Sadly it's that time, your team for 2020
- Thread starter Grandpa Joe - Prev Lord
- Start date
alexwilliams
Shane O'Grady
I agree. I believe he still has a lot to offer
1. Ponga
2. Lee
3. Tuala
4. Best
5. Hunt
6. Crossland
7. Pearce
8. Klemmer
9. Brailey
10. DSaf
11. Fitzy
12. Barnett
13. Ese ese
14. Watson
15. Momoisia/jsaf
16. Guerra/sione
17. Glasby
I'm leaning towards sione and jsaf
18. Toa
19. Jones
20. Fermor
It sounds like ese wants to start.. I'd give him a crack.
2. Lee
3. Tuala
4. Best
5. Hunt
6. Crossland
7. Pearce
8. Klemmer
9. Brailey
10. DSaf
11. Fitzy
12. Barnett
13. Ese ese
14. Watson
15. Momoisia/jsaf
16. Guerra/sione
17. Glasby
I'm leaning towards sione and jsaf
18. Toa
19. Jones
20. Fermor
It sounds like ese wants to start.. I'd give him a crack.
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If he is healthy and puts in during a contract year but leaves for the ESL afterwards at his age I would be totally fine with that.
So is Ese'Ese still in the clubs plans? The club can probably afford to keep him beyond 2020 with other players coming off contract so it will be interesting to see if he is prioritised.
6 months ago it seemed it was inevitable has gone but that feels like an eternity ago with the landscape changing.
I guess these are all O'Brien's decisions to make at some point during next season.
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd
Timana Tahu
Pretty weak to not even correct the bloody typo or blatant error in the article. Here’s mine. A few uncertainties at the moment:
1. Ponga
2. Lee
3. Moga
4. Best
5. Hunt
6. Crossland
7. Pearce
8. DSaf
9. Brailey
10. Klemmer
11. Fitz
12. Barnett
13. Ese Ese (his to lose)
14. Watson
15. Glasby
16. Guerra
17. Jsaf (Saulo, Momo, Sione et al waiting in wings)
Great opportunity to get Crossland in. Levi moved on (not sure who can or will snag him for 20?). Ese keeps banging on about starting. It’s his to lose. Apparently OB called him straight away so must be encouraging for him. Jsaf will have the least time to prove in my opinion with the amount of forwards waiting and working hard in the wings. Hopefully a solid pre-season and some competition in family and squad will inspire.
1. Ponga
2. Lee
3. Moga
4. Best
5. Hunt
6. Crossland
7. Pearce
8. DSaf
9. Brailey
10. Klemmer
11. Fitz
12. Barnett
13. Ese Ese (his to lose)
14. Watson
15. Glasby
16. Guerra
17. Jsaf (Saulo, Momo, Sione et al waiting in wings)
Great opportunity to get Crossland in. Levi moved on (not sure who can or will snag him for 20?). Ese keeps banging on about starting. It’s his to lose. Apparently OB called him straight away so must be encouraging for him. Jsaf will have the least time to prove in my opinion with the amount of forwards waiting and working hard in the wings. Hopefully a solid pre-season and some competition in family and squad will inspire.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
predicted lineup from sporting news site
https://www.sportingnews.com/au/lea...ev_6AAzBQPu1fVDrYheIx5u4Wm_5BYIXnMoaQJkstmiqE
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS PREDICTED TEAM
Plenty of positions in the forwards could be up for grabs - but their front row of David Klemmer and Daniel Saifiti seems cut and dry.
New additions Gehamat Shibasaki and Enari Tuala add some depth in the backline.
https://www.sportingnews.com/au/lea...ev_6AAzBQPu1fVDrYheIx5u4Wm_5BYIXnMoaQJkstmiqE
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS PREDICTED TEAM
- Kalyn Ponga
- Bradman Best
- Hymel Hunt
- Tautau Moga
- Kurt Mann
- Phoenix Crossland
- Mitchell Pearce
- Daniel Saifiti
- Jayden Brailey
- David Klemmer
- Lachlan Fitzgibbon
- Sione Mata'utia
- Mitch Barnett
- Connor Watson
- Jacob Saifiti
- Tim Glasby
- Herman Ese'ese
Plenty of positions in the forwards could be up for grabs - but their front row of David Klemmer and Daniel Saifiti seems cut and dry.
New additions Gehamat Shibasaki and Enari Tuala add some depth in the backline.
krustykraz
Jarrod Mullen
No way Kurt Mann gets a wing spot lol.
Lefty
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
There is no way I would have Sione in the team, let alone starting.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
The boys are training in a new way and will play a style that is different to last year.
Mann has worked with the coach before and I think the new style will be familiar to him - same with Glasby - so they'll probably be part of the plan I think.
