2020 Pre Season and Trial Games

Thought most went well, Gidley surprised that he still had it, thought Lino was good, hold judgement on rest as it was 9’s, just hope we are injury free and will be at end. Score line was impressive.
 
Lino had his best game last year against the Warriors.
i said after that game he would be one of our best if he played like that every week, but he didn't.
 
To be honest I think our best 5/8 is lino.

I’d rather start with Lino at 5/8 and accept and plan best we can for his deficiency in defense. That deficiency is easily made up in class over Mann in attack. Not seen enough of Crossland but wouldn’t be offended to see him there at some point noting others comments. But Lino is tricky, can run, kick and convert. A little bit of X Factor. Mann has no factor.
 
Matt Soper-Lawler described his try in an interview and said he saw a opening and called for Gids to kick it, and Gids put it on the spot for him.
I always wondered in under 20s how he always seemed to be right on the spot to score when Brock Lamb kicked into the ingoal, and it makes sense that he calls for the kicks and starts running. I thought they must have practised it so much that they knew what each other were doing, but Soper-Lawler and Gids have hardly met each other.
 
Billy, had a listen to the Podcast and some of the stuff he says is correct, but to say the Senior players wanted Brown gone wasn't what they wanted ultimately, he got caught out playing politics and it back fired.

Read between the line with what we know - Brown set 2020 as his big year , players set 2019, they said they had the squad now , didn't look great but built momentum, backroom recruitment / retention politics caused Brown to - play players out of position, have better players overlooked for regime aligned also rans, crazy bench selections and usage, continual player rotations undermined cohesion, Players realised they weren't being supported by these actions- the rest is history.

No excuses this year everyone has a point to prove from the coach to the water boy.

I can't wait for the year to start , already filled the fridge for the Nines this weekend ( I know it means little but ) , they are the Knights and that is who I support.

There were no excuses last year

Brown was already beginning to be on borrowed time
 
So, with only 2 round games it is nearly impossible for us to miss the quarter finals now.
We'd need to lose against Penrith by 30+ and the Warriors would have to beat the Roosters by 30+ for us to lose to the Warriors on for and against, and just over 30 is about all you can score in 9s.

We can afford to rest Gidley and anyone else we might need for 3 knockout games in 8 hours if we are to win the title.

Time for Searle, Sasagi, Guerra and Barnett to join all the trialists and fringe guys, and for the standouts from round 1 to rest up for the knockout games.
 
team for game 2

1. Kurt Gidley,
2. Jirah Momoisea,
4. Brodie Jones,
6. Aidan Guerra,
7. Starford To'a,
8. Jacob Saifiti,
9. Pasami Saulo,
11. Tyronne Roberts-Davis,
12. Mason Lino,
13. Sione Mata'utia,
15. Bayden Searle,
16. Tex Hoy,
17. Nathanuel Sasagi,
18. Matt Soper-Lalwer.

If we get in the GF we will b asking Gidley to play 4 games in 1 day I think.
 
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