Round 9 - Eels V Knights - Friday 28 April 6:00pm - ComBank Stadium

test of aob to see if his smart enough to end ponga at 6. needs to go to fullback, for what miller offers we need to realise ponga is here for 4 more years as our marquee player and needs to be somewhere.
Totally disagree. Keep Miller at fullback and **** Ponga off. I’ve been following the knights since 88 and Ponga is the worst but they have made int that time. Without a doubt.
 
Where was that? AOB did seem pretty believable in the press conference about the injury.
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Hastings has always had a bit of a dodgy kicking game, not as bad as Jake "this ones for the kid in the 12th row" Clifford but it's never been his strength.

Doesn't have much length or variation to it and never has, short kicking is fairly accurate but that's about it. Hastings strength is his organisation and penchant for getting his hands on the ball to steer the ship, we really do need a 1/6/9 that can offer an extra genuine kicking option as a result but we don't have any at the moment.
 
Quick look back at the tries and some fault:

1st Half:
1 - Brown: Nobody gets off the line on that edge (Hastings and Mann the main culprits), dreadful attempt by both but worse by Mann, Miller doesn't really bother to make an attempt at the back
2 - Moses: Again Mann and DSaf very slow, DSaf doesn't get out at all and Moses steps inside Mann to the gap outside Dan, Miller doesn't bother again
3 - Gutho: Young possibly breaks a little hard at marker but he has to break that was anyway, Friz makes the worst attempt of his career and Gutho scores on the outside - All Frizell on this one
4 - Gutho: Soft first contact by Mann on Hopgood on previous play, Ponga doesn't do much to help stop the offload, Braddy does a pretty good job with a 3-4 v 2 in covering for Hetherington who is slow to make it across, Marzhew doesn't stick his tackle, Miller somehow holds on to Penisini for dear life. Gutho just goes straight under Hetherington who fell for a dummy that didn't occur, Phoenix gets caught coming across the player playing the ball
5 - Russell: Caught on the shortside, Gags takes the decoy and gets burned by Brown, Hastings and eventually Pong slip off Russell on the way to the line but neither were really close enough to be a chance, damage already done and all on Gags/shortside getting caught outnumbered.

2nd Half:
6 - Gutho: Actually had numbers, Ponga doesn't trust Phoenix defending and stays tight as Cartwright gets on his outside a touch but Phoenix still makes a legs tackle, offloads to Moses who burns Ponga and simple draw and pass to Gutho in support.
7 - Paulo: Near length of the field break due to whatever Young was doing instead of looking at Sivo, everyone gassed as a result. Hopgood bumps off Phoenix, Friz falls down the tackle and fails to wrap the ball, offload to Paulo who steps a flat-footed DSaf and Miller is present without much attempt but to be fair there is not a universe where he tackles Junior Paulo anyway so it matters a little less.
 
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