NRLW Round 9 - Knights V Tigers - Thursday 14 September 7:45pm - Campbelltown Sports Stadium

Staying still is the same thing as going backwards.

The good news is we have more good players locked down on multiple year deals than any other club, and I think the bones of a side which can compete year after year are there.

1. Upton
2.
3. Parker
4. Roache
5. (Gallagher)
6. Roche
7. J Southwell
8.
9. (Higgins, if she keeps playing, might wanna chuck it and go have kids at her age)
10. Johnston
11. Albert-Jones
12. Clydsdale
13. H Southwell

14.
15. Romaniuk
16.
17.

No need for a full overhaul, but a bit of tinkering wouldn’t be the worst thing. On paper, we’re not as good as the Roosters, and not obviously way better than a few other sides despite beating all of them. Ronnie Griffith makes them more than the sum of their parts, but he’s obviously such a good coach that more renumerative job offers will start coming in sooner rather than later. So becoming better on paper may be a pressing need next year.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Yeah the gap between Tamika and the rest is like Joey vs the rest of the comp in his day.

Frustrating game in many ways, in the end we won on star power and better cohesion when it mattered in both attack and defence. Can’t keep losing the territory/possession battle in future seasons and expect to keep winning. Other teams will get better.

Definitely a game which made plain some weaknesses in the squad. Centres and wingers are becoming more important in yardage every season (initially in the NRLW teams just put their worst players on the wing and most of them barely did anything), with Ronnie asking for a lot of carries out of them like a lot of other coaches do, but we don’t really have anyone who’s really good at that part of the game in our 2-5. Sheridan is okay, Shanice works hard, Abigail too but definitely there for her pace and skill first and foremost, and Jasmine Strange is both slow and physically weak. Tamika heavily props up the yardage game for us.

#1 recruitment priority should be finding a centre or winger who’s a PCM/tackle busts machine. This would raise both the floor and ceiling more than any other girl we could sign. The good news is there’s a bunch of good ones who only took one year deals. Jakiya Whitfield is really good, but my first target would be Anessa Biddle at the Sharks. I doubt we have any cap space to offer more than the minimum, but I’m sure that’s what most outside backs are getting as there’s so little cap space to offer any players more than that, and we have competing for a premiership to offer to get girls over the line.

#2 would be finding just one more really good middle, preferably a starter. I kind of think the best use of both Rima and Tayla is as impact players off the bench. Maybe that girl I want is already in the system, I don’t know, but I think ideally the other starter besides CJ at prop is another girl that can give you 100+ good run metres, but with better defensive work rate and mobility than the two really big boppers we have. Again there’s a bunch of these girls, good but not elite, who are off contract, where again the pitch should be around competing for a title rather than more money, cos again I’m talking players who aren’t quite good enough to earn more than the minimum. Think girls like Mya Hill-Moana or Tara McGrath-West.
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Leati is a winger/centre who hasn’t had a run yet. She tested top three in speed testing & can be physically tough defensively and attack. Signed on for next year

Also have Vallance who played well for us in the Harvey Norman comp.
 
Summah said:
Leati is a winger/centre who hasn’t had a run yet. She tested top three in speed testing & can be physically tough defensively and attack. Signed on for next year

Also have Vallance who played well for us in the Harvey Norman comp.
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Welcome Summah! Hope to see you posting on here regularly.
 
Looking at Jakiya Whitfeld's season for us last year and her wiki page, she got covid in preseason 2022 and only had 3 weeks to learn RL before debuting on the wing in round 3. In round 4 we had our only loss for the year and Upton dropped out late and was relaced by Whitfeld at fullback in her 2nd game of RL. She had 6 runs and missed 4 of her 6 tackles and ended up with minus 3 fantasy points.
I see she hasn't signed a contract for next year.
I suspect we'd need to offer her a lot to get her back.
 
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HarVeeGee13 said:
Staying still is the same thing as going backwards.

The good news is we have more good players locked down on multiple year deals than any other club, and I think the bones of a side which can compete year after year are there.

1. Upton
2.
3. Parker
4. Roache
5. (Gallagher)
6. Roche
7. J Southwell
8.
9. (Higgins, if she keeps playing, might wanna chuck it and go have kids at her age)
10. Johnston
11. Albert-Jones
12. Clydsdale
13. H Southwell

14.
15. Romaniuk
16.
17.

No need for a full overhaul, but a bit of tinkering wouldn’t be the worst thing. On paper, we’re not as good as the Roosters, and not obviously way better than a few other sides despite beating all of them. Ronnie Griffith makes them more than the sum of their parts, but he’s obviously such a good coach that more renumerative job offers will start coming in sooner rather than later. So becoming better on paper may be a pressing need next year.
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Yeah I’d be looking for a new winger to replace Strange, preferably someone big, quick and athletic like a Sergis or Kelly (realise these players don’t grow on trees).

We don’t really have a lot of really athletic players in the team and I think it’s in area that needs to be addressed. Same as recruiting some middle forwards as well. While Mille is a freak, I’d be aiming to get a forward in her mould or at least as close to as possible.

Agree, regarding Ron too that he gets a lot out of them as a team. Am worried as Toohey reckons Ron will take the Reserve Grade job so the girls could be looking a new coach next year. Not sure who would be in line for this but they’re so bloody big shoes to fill and can’t see many being as good as Ron has been.
 
