Official: Knights sign Mitchell Pearce on a 4 year deal

That's a bold but intriguing proposition.

If Ponga shows some sublime ball-playing skills then maybe down the track he could become a great 5/8.

There is absolutely no doubt, Ponga possess sublime ball playing skills. And I have absolutely no doubt that he could be the best half in our team come rnd 26, if he really wanted to be

Ponga will blow people's minds in 2018 by doing things that people didn't know he was capable of, despite the hype on his ability
 
So that instantly means they are better. Get real! You are a flog sometimes.

Nope but if you think Lamb would of been playing in the Roosters side the last 2 years like Watson then you would need to take off some red and blue tinted glasses.

Watson is class, coming from a class side and is the clear better player. Nevermind fact he is the style Brown wants at 5/8th.

Also Ponga is as likely as finishing the season at 5/8th that I am. He won't ever be moved from fullback. He signed to play fullback it's one of the main reasons he joined the club instead of staying at the Cowboys and waiting in the wings.
 
I hope your right cowboy man but i dont agree, connor looked good in a good team with forwards that were dominating the ruck. Lamb looked good in a team that were on the back foot most weeks. Lamb would aboustely kill it playing behind a better pack which we will have next year. Lamb is class and is an alround play make. Connor has a great running game and that is what brownie seems to want the most in a five-eight so thats they way he is going to go. IMO to field the best possible team i would have Lamb and pearce in the halves, and have watson in the 14.
 
I hope your right cowboy man but i dont agree, connor looked good in a good team with forwards that were dominating the ruck. Lamb looked good in a team that were on the back foot most weeks. Lamb would aboustely kill it playing behind a better pack which we will have next year. Lamb is class and is an alround play make. Connor has a great running game and that is what brownie seems to want the most in a five-eight so thats they way he is going to go. IMO to field the best possible team i would have Lamb and pearce in the halves, and have watson in the 14.

Lamb has looked good in a handful of games. Other than that he has looked way out of place in FG. Not totally surprising given his age and being rushed into FG well ahead of time.

Don't see why some on here insist he must be in the side on the basis of being there the last couple years where there have been no other options. Now the club has got 2 clear better halves.
 
Also Ponga is as likely as finishing the season at 5/8th that I am. He won't ever be moved from fullback. He signed to play fullback it's one of the main reasons he joined the club instead of staying at the Cowboys and waiting in the wings.

I think he'll play his entire career as a fullback. But that wasn't the point i was making. I was speaking of how capable he is. Not what I think is the most likely thing to happen
 
I just really hope Lamb sticks around for the next 12 months.

I rate Watson and Lamb both highly and the battle over the whole season will be very interesting. Watson will get first crack and I think it's fair to say he will have some pressure to perform. In most cases I would say Watson gets the whole season but I highly doubt Brown won't reward Lamb if he's putting the pressure on.

Interesting times ahead.
 
Lamb looked good in a team that were on the back foot most weeks. Lamb would aboustely kill it playing behind a better pack which we will have next year. Lamb is class and is an alround play make.

This is starting to become a bit of a misconception now. Lamb did not kill it, most weeks he was pretty much a non factor. He had a really good run of 6 or so games at the end of the season & now the league community are saying he was outstanding in 2017. At its worst, most people were calling for him to be dropped after shanking the Bulldogs kick because apparently that one kick would destroy him, I know a lot of other NRL fans don't rate him either purely because of that 1 kick which is ridiculous. I think Lamb has the skills to become a better classic half than Watson, but at this stage he's got to prove it now by killing it in reserve grade all year because Watson is a very good player in his own right.
 
This is starting to become a bit of a misconception now. Lamb did not kill it, most weeks he was pretty much a non factor. He had a really good run of 6 or so games at the end of the season & now the league community are saying he was outstanding in 2017. At its worst, most people were calling for him to be dropped after shanking the Bulldogs kick because apparently that one kick would destroy him, I know a lot of other NRL fans don't rate him either purely because of that 1 kick which is ridiculous. I think Lamb has the skills to become a better classic half than Watson, but at this stage he's got to prove it now by killing it in reserve grade all year because Watson is a very good player in his own right.
Watson is not all that either.
If Lamb is an unproven rookie - which is fair - Watson is basically the same as Lamb was (as a half) at the start of 2017 - a kid with a handful of starts, none of them that impressive.
 
