NRL Round 26 - Knights Vs Warriors - 2:00pm Sunday, 30th of August - Go Media Stadium

Spot on James, that’s a huge reason Hollbrook has been so good. He’s a tactical genius! Lookin at the teams strengths and weaknesses and having a plan for that. Obviously it’s higher risk football, but as everyone has pointed out our forwards simply don’t match it with other packs most of the time. I think next year the likes of Hopwood, Crouch will be much stronger.
I agree Holbrook is tactically savvy and I also think he is willing to vary things on the run. Leading into halftime last week our right side of Smith and Hunt were being destroyed with Dom in the bin. After halftime Sharpe was defending on the right and Smith had moved to the left. It was only when Dom came back on that they switched back. Holbrook obviously thought how can we survive another 5 mins a man down and minimise the damage so we can maybe steal the match at the back end. We didn't end up with the result but at least he isn't passive and is willing to implement plans from the coaching box.
 
Was just looking at some stats and check out where we sit for tackles in the opposition 20 in 2026, it’s actually ridiculous how far behind the rest of the comp we are, combined with our ladder position.

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So I’m keeping my optimism that we can give it a big shake on Sunday, just have a feeling we’re primed for a great performance.
Attack inside the 20 isn’t a great stat to judge the Knights on since they score so many of their tries from further out, they simply just don’t spend much time down there attacking

What I would be interested to see is where they’re getting their last tackle kicks away from because I think that would highlight how poor they are at making metres in general play.

We very rarely do we seem to make it past halfway due to our forwards, so when they do put up a last tackle kicks the opposition back 3 are rarely under pressure, meaning we seldom get errors out of it. This is also due to Smith not having a big boot. Conversely, our back three are often having to take kicks under pressure from chasers because we conceded a lot of metres and other teams have better long kickers
 
We're great at capitalising on weaknesses so yeah if there's any complacency from the Wahs we can punish them.

If the Wahs are "on" it's the toughest challenge they've faced all year.

Looking forward to it. Make me proud lads.
 
Bit concerned for our finish top 6, home semi, yes locked in top 8 but, BUT, If Souths win both remaining games they will knock us back to 7th as for and against will be better assuming we lose to Warriors of course.
All a bit tight for the top 8 sides
 
Telegraph reporting Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita are both out for the Warriors. Jett Cleary set to debut alongside Luke Hanson in the halves.
Seen that as well, two very young halves would be sending a lot of traffic their way.
 
Spot on James, that’s a huge reason Hollbrook has been so good. He’s a tactical genius! Lookin at the teams strengths and weaknesses and having a plan for that. Obviously it’s higher risk football, but as everyone has pointed out our forwards simply don’t match it with other packs most of the time. I think next year the likes of Hopwood, Crouch will be much stronger.
Luke Keary credits Holbrook with the shape where 2 halves and a fullback shift to one side of the field.

Basically said they were the first to do it, and now it’s like a basic shape everyone does.

Backs up the tactical genius bit.
 
I don't know what options Warriors have in reserve grade, but Cleary and Hanson are their named halves in reserves and they have Jack Thompson as 18th man and Jye Linnane in the centres.

Be funny is Cessnock 7 Thompson and Kurri Kurri 6 Linnane are their reserve grade halves tomorrow.
 
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