2018 Pre-Season and Trials

Can someone confirm the kickoff time for the Knights V Parra trial in Maitland? I've been searching a while online and can't find it anywhere.
 
Looking at my ticket and the events page - there will be 5 games on the day. The gates open at 10.30 and Under 16s kick off at 10.40 - if my maths is right, that means firstgrade should kick off at about 5 or 5.30 depending on how much of a gap between games. The events page says there is "limited" parking at the ground and gives alternative places to park within walking distance, but points out the High Street railway station is an 11 minute walk.

PARKING
There is limited parking on site at No.1 Sportsground and if you have decided to drive we recommend local parking sites and walking to the ground. The closest parking options are listed below with a full map.

  • Harold Gregson Reserve (500m, 6 minutes walk)
  • Maitland Basketball Association (700m, 9 minute walk)
  • Cinema Complex Car park (650m, 9 minutes walk)
  • Preschool Lane Car park (750m, 9 minutes walk)
  • Hunter Mall Two Storey Complex (750m, 10 minutes walk)
  • Hunter Mall Car park (900m, 11 minutes walk)
 
Probably going to get there closer to kickoff so parking is going to be a pain.

Thanks for the info. :thumbsup:
 
I notice Simon Woolford is listed as a firstgrade assistant coach this year.
I don't think he was last year, but I think some of the guys who showed the most improvement last year, like Amey and Tom Hughes, were part of Woolford's reserve grade squad.
I think he is pretty good at improving individuals.
 
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/5156318/knights-warm-to-the-task-during-sweat-session/?cs=306

Interview with Ayoub. He isn't giving away much this year, but he does say Pearce, Lillyman and Heighington have lifted the level of training. I'm not surprized by Pearce, who, by his record, you would assume is one of the best trainers in the comp, but i'd have thought the other two would be like some of the other old guys we have had in recent years and would struggle to keep up with the kids.
 
Nathan Brown quietly confident future is bright for three-time wooden spooners


PAUL CRAWLEY, The Daily Telegraph
January 8, 2018 2:57pm



NATHAN Brown won’t waste your time making big, brash promises about what the Newcastle Knights can achieve in 2018.

But if you listen carefully, Brown can still fill you with hope that in the not-too-distant future the Knights can be a club that Newcastle and the entire Hunter Valley “can be proud of”.

The Knights are coming off three consecutive wooden spoons. Therefore, no one will be expecting them to fight for the premiership this year.

But what about the year after … and the year after that?

Newcastle have made some key signings but, more significantly, they are now owned by the powerful Wests Group, which recorded a $23 million profit last year.

“With Wests coming on board I think it gives everyone confidence,” Brown said as he sat at the outdoor café which adjoins the Knights’ training ground at the thriving Wests Mayfield complex, one of six registered clubs owned by the Wests Group.

“Not only us but I think it gives player managers and players from other clubs a lot of confidence because we are financially a stable club now.

“Wests aren’t going to go throwing good money after bad but they are not in it for us to have a bad footy team.

“They want us to be a strong club again and they want to give the town and the whole Hunter Valley a team they can be proud of.

“Our expectations should be that the team is going to be better this year.

“But where that takes us I can’t sit here and tell you because the thing with younger players is that they develop at different rates.

“We feel the younger players are more ready for first grade, so that does give you confidence it will take us further forward.

“We are definitely very optimistic that the growth of the team will improve a fair bit.”

After just one win in 2016, the Knights had five last year.

But it was the way in which the team consistently competed that won widespread respect.

“People will say it wouldn’t be hard to improve on the first year but we got five wins and we had a lot of games we lost where we started well and we led a lot of games,” Brown said.

“We weren’t quite good enough to hang on and win but when you are leading games and starting really well, that is a real good sign that you are moving forward and a sign of the physical improvement. A lot of the younger guys have got 30 or 40 NRL games behind them and this is going to be their third pre-season.

“We are hopeful that a lot of those kids can get a similar sort of growth which they got the year before physically.”

And with the likes of young stars Kalyn Ponga, Connor Watson, Tautau Moga and Herman Ese’ese joining more seasoned recruits in Mitchell Pearce, Aidan Guerra, Chris Heighington, Jacob Lillyman and Slade Griffin, Brown is confident that competition for positions will bring even greater improvement.

