ROUND 4: Knights v Sharks @ Hunter Stadium

Uate edges closer to Tahu's record

By Matt Logue

Fri 28th March, 06:15PM


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Knights’ winger Aku Uate is on the cusp of creating history, with the Fijian flyer requiring just four more tries to become the Club's all-time leading try scorer.

Uate passed Adam MacDougall (87 tries) on the list with his two-try effort against Melbourne last Monday and now has his sights set on surpassing Timana Tahu's record of 91 tries when the Knights take on Cronulla at Hunter Stadium on Sunday.

Tahu says he couldn't be happier for Uate, a player he considers not only a close teammate but also a close friend.

"Aku is a talented player and he is a good friend of mine as well," Tahu says.

"There will never be any bitterness from me, because records are there to be broken.

"That's what they're made for."

While Tahu couldn't be happier for Uate to pass his try scoring record, the duel international is particularly pumped about the prospect of Aku becoming the first Newcastle Knight to score 100 tries.

"Aku will create history as the first person to do it and no one will be able to take that off him," he enthuses.

"He has done a lot of things, not only for the Club, but he has played for his country for both Fiji and Australia.

"He has played Origin and he has always been a dangerous player. He is one player that you always want on your team, because he is one of the best finishers in the game.

"I wish him all the best.

"It's something that is going to be dear to his heart, because he prides himself on scoring tries.

"Hopefully he gets to the 100 tries this year, because I'll be around and as a teammate of his that would be great to see.

"It will be satisfying for everyone, including me."

Tahu says he has many great memories of his try scoring exploits at the Knights over the years.

From the guidance of Matt Johns to his strong combination with Matt Gidley, the fleet-footed flyer concedes he wouldn't have scored 91 tries without the support of his teammates.

"For me it was a good achievement to score those tries, but my teammates helped me score those tries," he says.

"I had good players around me and one of the best players to ever play the game in Andrew Johns.

"I also had Matty Johns who was a great player, plus he was a great leader for the team.

"He was one bloke who helped me through my young years and gave me confidence.

"My first three games were probably the worst I played in my entire career and he helped me through those.

"I also had the best centre in the game, who is now my boss in Matt Gidley.

"So we had a really good team and I was just finishing off tries and I can't score them unless your team is going well."


http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/...dges_closer_to_tahu_s_try_scoring_record.html
 
I just got tickets to game for tomorrow, and I have to say, the booking system and prices are a disgrace. That I have to pay $50 per ticket to sit 3 bays from the end of the field and that is Considered "Category 1 Reserved Seating" is unreal.
I went to watch the Roosters V Manly game last night and the area that Roosters consider general admission, the Knights have as "Category 2 Reserved seating" which is still crappy view seating. No wonder more people arent coming to watch the game. The average costs associated with travelling to the game, parking, tickets and food make it an extremely expensive outing. And I dont get any benefits for being a Knights member, what gives. Roosters members also get four free general admission tickets with being a member.

That being said, Go Knights! :Knights:
 
JUST A REMINDER TO EVERYONE THAT IF DARIUS BOYD PLAYS IT WILL BE HIS 50TH GAME FOR THE KNIGHTS !!!

:Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights:​
 
I can see us winning this, but how is a different story.

1 of 2 things will happen. We'll either blow them of the park and put 40+ on them, or go crap in the first half and have Cronulla put 20ish point on us, then in the 2nd half play like a completely different team as the 1st half and beat them :)
 
Smith: Keep emotions in check

By Matt Logue

Sat 29th March, 02:37PM


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It's been an extremely difficult week for the Newcastle Knights in the wake of Alex McKinnon's serious spinal injury, but forward
Jeremy Smith insists the team remain focused heading into Sunday's crucial clash against Cronulla.

Speaking after the team's final training session at Wests Mayfield on Saturday, Smith admitted it has been a tough few days for the players coming to terms with the implications of McKinnon's condition.

While Alex will be in the back of the Knights' minds when they run onto Hunter Stadium on Sunday, the veteran forward believes the team can't afford to let their emotions get in the way of winning the match.

"I suppose everyone controls that (emotion) a bit differently," Smith says.

"I’m not sure what is going to happen and we’ll sort of have to play it as it comes.

"If there is, they are going to have to handle it and get their emotions in check.

"I think everyone has been training well though.

As well as what’s happened to Alex, we want to do it for ourselves and the Club.

"We’ve got to get our season off to a good start somewhere along the line and there is no better day than Sunday to do it.

"It probably will (probably mean more than two points) after the game, but leading up to the game we’ve still got a job to do.

"With Alex in the back of our heads, it’s certainly going to be a bit of a driving force there.

"But it’s a game that we need to win for ourselves to get our season off and going."

Asked if he would want to face the Knights this weekend given the current circumstances, Smith said: “Oh probably not.

“But they (Cronulla) got their own problems down there and we are sort of fighting the same battle up here.

"They haven’t won a game yet and neither have we, so it’s certainly going to be a tester for both teams."

As a former Shark who spent two seasons in the Shire from 2011-12, Smith knows Cronulla will be fired up for Sunday's match.

It's why he insists the Knights must turn up ready for a tough match.

"It’s always good playing against your old club and trying to get one over them early is going to be a big help for us," he says.

"They’ve got something to play for just like us.

"They haven’t won a game yet and neither have we, so it’s just going to be one of those games and there will be one loser."

In order for the Knights to win, Smith says they must improve their discipline.

"We have to improve our ball control and we are giving away too many penalties," he admits.

"He (Wayne) hasn’t been too happy.

"We gave away a fair few penalties down there (Melbourne). Just silly little penalties, like hands on the ball.

