Where Are We Going?

[Burns]

Simple title for a simple premise, where is our first grade team going?

Hyperbole aside, the past two weeks have revealed a systemic lack of depth, attitude, ability and just, well, 'stuff' that had crippled this club since Joey retired.

That was 8 years ago today!

We had a run late 2013, where did that go? We went pretty well late last year, where did that go?

I'm aware we could flog Parramatta next week and all would be rosy, but the Knights team we have seen the past fortnight remains. The difference between us and the Roosters, Bunnies, Bulldogs is the ability to play a consistent, confident brand of football. Our leaders and experienced players (Mullen, Gids, McManus, Houston, Uate) are part of a culture which appears to be lost.

Endrant/

 

[Frederick]

Our four wins were a combination of poor opposition and arsey plays from a few individuals.

We don't actually play as a team. We play as 13 random blokes on the same side of the field who don't have a clue what to do.

The Sione experiment has to stop. Right now. Disrupting the team just to include him doesn't work. And he isn't a fullback.

Clydesdale needs more time on the field. We play better when he touches the ball more and gidley touches it less.

Mullen needs to see a psychiatrist and get his head read.

Roberts needs to stop going for the big play EVERY play, and trust in the structures that (I hope) stone has in place.

Houston needs to die.

 

[Nuffy]

Burns, frankly I don't have the energy anymore, as sad as that is to say.

Too many years of mediocrity have worn me down.

We get the team and results we deserve.

 

[Jobdog]

It needs to stop raining. Pure and simple.

 

[perverse]

All our players in key positions are mental midgets, and honestly have been since Gidley was made captain. Gids, for all his hard work, is one of the dumber spine players I've ever seen. Certainly that I've seen have this long a career. We have a lame captain and no brains underneath him to pick up the slack.

I look at our team, their temperament and their inconsistency... and it's really like we're the team equivalent of Kurt Gidley. No composure, and bonehead moment after bonehead moment.

 

[Burns]

Burns, frankly I don't have the energy anymore, as sad as that is to say.

Too many years of mediocrity have worn me down.

We get the team and results we deserve.

Its been 8 years since Joey and we still haven't had a half who can command a game and see out a win. Mullen has glimpses of talent, but is the most confidence player ever.

I suppose my question now to everyone is, whats the immediate direction? Could Mullen/Roberts/Gids actually be dropped. Who would replace them?

 

[Misanthrope]

I feel like this thread is a yearly tradition.

That saddens me more than how poorly we've played the last six weeks.

 

[Burns]

I feel like this thread is a yearly tradition.

That saddens me more than how poorly we've played the last six weeks.

Eh, I knew it was kinda over the top/dramatic to make.

But honestly honestly, there is nothing doing in our attack and attitude. Isn't it an indictment on our team if this thread if made each year, why can't we ever feel confident about our team?

 

[Jobdog]

I don't think that it's they're playing poorly as much as they're playing dumb.

Last week they wanted to go around the Dragons despite the fact it was wet and slippery. Take the metres up the middle, earn the right to go wide.

Tonight they tried to go through the middle, but on more than one occasion the miracle pass was thrown. Stockwell's comes straight to mind leading up to Barba's try.

Rugby league isn't a difficult game and sometimes you've got to change on the run. We appear incapable of doing that.

 

[Nuffy]

Burns, my view is that the club just isn't professional enough, we value being from Newcastle as more important than competence.

We want a team stacked with juniors, irrespective of talent. Gids and Mullo have played 400 plus games, can't control or close out games, but are never questioned.

Mids is the weakest CEO in the league, Stone was gifted the role. Would either have got their respective roles if they weren't insiders. Would Hages get his role anywhere else?

We fluked an immortal which hid a multitude of sins, other than that, we would be Cronulla.

I keep hearing that the club and board want to reconnect with the community, do they really think that the punters are going to come flooding back with performances like this. The NRL is an entertainment business, people have options, they need to be successful to recapture the hearts and minds.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Why has Wayne got the Broncos firing on all cylinders right off the bat but only managed it for an 8 week period with us out of 3 years. Our club has a cancer inside. We will never see the glory days ever again.

 

[Misanthrope]

I don't think that it's they're playing poorly as much as they're playing dumb.

Last week they wanted to go around the Dragons despite the fact it was wet and slippery. Take the metres up the middle, earn the right to go wide.

Tonight they tried to go through the middle, but on more than one occasion the miracle pass was thrown. Stockwell's comes straight to mind leading up to Barba's try.

Rugby league isn't a difficult game and sometimes you've got to change on the run. We appear incapable of doing that.

I'm not sure we watched the same game. While we definitely did make the mistake of trying to go wide on a few occasions and were justifiably tossed into touch for our stupidity, I felt like 80% of our play was run out runs up the middle with our ineffectual forward pack. We'd follow their poor effort with a shitty kick or a handling error. Our outside backs didn't get nearly enough ball, which they should have given how profoundly our forward pack had been out-muscled.

