Will Wayne Bennett lead Newcastle to a Premiership?

[Jobdog]

2 out of 17 doesnt cut it. The rest of the boys need to adopt that attitude too

I know that, but it looks like they all need someone to make a statement and say "follow me lads" - I dare say Scott or Smith would be the ones they're looking at.

 

[firechild]

I think it's funny that last week everyone was writing off Brisbane and this week it's Newcastle. Noone wants to just concede that Manly are still a pretty good team, especially when playing at Brookvale. Newcastle were very poor on Sunday but they showed against the Tigpies that they have potential and who knows what will happen in another 24 weeks?

 

[Joker's Wild]

I think it's funny that last week everyone was writing off Brisbane and this week it's Newcastle. Noone wants to just concede that Manly are still a pretty good team, especially when playing at Brookvale. Newcastle were very poor on Sunday but they showed against the Tigpies that they have potential and who knows what will happen in another 24 weeks?

Ummmm, this is pretty much what I said 2 posts ago mate

 

[Misanthrope]

i think it's funny that last week everyone was writing off brisbane and this week it's newcastle. Noone wants to just concede that manly are still a pretty good team, especially when playing at brookvale. Newcastle were very poor on sunday but they showed against the tigpies that they have potential and who knows what will happen in another 24 weeks?

qft

 

[firechild]

Ummmm, this is pretty much what I said 2 posts ago mate

Sorry, meant anyone except Knights fans. Every fan wants to talk up the opposition when their team gets hammered.

 

[Noname36]

:lol: f**k, Newcastle supporters are the most bipolar bastards I've ever seen, and I am one. Next time we have a win all of a sudden everyone will be happy again.

Jesus Christ. Honestly, playing Manly at Brookie is a very tough assignment. We always struggle there, and despite what the so called experts around here say, Manly are one of the best sides in the comp. It didn't help that we picked up a bunch of injuries and apparently a lot of the side had the flu either. Honestly we're a work in progress. Anyone who thought we were going to suddenly start being consistently awesome like we were against the Tigers after the season we had last year had rocks in their heads. Bennett is good, but he cant just snap his fingers and turn us into a good side. It's going to take a long time.

Will we win a comp in the next few years? Who knows, probably not. It's hard to win a comp. But f**k, it's round 2. Lets not start slitting the wrists just yet. It could be a lot worse. Look at the Raiders...

 

[Knightmare]

^ +1

 

[Silent Knight]

I'm not bipolar. I keep the same low expectations of my team every week and thus I'm never left disappointed haw haw haw.

 

[Misanthrope]

I'm not bipolar. I keep the same low expectations of my team every week and thus I'm never left disappointed haw haw haw.

Sadly, that is my actual approach to being a Knights fan

 

[bottle]

Make Melbourne play for no points, cripple Manly with injuries, and Bennett will take them all the way.

I've heard calves blood and peptides are a positive for recovering from injuries, but a negative in retaining Premierships.
Time will tell I guess.

 

[Pugzley]

Never hopefully.

 

[orochimaru]

Sadly, that is my actual approach to being a Knights fan

I always bet money against the knights, that way if they lose i'm happy to win a bit of dosh, if they win then i'm happy they won !

 

[Knightmare]

Since Joey retired, the best season the Knights have had was in 2009. There were consistently good (but not spectacular) players like Gidley and De Gois directing the team around, then Vuna and Uate on the wings beginning to show their true worth. Then Brian Smith announced he was departing for Bondi and morale was gone. A shame it was, because despite finishing 7th (off the back of this drop in belief), before Smith's resignation Newcastle looked like a genuine top 4 team.

All in all, I think the biggest problem since Joey retired has been a lack of a consistent player in the halves or hooker role- it's no surprise a team like Melbourne do so well when they have Cronk in the middle, Smith directing the forwards and then Slater to finish off. Mullen, at his best, is very effective. Unfortunately his best doesn't come often enough. Gidley is a good player, but despite having been the leader on-field for so long, he would be lucky to make the 17 if you were going to pick an all time greatest Knights team tomorrow.

Gagai and Uate are the players in the current squad who bring the most wow factor- although they are both outside backs where they have less influence on the team. Boyd was steadily improving towards the end of last season so hopefully it continues and gives them another solid attacking weapon from 20-30 metres out. Mason has been a pleasant surprise in the forwards and is back to showing his 2002-04 form. Give Newcastle a consistent, creative 5/8th or halfback and this "jekkyl and hyde" or "mentally weak" mentality would disappear...

 

[eozsmiles]

I think it's funny that last week everyone was writing off Brisbane and this week it's Newcastle. Noone wants to just concede that Manly are still a pretty good team, especially when playing at Brookvale. Newcastle were very poor on Sunday but they showed against the Tigpies that they have potential and who knows what will happen in another 24 weeks?

It was the way that they were beaten by Manly that has got people writing them off. Knights were meant to have forwards with some grunt this year and they got handled by the likes of Lawrence, Gower, and Fussy the other night. Those blokes all got cut from their last club, one of them from Newy. The halves obviously offered nothing on the back of that but they didn't seem composed enough to build anything.

So people are doing the maths. Average pack + average spine = average season.

 

[bellyache]

Spine is shite!

 

[Bring it home Knights]

Well lets be honest he couldn't be any worse than Matt Hilder playing 9, he was awful on the weekend. If you were worried about his defence (amount of tackles), have a bench hooker and then he is only making half the tackles. He seems a natural 9, and yet whether it is the coach being stubborn or Gidley himself, he continues to play in the halves.

Gidley's one of the fittest players in the comp who is a quality defender. If he wants to make 50 tackles a game at hooker, then I say go for it.

 

[firechild]

It was the way that they were beaten by Manly that has got people writing them off. Knights were meant to have forwards with some grunt this year and they got handled by the likes of Lawrence, Gower, and Fussy the other night. Those blokes all got cut from their last club, one of them from Newy. The halves obviously offered nothing on the back of that but they didn't seem composed enough to build anything.

So people are doing the maths. Average pack + average spine = average season.

Manly haven't had a genuinely good set of props since Carroll, Gillespie, Roberts and Cunningham but somehow they've managed to play above their abilities and dominate field position even against absolute gun packs. Lawrence and Fa'aoso have been fantastic in the first 2 rounds and more than held their own against the Brisbane pack.

 

[Patorick]

Manly haven't had a genuinely good set of props since Carroll, Gillespie, Roberts and Cunningham but somehow they've managed to play above their abilities and dominate field position even against absolute gun packs. Lawrence and Fa'aoso have been fantastic in the first 2 rounds and more than held their own against the Brisbane pack.

Big call.

 

[firechild]

The closest would have been 2008 with King, Kite and Perry but they were hardly world beaters. What they've done well though is consistently perform to their ability. These blokes (as well as Rose, Mauro and others) have gone up against blokes like Scott, Civenoceva, Hannant, Tamou, etc and more than held their own. It is very rare for a Manly pack to get belted out of the game but not uncommon for them to do it to other teams (especially Newcastle).