Your side for for the Sharks game

[perverse]

smith is also playing a huge part in reworking our juniors system so that it does become the conveyor belt of talent that it once was. in fact, it's currently one of his top priorities.

 

[Karmawave]

Well let's hope so Perverse because I wouldn't be surprised if we never sign a current state of origin or international class player from another club anytime in the next 20 years.

Newcastle is only second to Canberra when it comes to undesirable destinations for off contract footballers - and even the Raiders signed an international in the offseason in Bronson Harrison.

 

[perverse]

Well let's hope so Perverse.

i know i'm hoping so. there's nothing newcastle loves more than a home-grown hero.

having said that... we've had mullen drop off the conveyor belt recently... and cory paterson. i still think both of them will achieve huge things in the game. there's still hope for the likes of mata'utia.. natusch.. and others that we have waiting for their shot too.

 

[Karmawave]

I know sometimes I am overly critical of Smith, but Newcastle already faces a difficult task in attracting top players to the region without having your coach being the most unpopular in the game amongst rival players as well.

Winning the ' Coach I'd Least Like To Play For ' award year in and year out, certainly doesn't help the clubs chances, and the perception of our Coach goes a long way towards keeping guys like Anthony Tupou away from Newcastle.

 

[Burwood]

haha, is that your history of Newcastle buying stars? Adam MacDougall came to Newcastle in 1997 after playing 6 games for Sydney in 1995 and then nothing in 1996. Future International written all over him!

Lee Jackson? You do know you are meant to be convincing to sign big name players, not the opposite?? And if I didn't know any better, I would have said that Con Constatine had direct input into his signing....

So in 21 years we have signed Ben Kennedy. Brian Smith, you are obviously an idiot for signing nobody in 3 years.

 

[Karmawave]

Lee Jackson? You do know you are meant to be convincing to sign big name players, not the opposite?? And if I didn't know any better, I would have said that Con Constatine had direct input into his signing....

He came here a standout footballer, and left a laughing stock.

He was still signed as a marquee player.

Before he arrived, Andrew and Matthew Johns went on record saying how he is just such a brilliant signing ' best hooker in the world at the moment '.

Before long Andrew Johns was throwing the football at Jacksons head in the middle of a game in frustration :lol:


I have no doubt in my mind Anthony Tupou would be a Knight right now if Brian Smith was not coach.

 

[Burwood]

And what would happen if Smith signed one of the current crop of England internationals, but when they got here they turned out to be a dud purchase? Would you be laughing at it like you are with Jackson, or laying the blame squarely at Smith's feet and using it as another example of why he is a useless coach?

As for Tupou, why would we want another backrower in the team? Especially one as overpriced as he was.

Finally, what is to say guys like Sau, Houston, Wicks, Vuna and De Gois don't have the potential to go on to become future rep players? They are all young and have some of the key attributes needed to go on to bigger and better things in league. Should we label Smith a failure before he even has the chance to develop the current crop of players?

 

[macavity]

And what would happen if Smith signed one of the current crop of England internationals, but when they got here they turned out to be a dud purchase?

he was offered and turned down Gareth Ellis. the coin requested was not big.

make of that what you will.

 

[Karmawave]

Burwood, common sense has no place here ;-)


I can't see any of the players you mentioned at the end of your post being world class footballers.

 

[BG]

he was offered and turned down Gareth Ellis. the coin requested was not big.

make of that what you will.

That our backrow is hardly a weakness, and he was more concerned with keeping Pato?

 

[macavity]

That our backrow is hardly a weakness, and he was more concerned with keeping Pato?

smithy opined that Ellis wouldn't cut it in the NRL...

 

[Karmawave]

That our backrow is hardly a weakness, and he was more concerned with keeping Pato?

Well I don't think Taia, Ciraldo, Houston and even an aging Simpson are quite in the Gareth Ellis class...

 

[Karmawave]

smithy opined that Ellis wouldn't cut it in the NRL...

:lol:

His man of the match performance last Monday against the Raiders must have been Mateo like in his motivation? ;-)

I reckon we can name a premiership winning team of players Smith doesn't think can ' cut it in the NRL ' before this threads out!


This is the same coach who loves the Sharks David Simmons... :lol:

 

[Whats Doing]

Most people here really generalise.

