The pre-season thread - 2022

Owey said:
A lot of discussion about Pearce so I thought I'd have my two cents worth. He wasn't t complete plod for us like some are suggesting, but after his effort on the final last year, I wouldn't have wanted to be heading in to another finals series with him this year.

What I think we will miss most is his competitiveness in tight games. Close out 70 minutes became Mitch time, his sheer will to win would get us a win a lot more often than not.

Where I think we can cover that is that through more cohesiveness in attack and a much better kicking game, hopefully we aren't in so many arm wrestles this year and have put more teams away by 70 minutes. If Clune or Cliffo prove winners in those clutch moments (probably more through composure than hyperactive helter skelter) then we will actually be better off overall. Clune and Clifford would be on less then Mitch combined as well.
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Cannot possibly bring myself to agree with the Pearce comments. He was exactly what I thought he would be at the Knights - plod.

Same in SOO, no repeat sets, no smart game management ( who can forget JT playing with 1 arm )

Yes will get a close game over the line against inferior opposition but put him near the fire and the guy melts. That knock on from the kick off against parra in the final was classic Pearce.
 
slotmachine said:
Based on what?
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In my opinion, based on his talent, athleticism, speed, size, and that quality some players have: (I hate calling it the X Factor)

And those views are based on what I have seen of him and what I have heard from others, whose opinions I respect, who have seen him up close over a number of years.

We don’t go to the next level and compete with the top 4 or 5 sides with trundlers and plodders, and we have too many of them.

If the likes of Mann, Tuala, Musgrove and Hoy are selected in front of him, we aren’t playing our best players.

In 2021:

Shibasaki played 3 games. Mann 22 games. Tuala 25 games. Musgrove 7 games.
Simi Sasagi 2 games.

That doesn’t make sense to me. Playing that lot over Simi so much.

He’s about to turn 21, isn’t contracted beyond this year and hasn’t been given an opportunity in either trial. So, what happens? We just let him go to another club and let them benefit from another of our juniors.

All this is said with the caveat that we don’t really know what’s going on with the Knights this off season. There is so little information coming out of the Knights and nothing much from the Herald, so we don’t really know what is going on with certain players. Simi isn’t the only player we have been left in the dark about: Edrick Lee could be holidaying in Kiev for all I know, with the lack of info coming out of the club.

So, that is what my post is based on.



UCW
 
slotmachine said:
Not to mention he's being asked to play a position he never has before.
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Nobody has played a particular position until they do.

My ‘hope’ is that he has been training in that position all off season. And my ‘hope’ was that he would get a run in the trials, then it wouldn’t be a position he’s never played before.

I do recall reading some where a while back that he was training in the 14 role, but I think that was back before Christmas.

UCW
 
Ethan said:
The problem here is your judging AoB's selection choices as far as Simi is concerned but you don't know whats happening behind the scene's or at training.
Sasagi could be injured it only takes a niggle to keep you out or just got out trained by other players who then deserve a spot over him.
Sorry mate but thats rubbish about Toó and AOB and i dont know if you watched the trial but while there Mann was probably our best player.
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Um... The comment that: "To'o would still be playing reserve grade and Mann would have his wing spot if AOB was his coach" was a joke.
I'm not saying it was a good joke, but it was, in fact, just a joke.

UCW
 
Unemployed CoachWhisperer said:
In my opinion, based on his talent, athleticism, speed, size, and that quality some players have: (I hate calling it the X Factor)

And those views are based on what I have seen of him and what I have heard from others, whose opinions I respect, who have seen him up close over a number of years.

We don’t go to the next level and compete with the top 4 or 5 sides with trundlers and plodders, and we have too many of them.

If the likes of Mann, Tuala, Musgrove and Hoy are selected in front of him, we aren’t playing our best players.

In 2021:

Shibasaki played 3 games. Mann 22 games. Tuala 25 games. Musgrove 7 games.
Simi Sasagi 2 games.

That doesn’t make sense to me. Playing that lot over Simi so much.

He’s about to turn 21, isn’t contracted beyond this year and hasn’t been given an opportunity in either trial. So, what happens? We just let him go to another club and let them benefit from another of our juniors.

All this is said with the caveat that we don’t really know what’s going on with the Knights this off season. There is so little information coming out of the Knights and nothing much from the Herald, so we don’t really know what is going on with certain players. Simi isn’t the only player we have been left in the dark about: Edrick Lee could be holidaying in Kiev for all I know, with the lack of info coming out of the club.

So, that is what my post is based on.



UCW
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Did Shiba really play for the Knights in 2021?
I have forced that out of my mind for my own wellbeing that I thought it was longer ago.
 
slotmachine said:
He's played in the backs his whole career, not as a lock/hooker which is what our 14 needs to be.
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Watson, Mann and Crossland didn't play the 14 role until they did either.
With the skills and size he has there is no reason why he couldn't train in that position during the off season and play that position in
the trials and perhaps in 2022.

As I said elsewhere, I'm sure I read that he was training for the 14 role.
And IMHO, given the chance, he could well develop into a better 14 than Connor.

UCW
 
Patty said:
Look, normally I'm not against you but this is such an obvious dig and an attempt to get someone to bite.

I genuinely value your input and it's nice to have a different point of view from an outsider, but for the love of football can you just not? Stick to footy mate.
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Not trying to get a reaction from said person at all. He has had me on block for years after I called him out for multiple outright lies/over reactions of players that I knew for a fact was incorrect.

