Toohey's News

HarVeeGee13 said:
More try assists absolutely does not mean “better half” though and it’s a pretty easy thing to explain.

Your job as a half isn’t to generate try assists for yourself, it’s to generate tries for the team.

Imagine the same two halves in 5 try scoring scenarios - quick play the ball, the defence has messed up their numbers. Halfback A converts those opportunities into 2 tries via direct try assists - short ball to a back rower, cut out pass over the top - and 3 blown chances - wrong option, kick when they should pass, pick your own outcome. Meanwhile Halfback B converts the same opportunities into 4 tries via drawing/holding up the next defender, and putting the ball through the hands, but doesn’t generate a “try assist” for himself on any because the last pass on each play was a fullback or a centre.

Is Halfback A better than Halfback B? It’s 2 try assists to nil, after all…
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This 100%.

I'm open to the arguments that we're better with Sandon at 6 and Sharpe in the centers (I don't agree), but you could make a reasonable case. Trying to say that it's a "statistical fact" is silly.

HVG's example is enough to explain why, but to make it even more explicit - you want your halves to create points, not generate try assists. How many tries Sharpe has scored at 6 vs Sandon? How many extra tries have we scored because of how much of a running/general try scoring threat he is at 6? Compare their try contribution stats (because even the stat-heads realise you can't just judge a half by whether or not he gave the last pass)? Why do we average more points with Sharpe at 6 than Sandon?

Long story short, I'm strongly in favor of Sharpe at 6, and argued so even before the season. I think you could make a reasonable argument against that view - but it certainly isn't "the try assist stats are conclusive, anyone that disagrees is a shill for the local juniors".
 
Old mate went so hard on the “Sharpe in the halves cannot possibly work and WILL be a disaster” during preseason and is now stuck trying to convince himself he was right instead of just moving on like everyone else had no problem doing. “These specific individual stats that I cherry-picked without any further context are undeniable proof and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot” is elite debating skills, though.
 
JOJO82 said:
What sporting organisation in the world changes rules and interpretations midway through the season....how stupid.
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Yes, it’s not normal. Were sort of used to it in the NRL, they’ve been having random crack-downs on rules since the early 00s at least. But there’s not many other sports that do things like that.
 
jamesgould said:
Yes, it’s not normal. Were sort of used to it in the NRL, they’ve been having random crack-downs on rules since the early 00s at least. But there’s not many other sports that do things like that.
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I haven't watched Union in decades and hope they have got their act together, but one reason I stopped watching it was because every ref seemed to have their own interpretation of the "rules". Commentators with decades of experience struggled to work out what a penalty was for in many games.
In short, every game had random calls and crack-downs, and no one even tried to explain why.
 
My thought on the Sharpe v Smith saga.
Generally when side is full strength Sharpe plays 6 and Smith bench but if injury occurs then for example Sharpe gets moved to 1 or 4 with Ponga and/or Best missing and Smith moved to 6 meaning he is playing in a side with missing stars, weaker side so comparisons of statistics is unfair.
Am not a Smith fan, prefer Sharpe at 6 for the long haul but Smith is very handy as a back up or injury cover from the bench
 
JOJO82 said:
What sporting organisation in the world changes rules and interpretations midway through the season....how stupid.
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'V'Landys Ball' reached its fever pitch at the exact moment that the TV rights deal entered final rounds of negotiation/bidding. And almost overnight, thereafter, officiating reverted to that of previous seasons.

Extra stoppages or something about the officiating purposefully created extra advertising revenue in turn improving the value of the product to broadcasters.

You know Gus Gould was in on the scam because we didn't hear a peep out of him about 'the fabric of the game' during the height of the absurdity. V'Landys Ball, while it lasted, had everything to do with boosting the dollar value of the game
 
Billy said:
I haven't watched Union in decades and hope they have got their act together, but one reason I stopped watching it was because every ref seemed to have their own interpretation of the "rules". Commentators with decades of experience struggled to work out what a penalty was for in many games.
In short, every game had random calls and crack-downs, and no one even tried to explain why.
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Union seems to have totally different interpretations based on what hemisphere the ref comes from, which is maybe even weirder!
 
Les Misérables said:
'V'Landys Ball' reached its fever pitch at the exact moment that the TV rights deal entered final rounds of negotiation/bidding. And almost overnight, thereafter, officiating reverted to that of previous seasons.

Extra stoppages or something about the officiating purposefully created extra advertising revenue in turn improving the value of the product to broadcasters.

You know Gus Gould was in on the scam because we didn't hear a peep out of him about 'the fabric of the game' during the height of the absurdity. V'Landys Ball, while it lasted, had everything to do with boosting the dollar value of the game
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As a close viewer of the game it is very hard to disagree with this.
 
I like the rules around the ruck how it is now. Yes it seems to have effected teams, like the Dogs and Storm suiting and going against us, maybe the Tigers. Anyway hopefully we have adjusted and can play to suit the rest of the year.
 
22/7

A bit about Dureau - says nice things of course.

Says POS signed LJ Nonu for the Dolphins and Mel Nonu for '27 and '28 with club option for '29 for the Knights - POS says we have the better brother.

Says Nonu got his late start in reserves because Toby Winter split the webbing on his foot. (named this week)

Says Hunt might be a good inclusion because his leap might help us against Tupou.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

Toohey's News: why Dureau's death 'hit like a sledgehammer'

Get the latest Knights news on contracts for stars and coaches.
www.newcastleherald.com.au www.newcastleherald.com.au
 
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29/7

Dom says he and the Knights are closer to getting a deal done now after they made a revised offer. He says he wants to stay but the first offer was “a bit of a joke.”

Long bit on O’Sullivan’s history with Manuleleua, including cutting him from the Warriors because “he was lazy and didn’t care enough,” a sentiment that was shared by some officials at Penrith as well. O’Sullivan credits NSW Cup coach Michael Dobson for the much improved effort areas. Knights have taken up the club option in Manuleleua’s deal for 2027 and Toohey says extending it beyond that is just a formality.

Saifiti and Saulo are both hoping to be back for Old Boys Day (round 25) against Manly.

Knights have tabled a revised offer for Australian Schoolboys rep Riley Rostron but it still hasn’t been accepted. Harold Matts captain Kingston Seuseu has signed for another three years at the Knights.
 
Dobson probably helped a lot, but Holbrook said in the offseason that Manu and Hopwood were the ones putting in big efforts, and I think he just looks less "lazy" the fitter he gets.
It basic physics that a guy his size and with his speed etc needs a huge motor to work for 80 minutes.
If I had to pick one guy to credit for Manu's improvement, I think I'd go for the new head trainer who has worked with big forwards in Union a lot, so knows how to get big guys match fit I'd imagine.
You can't be built like a prop, run like a winger, and get away with being semi fit.
 
Manu got nsw cup players player last year, he said in his speech on awards night that he came back to preaseason overweight and wasnt doing whats required to be an nrl player, essentially the 2025 preaseason was where it all clicked for him. Really only be 18 months of him trying to reach his potential.
 
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