"Like I said, if we can cut that out and hold the ball, then we can go a long way to winning."

Meanwhile, Smith says he is gradually regaining confidence after injuring his right knee in the Club's final trial against Canberra in
Tamworth in late February.

"Yeah it (the knee) is coming along," he says.

"The first few weeks weren’t too crash hot, but like I said it has been four or five weeks since it has happened and I’m starting to
feel my way back into the groove again.

"The coaching staff here do a great job of lightening your load during the week.

"It’s starting to get better slowly."

Darius Boyd trained strongly on Saturday however 1-17 will be finalised one hour prior to kick off on Sunday.


http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2014/03/29/smith_keep_emotions_in_check.html
 
Wayne was extremely emotional in his interview today. He urges everyone to be there tomorrow in support of not only Alex but for all the boys doing it tough as well. Tomorrow should be all about unity between the players and fans and ride off the emotion of eachother. I don't think it'll be a day that will ever be repeated again, so if you were thinking about going, please do.
 
Wayne was extremely emotional in his interview today. He urges everyone to be there tomorrow in support of not only Alex but for all the boys doing it tough as well. Tomorrow should be all about unity between the players and fans and ride off the emotion of eachother. I don't think it'll be a day that will ever be repeated again, so if you were thinking about going, please do.

Where can we see interview with Wayne?
 
The vBookie closes at 1.30pm tomorrow everyone so get your bets on. We need just 10 more bets for this to get into the top 5 most successful events on Marathon Stadium.

More on the topic of this game, I really hope we hear an Alex chant throughout the match. It'll already be an emotional sight seeing the entire stadium stand for him before kick off, but to hear his name roaring around the stadium while his teammates are dedicating this game to him, it'll be nothing short of amazing.

Both Mason and Smith have said they wouldn't want to be opposing them this week although they have no idea how things are going to be on the day. I'd imagine the sheds will be pretty somber before they run out but once they see how much support both they and Alex have, hopefully that will fire them up and get them in the right mindset.

Is a full house out of question? I hope not. This is going to be a game to remember regardless. Bring it on Sharks.
 
Just a reminder to all those participating in the 2014 vBookie Tournament !!

There are a few people who haven't bet on this game yet so please get involved and win big !!

@U23 @meercat @Bruh @Norm @Defender1 @Joshhh @Fungus @anthemlost @lucas1996 @ASJ82

Remember the overall winner at the end of the year will win a signed 2013 Knights Jersey !!

:Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights::Knights:​
 
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Does anyone happen to know which bay is the dedicated away support bay? I'm looking at booking tickets and the venue map lacks a specified away bay... Which makes me worried I'll end up buying tickets and be in the sharks support haha
 
Does anyone happen to know which bay is the dedicated away support bay? I'm looking at booking tickets and the venue map lacks a specified away bay... Which makes me worried I'll end up buying tickets and be in the sharks support haha

Bays 50 and 51 are away supporters I'm pretty sure
 
I won't be able to sleep tonight. Tomorrow is going to be some sort of day.

I will be one day telling my grandkids the day Newcastle came together to rise for Alex.
 
Sharks must match Knights’ emotion: Andrew Fifita



  • DARREN WALTON
  • THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
  • MARCH 29, 2014 6:12PM


CRONULLA enforcer Andrew Fifita says it’s impossible not to feel for the Newcastle Knights, but has challenged the struggling Sharks to match their emotion in Sunday’s bottom-of-the-table NRL match at Hunter Stadium.

In a clash between the only two winless teams in the competition, the Sharks are on a hiding to nothing with all the sentiment for Newcastle in the wake of Alex McKinnon’s shocking injury on Monday night.

The 22-year-old back-rower is in a critical but stable condition in a Melbourne hospital after being placed in an induced coma following emergency spinal surgery to repair two fractured vertebrae and have a disc removed.

McKinnon’s No.16 jumper has been retired for the rest of the season by the club, and his name will be embroidered on the front of the NRL side’s shirts.

A huge crowd is expected, with representatives from McKinnon’s junior club to form a guard of honour for the players when they run on to the field.

“My motivation is to get the win for the club and for Alex and to get this week over with,” Knights forward Jeremy Smith told Triple M on Saturday.

“It has been tough. But the team’s coping pretty well - we know we’ve got a job to do this weekend and we’ll definitely be going out there with him on the back of our minds.

“He’s just a champion bloke. He’d do anything for you, Alex.”

Smith, a one-time captain at Cronulla, knows the last-placed Sharks “have got everything to play for as well”.

Fifita acknowledged as much.

“If it was someone in our team, I would want to dedicate the season to them,” Fifita said.

“I’d be thriving off it, using it as motivation.

“So they’re going to come out with a lot of emotion and we’ve just got to match that.”

Fifita said he personally had added incentive to perform in his return from a two-match suspension for a round-one shoulder charge.

During his layoff, the Test prop announced he was leaving Cronulla for the Bulldogs next season and has come under fire from disgruntled Sharks fans.

“It’s been two long weeks and everything that’s happened outside of football - and the Sharks are desperate for a win and Newcastle are desperate for a win,” Fifita said.

“They’re going to be coming out firing because of everything that’s happening with Alex McKinnon and how they’re zero and three.

“But then again we’re zero and three and I’ve got a point to prove and I’m going to try to use that as motivation to get that go-forward for my players and earn the respect from the fans and the players around me.”


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...on-andrew-fifita/story-fni3fbgz-1226868552283
 
If anyone sees a Fijian guy with a orange sprayed hair and a #RiseForAlex on a black poster, come say hello :)
 
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