No denying the hype written though leaves people on here with a higher expectation then reality of said player.

I mean Adam Clydesdale was the next Cam Smith apparently.
 
Owey said:
A lot of discussion about Pearce so I thought I'd have my two cents worth. He wasn't t complete plod for us like some are suggesting, but after his effort on the final last year, I wouldn't have wanted to be heading in to another finals series with him this year.
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Not complete plod isn't the assessment you want for your halfback on big money.

He wasn't Hodkinson bad, but he wasn't a great deal better. I wouldn't put the Knights outcomes on his shoulders alone, but securing repeat sets, playmaking and kicking are all things you rely on your half for and these are his weakest attributes.

Enthusiasm, he had plety of that in some of his games. Defence, he was keen as in some of his games. Sometimes he could create and many others he was plodkinson level shovel the ball along to the next player and hope they do something.

He had some good highlight reel moments, but generally he was poor.

His French Dragons team are in for a shock after watching Maloney play and then getting Pearce. Maloney is a half that can create and I'd have swapped the two of them in a heartbeat if I could have. Pearce so far in 2 games with the Dragons hasn't really done anything. And thats against apparently weaker defences and a generally weaker competition, when he is fresh from the NRL apparently as an NRL quality half.
 
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Unemployed CoachWhisperer said:
In my opinion, based on his talent, athleticism, speed, size, and that quality some players have: (I hate calling it the X Factor)

And those views are based on what I have seen of him and what I have heard from others, whose opinions I respect, who have seen him up close over a number of years.

We don’t go to the next level and compete with the top 4 or 5 sides with trundlers and plodders, and we have too many of them.

If the likes of Mann, Tuala, Musgrove and Hoy are selected in front of him, we aren’t playing our best players.

In 2021:

Shibasaki played 3 games. Mann 22 games. Tuala 25 games. Musgrove 7 games.
Simi Sasagi 2 games.

That doesn’t make sense to me. Playing that lot over Simi so much.

He’s about to turn 21, isn’t contracted beyond this year and hasn’t been given an opportunity in either trial. So, what happens? We just let him go to another club and let them benefit from another of our juniors.

All this is said with the caveat that we don’t really know what’s going on with the Knights this off season. There is so little information coming out of the Knights and nothing much from the Herald, so we don’t really know what is going on with certain players. Simi isn’t the only player we have been left in the dark about: Edrick Lee could be holidaying in Kiev for all I know, with the lack of info coming out of the club.

So, that is what my post is based on.



UCW
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Couldn't agree more.

Its foolish and irresponsible of AOB to ease a near 21 year old talent into the 17 when he is off contract. We've spent 4 years developing him, it is now or never for the club and this player. Bradman Best was thrown in at 18 and did a great job. Simi is 3 years older than that. It's an absurdity to claim his age as being an issue.

And totally agree with the average players being given game time over players like Sassagi. Tuala has reached his ceiling, or at least, he has exposed his limits. And its only just FG standard. Tuala can be replaced with a $300k contract from almost anywhere in the NRL. Sassagi is a rare type of talent, he can play anywhere in the spine (except 7), is a big body and is extremely explosive and agile. And has looked very very sharp in his fleeting opportunities in FG.

AOB is now in a position where he will feel he cannot afford to be 'experimenting' with juniors because his job is on the line. So what were likely to see are players like Mann, Tuala, Hoy, Musgrove being viewed as less of a risk, somehow. Unacceptable.
 
The sad thing for Simi is that I suspect Mapapalangi has already shown he is a younger and better version, and has been able to stay on the footy field for the last few years, although seems to have a minor injury now.
 
Les Misérables said:
AOB is now in a position where he will feel he cannot afford to be 'experimenting' with juniors because his job is on the line. So what were likely to see are players like Mann, Tuala, Hoy, Musgrove being viewed as less of a risk, somehow. Unacceptable.
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It's fairly self evident that AOB footy style is conservative, that grinding and boring style of footy popular a few years ago, and by extension his decisions and team selections are also conservative - this mindset doesnt suit the modern game of Landyball.
 
If sasagi was as good as some of you think he'd have had half the comp trying to sign him in November last year when he came on to the market.

Odd that the Knights seem in no rush to extend him and no other club has swooped in to sign the supposed can't miss generational talent.
 
As we haven’t signed anyone of late and likely to promote players from within to top us up to 29 what is going to happen if Clifford or Clune get injured and miss a few rounds, who plays.
Despite some saying Crosslands isn’t wanted/needed he is currently our third best option for 6 or 7 and by all reports is being bulked up and developed to play a different position, 13/14? when we have others such as Mann, Barnett and Sasagi that can cover those positions.
Until we have suitable backup for 6 & 7 I would prefer Crossland was playing in those positions in reserves so he is ready and prepared for it. You only need a couple of versatile players with at least one as your 14 with the reserves playing to maintain fitness and develop to cover 1sts.
 
cowboyman said:
Not trying to get a reaction from said person at all. He has had me on block for years after I called him out for multiple outright lies/over reactions of players that I knew for a fact was incorrect.

No denying the hype written though leaves people on here with a higher expectation then reality of said player.

I mean Adam Clydesdale was the next Cam Smith apparently.
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I tend to agree with you, every week I read about a player that is going to be the next best thing. In reality how many have actually turned into something, none.
 
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