and three injured guys coming back, so they will only get as long as it takes to get NYC fit to impress.

 

[Yosh]

Tragic... How come we never used any NYC guys last year? We didnt need them?

 

[Karmawave]

All is quiet from the Rohan Smith fans out there?

Where are all the sympathisers on this fiasco?

Ignore it and hope it goes away?

 

[roopy]

All is quiet from the Rohan Smith fans out there?

Where are all the sympathisers on this fiasco?

Ignore it and hope it goes away?

He had six props in the squad, and is down to two after two weeks.
He could drag a few up from SG Ball, but that's hardly fair to the Ball Squad who are battling to make the semis.
The only thing he can do is bring in a couple of local 20 year olds - and that is what he is doing.

 

[keeney]

I wasn't aware there were any Rohan Smith fans, merely people, whom, knowing nothing about him, were prepared to give him a go.

 

[Whats Doing]

Looks like there are a few eggs on some peoples faces. It is still too early in the competition to make judgement and what a great comeback for the boys today.

Well done

 

[roopy]

Today we had Ailoami at starting prop who is playing better every week as he gets fitter from all the work he is doing - but apart from him Garbutt obviously only played half a game last week and was named 17 this week because he was injured, and he didn't start.
He was replaced by Cordner, who didn't look fit after obviously not being in full training due to injury, but he put in a really gutsy 40 or 50 minutes and walked off exhausted. He was the only real prop on the field for most of that time.

 

[Jobdog]

What have we become?

It's quite simple Karma, a football team who can only play for 30 or 40 minutes and then run out of puff! ;-)

 

[Serc]

I wasn't aware there were any Rohan Smith fans, merely people, whom, knowing nothing about him, were prepared to give him a go.

x2

 

[roopy]

Having seen Cordner play today, I'm very excited about our fully fit prop rotation.
Tupou and Cordner are both smaller, mobile guys with a high workrate but still plenty of sting in them, and Ailoami and Garbutt are giant wrecking balls, with Garbutt also being an amazing offloader. We also have McHattan and Boss who are honest toilers.
If we can get any four of those blokes on the field we will be a force to be reckoned with.

 

[aqua_duck]

Good call Karma,where are our young backrowers coming though the system.I see very few future f/g players in our 20's!!VERY FEW!!

I disagree. Pete Mata'utia could handle 1st grade right now if he got the chance. Besides him I think Byron Fruean, Ryan Stig, Jonathan Ford, Zane Tetevano, Mitch Garbutt, Josh Ailaomai, Ethan Cook and Simon Williams are all potential future 1st graders. Mata'utia, Cook and Stig are all ex Australian schoolboys which is pretty much the highest honour for a young footballer

 

[aqua_duck]

Tragic... How come we never used any NYC guys last year? We didnt need them?

We had a rubbish NYC team last year, we imported some real duds and the guys who were good (Stig, Williams, Garbutt, etc) weren't ready for 1st grade

 

[Pika]

I also think Pete would go close to handling NRL.

 

[Flange1]

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.