Watson is not all that either.
If Lamb is an unproven rookie - which is fair - Watson is basically the same as Lamb was (as a half) at the start of 2017 - a kid with a handful of starts, none of them that impressive.

Lets stick them both in Reggies to fight it out and bring Cogger in until we know who's best.
 
Watson is not all that either.
If Lamb is an unproven rookie - which is fair - Watson is basically the same as Lamb was (as a half) at the start of 2017 - a kid with a handful of starts, none of them that impressive.

Watson regularly made an impact on games with his running game & also won Auckland Nines player of the tournament. He's proven to be an exciting runner of the ball. His other skills probably have to be improved on but he should have the chance to do that.
 
I am happy for either Watson or Lamb to start and as the season progresses we will find out who is best suited.
Comparing them through 2017 is not fair when you look at the teams they played for and position in competition would either have been as good or bad if situation reversed and does it really matter.
Bottom line is it is up to each to show us.
 
Watson and Lamb are completely different players. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. Both promising young players, just depends on what traits you look for in a half. Do you want a dynamic athlete and runner of the ball, or more your traditional ball playing half with a kicking game?

With Pearce on board being that dominant controlling halfback, we can certainly get away with more of a running five-eighth in Watson. Personally, I prefer more of a ball playing half like Lamb has shown nice signs of, but again, with Pearce on board it really mitigates the need for that. Watson may actually fit better, especially if we’re not strictly structured to left and right field halves which you see so often in today’s game.

I’m hoping Pearce gets full reign to control the show and is given the green light to go both sides of the ruck. Likewise with Watson, but more so playing off of Pearce, almost like a second fullback. With Pearce running the show and Watson and Ponga sweeping both sides of the ruck, we could be a dangerous attacking outfit.

Ponga looks like a classy ball playing fullback which is sorely needed in today’s game as so many tries come down to that last read/pass from the sweeping fullback. He also has tremendous footwork to help with his running game. Watson I’m hoping can be a similar mould of player to Munster who’s definitely more of a runner, but was allowed to be at Melbourne with Smith and Cronk running things.
 
Nope but if you think Lamb would of been playing in the Roosters side the last 2 years like Watson then you would need to take off some red and blue tinted glasses.

Watson is class, coming from a class side and is the clear better player. Nevermind fact he is the style Brown wants at 5/8th.

Also Ponga is as likely as finishing the season at 5/8th that I am. He won't ever be moved from fullback. He signed to play fullback it's one of the main reasons he joined the club instead of staying at the Cowboys and waiting in the wings.

Ponga won't be playing in the halves this year Knights fans are very strange sometimes..

He will be fullback for a long time. I do suspect before his career is over he will play 5/8, needs to work on his kicking game in general play first though.

Watson is the better half right now for Pearce, we need to end this discussion its getting old...

1. Ponga
6. Watson
7. Pearce
9. Levi

That's our spine going forward and hopefully with no injuries it stays that way from round 1 til round 26 and hopefully past that.
 
Ponga looks to have a great feel for the game and is a natural playmaker with the ball in hand. Years down the track, he may eventually move into the halves like ball playing fullbacks before him, but his biggest hurdle right now is physically maturing. Right now, he couldn’t play in the halves for the pure fact he’d be a liability in the line defensively and I’d genuinely worry about him getting worn down and/or injured. Physically – at least last season anyway – he just wasn’t there yet, which is ok as he was a young kid. I’m hoping the biggest jump he’s taken this offseason with Newcastle is gaining strength and adding “good” weight.
 
If Brown is serious about having a running 5/8 of real quality, the only guy currently on our books who has any chance of pulling that off is Ponga - or maybe Tex Hoy in a few years.
Watson might make a fair running 5/8 in time, but even he says no one rates him and he wants to prove them all wrong.

I assume Brown wants to have someone who can cut sides to pieces like Anthony Mundine used to on a good day. Brown was in those sides at Saints, and probably loved it. The running game of Ponga is the only one we have that is anything like that.
 
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