I've decided to wait and see how it all works out, because he could do anything from change almost nothing for round one to change everything for round one.
Locked in positions for round 1.
1 Ponga
7 Pearce
8 Klemmer
All the rest are up for grabs.
Mann has worked with the coach before and I think the new style will be familiar to him - same with Glasby - so they'll probably be part of the plan I think.
I've decided to wait and see how it all works out, because he could do anything from change almost nothing for round one to change everything for round one.
Locked in positions for round 1.
1 Ponga
7 Pearce
8 Klemmer
All the rest are up for grabs.
alexwilliams
Shane O'Grady
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd
Timana Tahu
whats the obsession with Mann? The ex players and press seem to think he needs to fit in somewhere. He’s a poor mans Gidley. No way is he in my top 21. If he plays we have issues.
What do you think Billy?
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd
Timana Tahu
And no Ed Lee! Wtf
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
I don't like to hold last year against him because he played with injuries and he was moved to about 5 different positions, but the new coach has his work cut out finding the best positions for all of Brown's "utility" players
The Artist Formerly Known as Aku'd
Timana Tahu
He’s a utility and miles behind Watson. Not a winger. Not a 5/8 (at least behind Lino, Crossland and Watson). Reserve FB for me.
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Klemmer, Dan, KP, Pearce, Glasby, Brailey, Barnett, Watson, Lee and Herman would all be lock picks for me.
That's our five Origin players, Watson and Barnett who were in the top four players last year, and three specialists in Lee, Brailey and Herman.
Competition for the outside backs, 5/8 and backrow/bench.
Regulars over the last few years who can play a few positions but are pretty ordinary at all of them need not apply.
That's our five Origin players, Watson and Barnett who were in the top four players last year, and three specialists in Lee, Brailey and Herman.
Competition for the outside backs, 5/8 and backrow/bench.
Regulars over the last few years who can play a few positions but are pretty ordinary at all of them need not apply.
Billy
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
We don't know how good O'Brien is at communicating the role he wants individuals to play.
We know Brown was not very good at it.
Several players like Sione, Mann and Watson have implied in interviews that O'Brien has told them he will decide on what their role will be and get them ready for it before the season starts.
O'Brien has a reputation for doing that well as an assistant coach, and you have to say that players stepped into firstgrade at Melbourne and the Roosters ready to play a role - sometimes a very simple role, and sometimes a very complex or specialized role - but knowing what they had to do.
Heaps of our players we have only seen under Brown, where they would get new roles week after week, and often seemed way underprepared to step into that new role.
O'Brien will be a miracle worker if he can have all 17 of the round 1 team 100% clear on what their job is, but over the season he should be able to make it happen.
Until we see how it all works out, we don't know which players will thrive under the new system, but we do know that the players who weren't thriving under the old system are the ones who played different positions every second week, so my thought is that those guys are the ones with the most to gain.
We know Brown was not very good at it.
Several players like Sione, Mann and Watson have implied in interviews that O'Brien has told them he will decide on what their role will be and get them ready for it before the season starts.
O'Brien has a reputation for doing that well as an assistant coach, and you have to say that players stepped into firstgrade at Melbourne and the Roosters ready to play a role - sometimes a very simple role, and sometimes a very complex or specialized role - but knowing what they had to do.
Heaps of our players we have only seen under Brown, where they would get new roles week after week, and often seemed way underprepared to step into that new role.
O'Brien will be a miracle worker if he can have all 17 of the round 1 team 100% clear on what their job is, but over the season he should be able to make it happen.
Until we see how it all works out, we don't know which players will thrive under the new system, but we do know that the players who weren't thriving under the old system are the ones who played different positions every second week, so my thought is that those guys are the ones with the most to gain.
MattyM
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Mann will never be picked over Lee, that’s laughable. Also, why do so many people pick Barnett at lock? He is at his best on an edge. Sione will be lucky to get a spot next year.
5/8 is still open to 3 or 4 people, it’ll be interesting to see where Best, Moga, Hunt, Tuala, Toa and Shibasaki fit into the equation.
5/8 is still open to 3 or 4 people, it’ll be interesting to see where Best, Moga, Hunt, Tuala, Toa and Shibasaki fit into the equation.
I've already said it and I'll say it again ie form under Brown means nothing to me. Stood out like an elephant's testicles he had favourites add that to the fact he couldn't coach Michael Phelps to dog paddle and who knows what will happen with some players this year. Before a ball is kicked I'm tipping players that have made the same mistakes for over 3 years under Brown will quickly learn it's unacceptable and those who were "sweet" with Brown are in for a shock. Brown just about killed my enthusiasm but for the first time in 3 years I've got a couple of season tickets purchased with extreme confidence O'Brien will have us firing from round 1 and maintain the rage.