Tucker
Well-known member
Ponga won the Dally M in 23. He earned his salary that year.
Signings, Suggestions & Rumours Discussion
- Thread starter MacDougall
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We beat both those teams. And I distinctly remember the second time we played the knights it was a real disappointing afternoon because we should have and had expectations to win that .
My point is I look at next Sunday and don’t think “life sucks , we suck” but rather … “hey man we beat both those teams and are at least as good as them”.
This is a massive contrast to the last 3-4 years where I thought “shit how are we ever getting as good as these guys” .
We have the talent . We need to find a way to reduce injuries and manage the load of the team to reduce fatigue and performance drops . That’s where we fell apart . We need to figure out to raise the floor of these guys so that there’s not 8 games of 4 out of 10s but rather 2-3 games of 5/6 out of tens .
Thats on the performance staff . But we also saw last night , the best team probably since the late 90s broncos and before that St George , fall into a massive hole because thier 1.5mil man went down . We may not have a Cleary , but I’d say the cumulation of having 3-4 guys on the next tier down had the same effect .
This is going to to get exponential as well as the 3 teams come in and depth is reduced across the nrl.
I just refuse to wallow and pity. I’ve memory dumped most of this season . You take out the learnings ie. the talent is good , depth was surprisingly poor , and we issues maintaining across 27 rounds . Everything else is Individual based . Also AD can’t be in the halves if we want to win consistently.
I agree . He had a coach trying to play the worst system possible , building around Jackson Hastings .
He willed that team into the semis . He’s an absolute gun . People forget because when he isn’t in form he’s completely ineffectual / struggles to find ways to impact games . This is why if I’m a st merge fan I’m very worried about the Drinkwater signing . Because if Ponga is ineffectual when out of form , Drinkwater is like a higher rated Heath Mason . Good for giving the opposition a 12 point head start .
pawsandclaws1
Well-known member
Fletcher Sharpe is the player I'd want from the Knights. He can play multiple backline positions, is evasive has genuine pace and height. He's going to be a fine player.
Oscar Martinez
Well-known member
It's very encouraging that in our 2 games against Newcastle you'd have to say we were the better team. The first game was a caning and in the second we were very unlucky to lose even though we started with a pack that included Bunty, Seyfarth and Sukkar.
The talent is in the club, we were cruelled by injury and PNG announcements.
Add in our new buys and I'm ready to get that pre-season optimism going again.
So the Roosters will once again prove that "cheaters never prosper" is a saying that just doesn't hold water when they win next week. They'll trot out their Origin team, win a comp. and celebrate with the 10 people that support the club. Well done.
The talent is in the club, we were cruelled by injury and PNG announcements.
Add in our new buys and I'm ready to get that pre-season optimism going again.
So the Roosters will once again prove that "cheaters never prosper" is a saying that just doesn't hold water when they win next week. They'll trot out their Origin team, win a comp. and celebrate with the 10 people that support the club. Well done.
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
We caned a team without Ponga, Best and Brown. Why talk about who we fielded in the second game, but not who they fielded in the first?
The poxy Wests Tigers version is hammy and lame.
Just pay the licensing fee and play the original.
GNR4LIFE
Well-known member
That’s the cringiest thing I’ve ever heard. It gives me second hand embarrassment.
It's just shit. The original is a cracker.
Want a good tune for the boys to run out to, The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears by Machine Head would be my pick.
Although Old would probably be more applicable to our sorry lot.
It’s just I dunno fate ? Serendipity? Conspiracy?lol that the one club who would have thier best player , be the face of the franchise of the nrl and IRL and Aus government , US government , power in the Oceania arena , that club be us . Why? Because we have the guy a get out clause , and because we did , we thought we were being clever to put the declaration date in April . Never thinking it would be such a season defining thing .
You’d say they should have planned for it , but it probably will never happen again , so how do you plan for it ? The series of events that needed to happen re. Chammas whilst still a journo , has an inkling something is off with Luai’s contract . Researches it , on a portal that’s now taken down from the nrl website , figures out which contract is Luai’s , uses that info he gathered to then pivot into his new role of png head of football to sign luai . The reason he had the jump was he knew the terms better than any other club . Probably better than Shaun and Pat tbh.
For me luai screams Reynolds 2.0 . Only we’ve managed to get out of the shit contract . His form has been atrocious for 2 years, to the point you’d have to honestly say … is this his new mean? Jack in the box halves who don’t progress to game managers like Benji , Soward etc. tend to fall off a cliff like Reynolds . And in the commentary box by 35.
It’s the next choice we have to get right . I genuinely hope we do get L Brooks for a year or 2 . Get him playing off whatever Latu is doing , until Andruws is ready , then it’s an easy progression . Also it gives brooksy the type of send off we gave Benji and Robbie .
It puts madden in KOE with Andruws , AD either on the bench or at lock or edge backrow , schuster hopefully having a big offseason in the gym and committed on the wrestling Mat, and now we have spark either side of the ruck to attract and suck in defenders to give averillo and may the time and space to do their thing .
It will be very interesting to see where Benji plays him.
The plan could be for him to be a regular 14 or 15 who can cover multiple positions?
IF Kurt Mann signs with us as rumoured and IF his ageing body allows him to play to at least 80% of his best, he will be the perfect player to come on after 20mins and unlock our attack with his direct play and ball distribution.
This could create space for 2 damaging ball runners in the halves to be at their damaging ball running best and possibly eliminate the need for a halfback such as Jock Madden to straighten the play and dig into the line.
Based on what he demonstrated throughout the NSW Cup season, this would also ideally suit Javon Andrews.
I have serious doubt Kurt Mann’s ageing body will hold up well enough to allow him to deliver what we need from him, but it’s probably worth the risk as he does possess the style of play that could make us a much better attacking team.
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TigerSkins05
Well-known member
Yeah .. I’ve always looked at him and said why and what do people see in him .. ?? If Cleary isn’t firing Yeo is chump .. he had 50 mins to stand up and lead Penriff over a 12 man Newie side and he did nothing .. but some how they make him Capt of Penriff .. NSW .. and Aust .. ??
wstigers11
Well-known member
He was playing with a ruptured pec but has definitely slowed down
Will he be available for the world cup?
Brooks again? 🤣
Bula?
Doubt it.
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Tito Santana
Well-known member
He is the Luke Brooks equivalent as a 13.
Looks like the cop that gets killed in the bank in Point Break. Pathetic.
Knights gonna struggle to keep their players with their rising stocks. Frizell will be a good get for a year and maybe club option, starting prop for a team in grad final and has had to carry the middle with current injuries.
Sandons stocks have risen sharply.
But even their depth like Fletcher Hunt and Thomas Cant are good players. Their forward depth is so good.
Sandons stocks have risen sharply.
But even their depth like Fletcher Hunt and Thomas Cant are good players. Their forward depth is so good.
lol only cause there’s no better option . I was hoping for O’Sullivan , but yea . Madden doesn’t have the long kicking game . It’s weird actually because 3/10 if his kicks he absolutely nails and they are perfect . So it must not be a power issue but a timing one. Still I guess that’s the difference between nrl and cup
mtd#2
Well-known member
Knights have my 2nd favourite backrow pairing in the comp...
Behind Samuela and KPP 🙂