NRL Round 15 - Knights Vs Roosters - 5:30pm Saturday 14th June - McDonald Jones Stadium

Jar head said:
My old man blows up about this all the time. Why the short drop out, why not kick it 50m.
Well, for starters, the first tackle usually ends up around the 30m line anyway. So you only make 15 - 20m more. And defensively, it gasses you to have to sprint (or run sorta fast) 30m, then have to get back the full 10m over thr next few tackles. Makes it harder to defend due to the extra effort. It's much easier to defend closer to the line, regularly not even needing to retreat 10m because of the try line and having the chance to set your D line. It's also easier to attack against a retreating defensive line 20 - 30 out than it is 6m out against a set line (although this option opens up potential for kicks, barge over tries and forwards dragging a smaller player over the lone to score). Basically, short dropouts are easier to defend than long ones....
Totally agree re not contesting kicks at the other end though. When you have a play at the ball, we should at least be making the oppositions job harder by having a crack. Most teams at least have a pretend attempt to put the fullback off.
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Yeah I agree thats the reasons for the short dropouts, I guess my point really was just that we contest all line dropouts down our end, vs not contesting all the kicks we can up their end.

On the taking the 2 (someone posted above about knowing we were done at this point) I thought that was absolutely the right call. The game at that point looked like a real arm wrestle and was clearly going to be a low scoring game. Skipping out to 8 points makes it a 2 score game for the opposition, and being fair to OB, we weren't really looking like scoring against them too convincingly.

Could just as easily taken the tap and walked away with nothing. The full set on their line at the death was a great example. We asked very little of them in defence.
 
Mr Goanna said:
jeez i wish the knights would mix up their kicking game...grubber in the wet...chaos ball, could bounce anywhere...don't have to bomb all the time...
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Brailey and Hastings tried a grubber many times through the line but their execution was terrible. I’m really surprised Brailey in particular is still allowed to kick. He tries that play so many times but it never comes off.

I suppose one good thing about last night is that most of our key problems players last night aren’t first choice in their positions and won’t be at the club next year (well Cogger will but not first choice). We also lacked speed in the backs and spine but obviously we have Ponga, Sharpe, Best and Dom to all come back in who will help that. My biggest worry for next year is the lack of forwards as we don’t yet have anyone signed, but even severely depleted they did ok last night. I can’t complain about them.
 
Was at the game so might have to watch it back.

ESL and McEwen were stellar as impact middles. ESL was massively gassed, walked through the last 4 minutes of his 16 minute stint but will be better for the run - should get plenty of time doing big minutes in the middle in cup. McEwen just loves contact on both sides of the ball, a few of his runs looked Leniu-esque - can see him punching holes on KPP's edge next year, think he's in our top 17 at the moment already.

Cant is the only one on the bench with the gas tank to play a decent stint in the middle but he's the least effective offensively, will still work tirelessly in D. Greacen kept running into brick walls and did his job in defence.

I think Phoenix has to be our 13, distribution was so much better with him in the link role and he's our best defender by a significant distance. don't think Arthur is entirely ready yet but there should be a plan to start integrating him on the bench across the reason.

McCarthy is good depth, always puts his hand up for tough carries and defends quite well - surprised at just how big he is in person, still plenty of filling out to do but has a massive frame.

I despise how good some of the young Roosters forwards are - Whyte, Foketi, Steep, Wong are all proper first-grade talents already. There's simply not enough gametime to go around there (ignoring their infinite cap), should definitely be looking for a decent middle who might get squeezed out of the rotation.
 
McEwen playing through the middle looked very very interesting. He’s definitely been typecast as a back rower before now, but Manulelua’s probably more dangerous both athletically and skill wise which may mean he has the inside track on an edge spot, and there’s a quicker path to consistent first grade as a middle in this team right now. Looks to me like Jermaine’s positional size for the middle is good and he was, I thought, the most impactful ball carrier last night out of everyone who got a run there.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
McEwen playing through the middle looked very very interesting. He’s definitely been typecast as a back rower before now, but Manulelua’s probably more dangerous both athletically and skill wise which may mean he has the inside track on an edge spot, and there’s a quicker path to consistent first grade as a middle in this team right now. Looks to me like Jermaine’s positional size for the middle is good and he was, I thought, the most impactful ball carrier last night out of everyone who got a run there.
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Yeah, Billy has long said McEwen will end up in the middle. I've been more hopeful he would stay on an edge, but I'm changing my mind. His leg speed through the middle is starting to be impactful. Just quietly, Manu has been playing on the left in reggies. I think Lucas can play both sides, but it is more likely the right side position that opens up next year. I'd swap Manu to the right now in reggies.
 
My reason for thinking McEwen will end up a middle is not as complicated. I just think he has a look in his eye that makes me think he wants to bash into the biggest guy he can find - and beat up on them.
He has the attitude. He just needs to grow into it a bit.
 
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The amount of times we came to the right last night but Hastings did the same play over and over...... If we had smart halves the chip over the top was on so many times. We have our outside backs running at pace yet he kept choosing the short ball.
 
Any other NRL team in that position take the 2, to go up two scores it's the smart play and has nothing to do with the attitude of the team.

Massive boo when AOB was called in the team announcements. Another boo at the end of the game, I think was directed at the officials, theres certainly some players playing hero ball out there that could use a blast.
 
Owey said:
Yeah, Billy has long said McEwen will end up in the middle. I've been more hopeful he would stay on an edge, but I'm changing my mind. His leg speed through the middle is starting to be impactful. Just quietly, Manu has been playing on the left in reggies. I think Lucas can play both sides, but it is more likely the right side position that opens up next year. I'd swap Manu to the right now in reggies.
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I believe manu has played on the right at times and dominated their as well, he is just a supreme talent and has the potential to be THE best 2nd rower in the comp, can’t wait for him in a few years time.
 
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