NRL Round 2 - Sea Eagles Vs Knights - 4:05pm Sunday, 15th March - 4 Pines Park, Brookvale

Just says Graham was the only new name added to the squad, doesn't claim anyone's more likely to debut.

On Barnett - says a Knights reunion is increasingly unlikely and Knights are resigned to missing out on him, "but could entertain late interest at the right price."
 
mullenmagic said:
www.newcastleknights.com.au

Coach's corner: Sandon Smith named at six and a potential debutant in the 17

Justin Holbrook has named his side to face off in Manly on Sunday, against the Sea Eagles.
www.newcastleknights.com.au www.newcastleknights.com.au

Said Sharpe is running already, and was tempted to name him in the squad to give him the chance to play but decided to give it another week.

Kind of poured water on a potential Manuleleua debut. Said it's hard to predict how things will go with the new bench rules, and said he'll get an opportunity at some stage but "not sure it'll be this weekend."
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God he's a breath of fresh air to listen to after 6 years of AOB
 
Most coaches are probably going to plan to use three of their bench players and keep the fourth up their sleeve for tactical reasons. I think Francis gets on for McEwen for like the last 20 mins if no one gets hurt.
 
Manly has maybe the largest pack of forwards in the comp. Crossland will need help in the middle.

Our edges will need plenty of support also. McEwen defended well last week but ran for like 38m, so clearly struggles to do both. Against Manly, a 110kg Manuleleua for 20 mins will be absolutely essential. He'll play.
 
Goes both ways though. If you force those big hunks of **** to move sideways play-on-play little gaps will start appearing throughout their line.

With SST out they honestly don't have that much go forward in their pack now, Jake Turbo is just out there to link through the middle these days. You do a good job on Paseka and Taukeiaho - and fortunately, the Taukeiaho edge is the Dyl Lucas one - we can contain them & give them more problems than they give us IMO.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Goes both ways though. If you force those big hunks of **** to move sideways play-on-play little gaps will start appearing throughout their line.

With SST out they honestly don't have that much go forward in their pack now, Jake Turbo is just out there to link through the middle these days. You do a good job on Paseka and Taukeiaho - and fortunately, the Taukeiaho edge is the Dyl Lucas one - we can contain them & give them more problems than they give us IMO.
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Taukeiaho is out
 
Les Misérables said:
Manly has maybe the largest pack of forwards in the comp. Crossland will need help in the middle.

Our edges will need plenty of support also. McEwen defended well last week but ran for like 38m, so clearly struggles to do both. Against Manly, a 110kg Manuleleua for 20 mins will be absolutely essential. He'll play.
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Actually one thing the team could really use is a Spencer Leniu at Penrith type who can come on for 20 minutes and just wreck house, 8-9 high impact runs. Question mark there is I guess how much appetite they reckon Francis has for a role like that, if it's "wasting" him to use him as a battering ram, etc. Like yeah I guess you can be an impact player on an edge too but it's certainly easier to be impactful over 20 mins as a bench prop than as a bench edge.

Wouldn't hate it if Friz subs on for Mooney about 20 mins in as in round 1 (Mooney playing a longer stint in the second half), then there's a double change J Saf and Crokes for Saulo and Manulelua a bit later in the half. Cant, Graham and Hunt kept in reserve until we know whether an edge player or spine reshuffle will be needed.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Actually one thing the team could really use is a Spencer Leniu at Penrith type who can come on for 20 minutes and just wreck house, 8-9 high impact runs. Question mark there is I guess how much appetite they reckon Francis has for a role like that, if it's "wasting" him to use him as a battering ram, etc. Like yeah I guess you can be an impact player on an edge too but it's certainly easier to be impactful over 20 mins as a bench prop than as a bench edge.

Wouldn't hate it if Friz subs on for Mooney about 20 mins in as in round 1 (Mooney playing a longer stint in the second half), then there's a double change J Saf and Crokes for Saulo and Manulelua a bit later in the half. Cant, Graham and Hunt kept in reserve until we know whether an edge player or spine reshuffle will be needed.
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Its a tricky one, not normally this hard. If Cant isnt playing 9 at any point then Graham should probably be selected ahead of him for this game, because if need be Crossland can play 13 if Graham does a stint at 9.

Our backrow could be covered by Manuleleua (and Frizell who can cover an edge if need be).