“Apart from Jacob Lillyman, all of our recruits played in sides that finished in the grand final or the second-last week of the finals,” Brown said.

“So they are obviously players that are certainly going to improve our squad.

“And Jacob Lillyman played Origin last year.

“They are all players that we feel can help our squad improve a lot.”

And with the Wests Group on board, there will also be a greater emphasis on local player development.

The Knights now employ Scott Dureau as the full-time SG Ball coach and Rory Kostjasyn is in charge of the Harold Matthews team.

“I’m not sure many clubs have that,” Brown said.

“They are both doing a terrific job with the younger kids.

“We are a development club and to be a development club you have to have it set up and you have to finance it properly.

“We have seen since Gus (Gould) has been at Penrith, they have provided so many players to the game.

“And we’d like to think with Wests’ support that one of the key things is making sure our juniors are strong and making sure they can get the best coaching and the best strength and conditioning.

“It all costs money. We wouldn’t be able to do it to the standard you’d like (without Wests), so all that sort of stuff helps the club grow.”


https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/d8d96905430fdbebf8550782cd0ec590
 
Gallery from today's training session

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https://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2018/01/09/gallery-tuesday-training/
 
He definitely has been working on them so as not to get a those knee injuries again hey they look massive ....Another thing that i like is that Guerra is always laughing in the photo's i see which makes you think there is a good feeling in the team .
 
On a side note i was talking to Sterlo yesterday and he said he is very impressed with who we have bought and retained , so i said no spoon for us this season and he smiled and said this is league and you never know what could happen but he would be surprised if we did get it ....Also he said he reckons the Blue's will win for sure this season and was very disappointed we were so close to winning last year but didn't ....Gotta say he looks fit enough to still play ...
 
They usually trim the squad a bit after Christmas, but all the guys I thought might be moved to the reserve grade squad like Matt Cooper, Brodie Jones, Tom Starling, Pat Mat are all still there.
I haven't see Amey, Saulo, Naden or Hodko for a while, but the photos and video only show a fraction of the players.
 
In mogas interview today he spoke of working on combinations on the left edge. The names he mentioned were pearce, ross and FITZY. maybe fitzy may get first crack at 2nd row?
 
In mogas interview today he spoke of working on combinations on the left edge. The names he mentioned were pearce, ross and FITZY. maybe fitzy may get first crack at 2nd row?

Yea i heard that.. Interesting huh. Our left edge will be: Pearce / Fitzy / Ponga / Moga / Ross

That's all out offense! Will probably be a shambles though defensively

And what does that mean for Guerra? Off the bench? Or Buhrer to the bench?
 
Been thinking lately that Guerra was an underwhelming signing for us. When we got him we really needed him, so i totslly understand it. But ive watched a lot of him lately and i can say that he will leave many supporters feeling confused at why we're paying him 550k.

Hes basically a shorter and slightly busier version of Chris Houston

And I suspect with both Fitzy and Buhrer competing for the same spot, people will be quick to frustration if he is selected each and every week, even if looking lackluster

Im not saying he's rubbish. He could well be our best backrower. Just making an observation
 
I need to check out a training session to see the combinations, but my tip is Fitzy will start at second row. He's just too potent offensively to leave out. If anything we might see Barnett getting left to play from the bench to ease him in from his shoulder injury. Guerra at lock and Fitzy/Buhrer on the edges to start wouldn't look bad at all.

14. Griffin/Levi
15. Barnett
16. Ese'ese
17. Jacob/Heighington
 
His 2017 was much better than his previous 2 seasons. He sh*ts on Houston from a great height. Good work rate, runs an excellent line (off Pearce aswell. Having a combination already established is a massive boost for a side with so many new players) and he hits hard and doesn’t shirt grab like Howzo. There’s no comparison there.
 
I've found Guerra is a great defender and runs awesome lines on an edge. But every time I've seen him play in the middle his attack is very ineffective and his talents are waisted , he still defends well though. I hope he plays in the 2nd row for us and not at lock.
 
I've found Guerra is a great defender and runs awesome lines on an edge. But every time I've seen him play in the middle his attack is very ineffective and his talents are waisted , he still defends well though. I hope he plays in the 2nd row for us and not at lock.
Barnett won player of the year in 2017 at lock. Can’t see him going anywhere unless he’s not fit for Round 1.
 
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