Desperate Newcastle Knights go on a Tiger hunt

[Guest]

Desperate Newcastle Knights go on a Tiger hunt

June 6, 2014 - 6:58PM
Brett Keeble
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'Winning starts on Monday' was a phrase the late great Jack Gibson made famous during his trail-blazing coaching career.

But for Newcastle, winning must start on Saturday against Wests Tigers at Hunter Stadium if they are to cling to any hope of being in the finals.

After just two wins from their first 11 games, the Knights went into this weekend’s 13th round in equal last place, eight points behind the eighth-placed Tigers, facing the unenviable task of having to win 10 of their final 13 games to be a chance of making the eight.

Forward Korbin Sims said the first of those wins had to be against the Tigers, who have lost three of their past four games but will field close to their strongest possible team on Saturday.

The Tigers had a bye last weekend, utility back Tim Moltzen (knee) and former Knights back-rower Cory Paterson (finger) are the only members of their senior squad unavailable, and they should be in good spirits after fullback James Tedesco decided to remain at the Tigers instead of joining Canberra.

‘‘Yes, we do. In a way, we do,’’ Sims said when asked if the Knights have to win the game.

‘‘This is going to be the kick-start of our season. We need to push forward and we can’t look at what’s happened or how many games we’ve lost, we’ve just got to start again and we’re going to start this weekend.

‘‘We’re still really hopeful to make it to the finals this year.’’

Sims, named on the bench, hopes the return of pack leaders Willie Mason, Jeremy Smith and Beau Scott to the run-on side will help the Knights head the Tigers up front.

Scott, the NSW back-rower, is due to return after missing the past two losses to the Warriors (38-18) and Sea Eagles (15-14) to rest minor injuries, and Mason and Smith came off the bench against the Warriors in Auckland last Sunday.

Prop Kade Snowden said the Knights wanted to be at their best to repay the faith of their fans and to make it a day to remember as they pay tribute to the region’s miners.

Although they have won their past two matches against the Tigers at Hunter Stadium – 42-10 (2013) and 38-20 (2012) – the Knights have won just one of four home games this season, and two of their past eight, stretching back to last June.

‘‘We owe it to our crowd at every home game to come home with a win but it just hasn’t been happening, and this week it needs to start, especially for the miners,’’ Snowden said.

 

[Guest]

Bad time to be playing the Knights IMO. They're going to be riding high on emotion tomorrow and I really hope we're prepared to go with them.

 

[innsaneink]

I expect a very tough bruising forwards dominated affair…..we should go back to the attitude we showed when we played Souths, manly etc

 

[happy_tiger]

The fact that their immediate future has been secured will buoy them

We will need strong in the first 20 and play out the full 80 minutes

You have to think that this is almost do or die for the Knights for 2014

Good test to see where we stand that's for sure

 

[Tim Sheens]

Also expecting a big battle in the middle. Would love to have Gavet back to reunite the bash brothers bench from early this season when Sauce returned.

However, I think Sirro will be getting a run, so together with Brooks and Tedesco, we should be carving up their right side if we can match them up front.

 

[Newtown]

Let's not lose focus. This is a huge game for Wests Tigers. Following our early season resurgence we have lost three games from our last five and next Friday only five days after this match we play Souths. If we don't game into the Newcastle game with the right attitude we could easily find ourselves in around 13th or 14th position on the premiership come next Saturday.

 

[simonthetiger]

Surely with our big three back…namely Teddy,Farah and Woodsy we should give this a good rattle.

Looking forward to see Siro down that left edge too.

 

[happy_tiger]

Surely with our big three back…namely Teddy,Farah and Woodsy we should give this a good rattle.

Looking forward to see Siro down that left edge too.

We will but some of these blokes have been out for a while and it could take a week or two for some combos to gel

We will need to tough this one out I reckon

 

[coolcat]

I expect a very tough bruising forwards dominated affair…..we should go back to the attitude we showed when we played Souths, manly etc

And we play Souths next week with a short turn around.

We need this win just as much as Newcastle I think. We need it to keep our season alive. The knights need a miracle to make the finals.

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[tig_prmz]

we should want to win as much as them… at the end it's 2 points- ours or theirs.

 

[Snake]

Getting beaten by these chumps would be a major embarrassment .

 

[coolcat]

If we getting beaten, other things happen

We fall out of the eight. In a very tight comp, it is hard to get back in

If we lose I don't think we deserve to be in the eight

The old Wests tigers saying

There is always next year.

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[Flippedy]

I have a very uneasy feeling about this match, tbh. Newcastle have more to play for - a loss will definitely see their season over, but that's not the case for WT.

Also, anything dedicated to miners and mining and Newcastle end up playing like the Qld Origin team! Throw in Boyd's 200th, Wayne Bennett 's record of success over us and Mason returning to play out of his skin, like he always seems to do against us, then no, I'm not feeling at all confident about our boys winning this game, sadly.

 

[pHyR3]

not a must win game for us imo. there have been others that have been much more crucial like the sharks and eels (winning without our best team).

if we lose this we can still quite comfortably make the 8\. OBVIOUSLY, winning tomorrow is the best option and should be our objective but we're still doing alright if we dont. that spine will definitely start clicking once again within a few games, hopefully tomorrow but if not give it 1 or 2 games before they gel and we can force our way into the top 8 again.

 

[innsaneink]

We must not lose to team coming last

We must win

Therefore. ..it's a mustwin

 

[pHyR3]

We must not lose to team coming last

We must win

Therefore. ..it's a mustwin

is there any game in the season that is not a must win by that definition? (assuming we are in contention for the 8)

 

[Cultured_Bogan]

This isn't going to be a cake walk. The Knights have been pretty bad for a large part of the season so far but are in strife off the pitch and most teams respond positively to that situations like that, especially with at their ground with their fans behind them. Darius Turd especially will lift for the occasion.

If we play high percentage football we'll get the chocolates. I think we should have gone into the game with four forwards, they have a relatively good pack themselves and some sizeable pigs.

 

[TJL]

If this game is lost so is the season IMHO. The tough games sort the men out from the boys.

 

[professorX]

We must not lose to team coming last

We must win

Therefore. ..it's a mustwin

No it's not
It's a "should"win but certainly not a "must" win

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[innsaneink]

I expect a very tough bruising forwards dominated affair…..we should go back to the attitude we showed when we played Souths, manly etc

And we play Souths next week with a short turn around.

We need this win just as much as Newcastle I think. We need it to keep our season alive. The knights need a miracle to make the finals.

_Posted using RoarFEED V.4_

Souths in a tough game right now…Wazzas bashing em

No it's not
It's a "should"win but certainly not a "must" win

Not arguing with a professor, especially one with a moniker of "X"