But Holbrook obviously like Croker at 13 to spell Frizell. Holbrook trusts him and sees his defence and ball playing as important. Which means Cant goes on to play prop?
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Goes both ways though. If you force those big hunks of **** to move sideways play-on-play little gaps will start appearing throughout their line.

With SST out they honestly don't have that much go forward in their pack now, Jake Turbo is just out there to link through the middle these days. You do a good job on Paseka and Taukeiaho - and fortunately, the Taukeiaho edge is the Dyl Lucas one - we can contain them & give them more problems than they give us IMO.
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I expect a lot of traffic to be run at Sandon. Hamoule will be peppering him.
 
Les Misérables said:
Its a tricky one, not normally this hard. If Cant isnt playing 9 at any point then Graham should probably be selected ahead of him for this game, because if need be Crossland can play 13 if Graham does a stint at 9.

Our backrow could be covered by Manuleleua (and Frizell who can cover an edge if need be).

But Holbrook obviously like Croker at 13 to spell Frizell. Holbrook trusts him and sees his defence and ball playing as important. Which means Cant goes on to play prop?
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I reckon it should just be Phoenix at 9 for the full 80. Maybe bring him off with 20 to go if the game is well in hand.

I am curious to see how Sandon coming off the bench to play 9 is going to go, I know in theory it’ll be industrial light & magic, in practice that fourth spine player who wants to do a lot can be subtraction by addition & the net result of a 9 who wants to **** around with the ball a lot is that 6, 7 and 1 all touch the ball less (and it takes longer to get to them). Which is bad. Melbourne balancing their spine guys as well as they do, that’s actually pretty uncommon. The Phins balance it well too but with a fullback who might touch the ball only 20 times in a game sometimes.

At Brisbane for example they have actually been better, empirically, by a lot, when one out of Hunt and Reyno isn’t on the field. You wouldn’t think that but every time they try to fit them all in the result is pretty much just that they get the ball to Reece way less effectively.

Could absolutely be the case that Sandon keeps it simple and picks his moments intelligently, but we won’t know till we see it in action.

Also wonder if a big part of Matt Arthur being a big minute Cup player right now who doesn’t appear to be in the frame for first grade, with Graham ahead of him in the pecking order on that front, is Holbrook intuiting that, as the kind of 9 who does want to take the lead as a playmaker, there may be dramas trying to fit him in to the way he wants to play.
 
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So Cant potentially having a stint at hooker.
We know Holbrook loves the guy, and gave him a run at hooker in the trials.
He wasn't very good, but has possibly been training there.
To be honest, if he can do 20 minutes to let Crossland have a rest, he solves a lot of issues for us. He can defend well in the middle and do a long spell at lock as well, so saves an interchange.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
I reckon it should just be Phoenix at 9 for the full 80. Maybe bring him off with 20 to go if the game is well in hand.

I am curious to see how Sandon coming off the bench to play 9 is going to go, I know in theory it’ll be industrial light & magic, in practice that fourth spine player who wants to do a lot can be subtraction by addition & the net result of a 9 who wants to **** around with the ball a lot is that 6, 7 and 1 all touch the ball less (and it takes longer to get to them). Which is bad. Melbourne balancing their spine guys as well as they do, that’s actually pretty uncommon. The Phins balance it well too but with a fullback who might touch the ball only 20 times in a game sometimes.

At Brisbane for example they have actually been better, empirically, by a lot, when one out of Hunt and Reyno isn’t on the field. You wouldn’t think that but every time they try to fit them all in the result is pretty much just that they get the ball to Reece way less effectively.

Could absolutely be the case that Sandon keeps it simple and picks his moments intelligently, but we won’t know till we see it in action.

Also wonder if a big part of Matt Arthur being a big minute Cup player right now who doesn’t appear to be in the frame for first grade, with Graham ahead of him in the pecking order on that front, is Holbrook intuiting that, as the kind of 9 who does want to take the lead as a playmaker, there may be dramas trying to fit him in to the way he wants to play.
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Are you inferring that Sandon might not make the team when Sharpe is back? I’m sure Holbrook will slot Sharpe straight back into 6.
 
Sheent14 said:
Are you inferring that Sandon might not make the team when Sharpe is back? I’m sure Holbrook will slot Sharpe straight back into 6.
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No, when Fletcher is back I’m sure Sandon will be the 14 and they’ll try him at hooker off the bench. I’m saying that it’ll be interesting to see how that works.
 
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