Whether we buy a player really depends on the situation at that time. Is the player available, does that player suit our needs, does that player come at the right place, does the forward contracts allow us to buy that player in the future.

Mateo was not first grade material 4 years ago. Has he changed since? Yes but had he changed sufficiently to pay him what others were paying him at the time his contract was up. Who knows and nobody on this forum knows either.

We have just had the first round completed, sure we didn't play that well but some people are already want to tear the place down.

 

[Karmawave]

Actually Whats Doing, I've been disappointed in the Knights failure to recruit high standard players for years...

This has nothing at all to do with losing in Round 1.

We can make the Top 8 and it won't change the fact James McManus is useless and Ciraldo wouldn't be good enough to lick up the polish off Gareth Ellis's or Feleti Mateos shoes.

 

[macavity]

Campese was shopped to us for Walsh money too.....

need I go on?

Smithy = tactically pretty good

talent spotting, I reckon he rates himself too much.

He values the ability to follow a game plan, not individual talent.

He also has a borderline ridiculous obsession with "utility". I don't buy this assertion that being mediocre at 5 positions is better than being great at 1.

for every Brad Drew dragged from obscurity, there are 10 Gareth Ellises, Wade McKinnons, Feleti Mateos..... and a few Danny Wickses....

it is for this reason I wouldn't be surprised if Hilder was not re-signed - he is all heart, no gameplan.

as for the utility thing - players like Houston, Ciraldo, Taufua... he can't work out if he wants them to be 30min props or 60min back rowers - so they end up neither, confused, at an awkward weight, and playing a game that doesn't suit them. Ciraldo has a few decent games running wide last year, so smithy decides to bulk him up and put him in the front row. its madness.

/end rant.

 

[macavity]

Ciraldo wouldn't be good enough to lick up the polish off Gareth Ellis's or Feleti Mateos shoes.

thats harsh on Ciraldo. as above, he is a victim of dodgy coaching. he is a wide running back rower - ala pato, hoffman, SBW - albeit a level below at the moment.

smithy cant decide if he wants him to be a 110kg bash and barge prop or a 103kg wide running ball player (his natural position).

Hence he is a not so mobile, sometimes wide running, half way in between 107kg not so effective confused player.

Houston is the other notable player suffering like this. Neither has the frame to carry around 110kg effectively - but we are short on props (hello white, royal) so they are tasked with something they are not suited to.

If Ciraldo was treated purely as a wide running backrower, guarantee we would see a vastly improved player.

ok I lied on the /end rant

 

[Joker's Wild]

You might want to check those facts as well.

Ben Kennedy debuted for NSW in 1999 , when still with the Canberra Raiders.

Conceeded. It is still hardly a new pattern for the club to not sign big name players mate so my point still stands.

Jackson was a decent super league hooker but failed miserably in the ARL. Guess he suffered a bit from what I like to call the "Carmont effect" where nuffys look like world beaters when they play in a 2nd rate comp, easy to see how Joey and MJ were mislead.

Also, :lol: @ you for suggesting Chris Joynt was anywhere near the league of Gareth Ellis. He could bearly crack the English WC side of '95.

 

[League_God]

as for the utility thing - players like Houston, Ciraldo, Taufua... he can't work out if he wants them to be 30min props or 60min back rowers - so they end up neither, confused, at an awkward weight, and playing a game that doesn't suit them. Ciraldo has a few decent games running wide last year, so smithy decides to bulk him up and put him in the front row. its madness.

/end rant.

i agree 100 percent with what you are saying, however my biggest issue is that he cant decide whether mullen is a halfback or a 5/8....HES A FCKING 5/8!! and you mark my words, all this chopping and changing mullen from half to 5/8 will f**k his game in the long run! leave him at 5/8 either put supersub or buy a geniune halfback and put him at half and mullen 5/8.

 

[Karmawave]

Also, :lol: @ you for suggesting Chris Joynt was anywhere near the league of Gareth Ellis. He could bearly crack the English WC side of '95.

The point is mate, he was an INTERNATIONAL...


Wicks, Houston and all the other nuffies Smith bought to the club aren't even close to International.


Joynt may have been lucky to make a World Cup squad, but he made it all the same.