 

[Jobdog]

Burns, my view is that the club just isn't professional enough, we value being from Newcastle as more important than competence.

We want a team stacked with juniors, irrespective of talent. Gids and Mullo have played 400 plus games, can't control or close out games, but are never questioned.

Mids is the weakest CEO in the league, Stone was gifted the role. Would either have got their respective roles if they weren't insiders. Would Hages get his role anywhere else?

We fluked an immortal which hid a multitude of sins, other than that, we would be Cronulla.

I keep hearing that the club and board want to reconnect with the community, do they really think that the punters are going to come flooding back with performances like this. The NRL is an entertainment business, people have options, they need to be successful to recapture the hearts and minds.

I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but you're pretty much on the mark.

 

[Burns]

Burns, my view is that the club just isn't professional enough, we value being from Newcastle as more important than competence.

We want a team stacked with juniors, irrespective of talent. Gids and Mullo have played 400 plus games, can't control or close out games, but are never questioned.

Mids is the weakest CEO in the league, Stone was gifted the role. Would either have got their respective roles if they weren't insiders. Would Hages get his role anywhere else?

We fluked an immortal which hid a multitude of sins, other than that, we would be Cronulla.

I keep hearing that the club and board want to reconnect with the community, do they really think that the punters are going to come flooding back with performances like this. The NRL is an entertainment business, people have options, they need to be successful to recapture the hearts and minds.

It is admirable to want to appeal to the community, to bread juniors and be the flag bearer for an entire region. At least for me the reason I follow the Knights is because I was born, it just makes sense. Yet I feel that the majority of supporters really buy into the idea of a 'battler club taking on the world'. That's a great story for a sporting team to have, its great to sell but what do you do when success runs dry?

We operate out of such a rugby league heartland that it makes sense to try and breed the next Churchill/Johns, but we shouldn't fear buying success either. Its exactly what Roosters/Souths did.

The club can't change when the NRL owns us. The club didn't really move when Tinkler owned us. Maybe we should all buy the club

 

[Nuffy]

Why has Wayne got the Broncos firing on all cylinders right off the bat but only managed it for an 8 week period with us out of 3 years. Our club has a cancer inside. We will never see the glory days ever again.

Nailed it.

 

[Burns]

Why has Wayne got the Broncos firing on all cylinders right off the bat but only managed it for an 8 week period with us out of 3 years. Our club has a cancer inside. We will never see the glory days ever again.

Isn't the entire point of the NRL to have equality so that each club has a period of success, followed by a rebuild?

*dons conspiracy hat* - Or perhaps clubs like Newcastle, Canberra and Cronulla are doomed to perpetual mediocrity.

 

[Jobdog]

I'm not sure we watched the same game. While we definitely did make the mistake of trying to go wide on a few occasions and were justifiably tossed into touch for our stupidity, I felt like 80% of our play was run out runs up the middle with our ineffectual forward pack. We'd follow their poor effort with a shitty kick or a handling error. Our outside backs didn't get nearly enough ball, which they should have given how profoundly our forward pack had been out-muscled.

That's probably precisely why they didn't get enough ball. Difficult for the backs to do much when the forwards aren't.

 

[1qaz]

When your team go to man is Mullen, then not sure what else you expect?
He's too inconsistent like the team.
He doesn't play whats in front of him and over thinks.
He'd do well playing for a team like the Storm but not as your main man at this club.

 

[Nuffy]

Isn't the entire point of the NRL to have equality so that each club has a period of success, followed by a rebuild?

*dons conspiracy hat* - Or perhaps clubs like Newcastle, Canberra and Cronulla are doomed to perpetual mediocrity.

I do believe that the NRL sees some clubs as valuable and some as making up the numbers, we fall into the latter.

They took us over and spent their first efforts cutting costs within the club.

They took over the Titans and within two weeks they had signed DCE.

It's no coincidence that the GC and SE Qld is a sporting battle ground and the Hunter isn't.

Also, the influential clubs have effective CEOs and Chairmen, we don't.

 

[God-King Dean]

It is admirable to want to appeal to the community, to bread juniors and be the flag bearer for an entire region. At least for me the reason I follow the Knights is because I was born, it just makes sense. Yet I feel that the majority of supporters really buy into the idea of a 'battler club taking on the world'. That's a great story for a sporting team to have, its great to sell but what do you do when success runs dry?

We operate out of such a rugby league heartland that it makes sense to try and breed the next Churchill/Johns, but we shouldn't fear buying success either. Its exactly what Roosters/Souths did.

The club can't change when the NRL owns us. The club didn't really move when Tinkler owned us. Maybe we should all buy the club