Newygirl said:
Yeah I’d be looking for a new winger to replace Strange, preferably someone big, quick and athletic like a Sergis or Kelly (realise these players don’t grow on trees).

We don’t really have a lot of really athletic players in the team and I think it’s in area that needs to be addressed. Same as recruiting some middle forwards as well. While Mille is a freak, I’d be aiming to get a forward in her mould or at least as close to as possible.

Agree, regarding Ron too that he gets a lot out of them as a team. Am worried as Toohey reckons Ron will take the Reserve Grade job so the girls could be looking a new coach next year. Not sure who would be in line for this but they’re so bloody big shoes to fill and can’t see many being as good as Ron has been.
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Joey Pointed out that Ian Bourke was sitting beside Griffiths in the coaching box last night and thought the good form of our hookers would come from him.
I see he has signed to coach Lakes again next year, but maybe he is in line to take over from Ron.
I think he's coached Knights junior sides before and he's been a successful coach in the real NRL, as well as playing reserves for the Knights in the late '90s. He'd have better coaching credentials than Ron to be honest.
 
Watched a bit of this game last night and definitely maintain the opinion that Tamika Upton is the best player in the NRLW. Daylight 2nd at the moment.
 
Newygirl said:
We don’t really have a lot of really athletic players in the team and I think it’s in area that needs to be addressed. Same as recruiting some middle forwards as well. While Mille is a freak, I’d be aiming to get a forward in her mould or at least as close to as possible.
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The Dragons have found a girl who I reckon is gonna be even better than Millie. Alexis Tauaneai. Remarkable athlete. We’ve done really good with our scouting again in picking up Georgia, Abigail & Laishon, but other clubs have lifted their game compared to last season. A bunch of good rookies this year.

We’re doing okay for middles overall though, for all CJ’s discipline issues I do think she’s one of the best middles in the game. The run metre stats aren’t as gaudy as some others but her 2 way impact is as good as it gets IMO. She’s the female Jared Waerea-Hargreaves. When Hannah is fully fit again the other starter doesn’t need to be as good as Millie for us to have one of the best middle trios in the comp. Play half the game, consistently make 100 metres, make your tackles - that’s all we’re looking for. And who knows, maybe Rima/Predebon will get in a bit better shape and fix up their defensive mobility issues, we’re golden then.

It’s that one really athletic outside back I want most of all, I think we need that more than another good forward.
 
I think the positive thing for the team whether they recruit any of the above mentioned players or not is that there is still a lot improvement in the current squad.

Like you said Hannah will be better after her injury. Georgia, Sheridan and Abigail should all be better given it’s their first year in the NRLW

Jesse seemed to suffer bit of second year syndrome as well so I think she’ll be better again next year. As will the whole team in general just from playing more together given we had a lot of changes this year. Our attack can still improve a lot.

What will be interesting is if they do go ahead with this plan to bring 4 new teams again next year. Think it’s too soon personally and will just dilute the comp too much.

Unless some of the other teams can figure out how to poach some of the roosters players. (Just not sure how they compete with all those media gigs unfortunately)
 
I thought it was gonna be 2 new teams in 2025? Gee the NRL just makes it up as they go hey…

And yeah we will have more continuity than any other team next year. Almost certainly at least 5 of our starting backs, 4 of our starting forwards and 2/3 of our bench forwards will be here again next year doing the same role. That stands us in good stead, especially if the Chooks recycle half their team yet again.
 
I
HarVeeGee13 said:
I thought it was gonna be 2 new teams in 2025? Gee the NRL just makes it up as they go hey…

And yeah we will have more continuity than any other team next year. Almost certainly at least 5 of our starting backs, 4 of our starting forwards and 2/3 of our bench forwards will be here again next year doing the same role. That stands us in good stead, especially if the Chooks recycle half their team yet again
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Don’t think anything’s been decided yet and hopefully they stick with that plan because 4 next year seems to rushed.

Then again, Millie said on her podcast that Abdo said he wants 18 womens and men’s teams by 2027, so who knows??
 
Roosters without a few of their best dominate the Cowboys to lock in the top 2. Millie Boyle missed her second game and Keeley Davis was a late withdrawal as well.

Looking like we'll have the Broncos or Titans with the Raiders possible but less likely. Will know more after this next game tonight.
 
Titans vs Raiders tomorrow

If Titans win we’ll play Broncos
If Raiders win by 12 or more we’ll play Raiders
If Raiders win by 11 or less we’ll play Titans
 
For what it's worth, Evie Jones has played for Australian schoolgirls in their game against PNG.
She is on a development contract and played for NSW under 19s, but Aus schoolgirls are an under 18s side, so she should be available for Tarsha Gale again next year.
If she is under 18, we have paid her a development contract this year and she is too young to play NRLW, so she must be rated highly.
A 7 in Tarsha Gale but her Knights profile says 5/8.
 
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I've been keeping my eye on that Broncos lock who carved us up last time we played them.
I notice that when she gets hit hard she doesn't go for another run for ages.
Last time we played then Hannah Southwell was out for the game, so I'm going to say Hannah will cut her in half 2 or 3 times and we won't have to worry about her.
 
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