Finals Week 1 vs Rabbitohs - 7:50pm Friday 11th of September - Allianz Stadium

[waynesworld]

I reckon if the Sullivan called was let go as a try there would’ve been quite a bit of talk about it. It really just common sense the call was a knock on, and only in the bunker era would anyone think oh maybe that’s a strip. From u6 to NSW cup footy, it wouldn’t have been play on it was just a clear as day lost ball Knights scrum.

 

[WAH MAN]

The Warriors are on the ropes. They are going to struggle with our edge forwards. All the pressure is on them and they frankly look like a team who no longer believes they can win this competition. Their contact went down big time once the Phins started using the ball in the last quarter. We are the last team they want to play next week.

We are cooked. Will be lots of band aids all over our team next week.

 

[Frank McWilliams]

Just having a look at stats, Saulo only played 13 mins, 8+ first half and 4+ second.
This was after only playing 13 mins Rd26 previous game when we lost JSaf, s/off and Mooney inj.
Seems odd, unfit?

 

[EASBay17]

Just having a look at stats, Saulo only played 13 mins, 8+ first half and 4+ second.
This was after only playing 13 mins Rd26 previous game when we lost JSaf, s/off and Mooney inj.
Seems odd, unfit?

I think he got hooked, pretty much a few minutes after he made very poor first contact on KK in the lead up to their first try.

 

[slotmachine]

Yep hooked imo, not only the try but KK was hunting him in the line after that. Friz was straight back on after another particularly weak effort

 

[Jar head]

He looked off the pace live, looked big but slow... id be tempted to bring Jones back in his place.

 

[Owey]

We are cooked. Will be lots of band aids all over our team next week.

8 day turn around won't hurt you guys, I'm sure Webster will have you guys primed. I'm expecting a good game, I think we will have some luck on the edges.

 

[Treadly]

He looked off the pace live, looked big but slow... id be tempted to bring Jones back in his place.

For a 20min stint, yeah id go Jones. I really want Saulo to live up to potential, but maybe he only has 1 good 30mins in him a season

 

[Macca89]

Saulos best game was when he started for us and emptied the tank in his first stint

 

[slotmachine]

The x-factor was demoted to the bench in cup yesterday so he must be very long odds to feature next week

 

[HarVeeGee13]

Saulos best game was when he started for us and emptied the tank in his first stint

That would be a very bad idea on what we saw on Friday. Doesn’t look like he should be playing first grade atm.

 

[JOJO82]

Never understood signing Saulo, never saw a good player in him unfortunately.

 

[Tackleslikeagirl]

Saulo is a homegrown, affordable depth option for the club. It’s pretty clear some of our younger forwards have moved ahead of him in the pecking order, and ideally he’s playing Cup and providing first-grade cover when needed.

He wants to be here too, his partner’s posts about coming “home” made that obvious.

Basically, he’s Brodie Jones 2.0.

 

[slotmachine]

Saulo I get, Hola I didn't.

 

[krustykraz]

Big Willie just gave the Knights a big apology on his pod for saying the bunnies would towel us up. He also gave the bus a huge wrap.

 

[Les Misérables]

Big Willie just gave the Knights a big apology on his pod for saying the bunnies would towel us up. He also gave the bus a huge wrap.

Bandwagon flop.

Spent the last 10 years sinking the boot into us, even when we were going well. Now that its apparent to any halfwit we're on the brink of something special and long term, Willie changes his tune

 

[WAH MAN]

Oh well as busted as we are and moping as I am......all the best you of the Novacastrian.

You're officially my 2nd team if we get our beans from yas this week.

 

[jamesgould]

Saw some YouTube podcast with Anthony Watmough on it after the game, he was full of praise for us and said he’s cheering for us to win it! Was actually surprised he made a lot of good points too. Wouldn’t have expected Watmough to be worth listening to for some reason haha.

 

[Les Misérables]

Watched this game back twice. Obviously Frizell was enormous and it was comfortably Hopwoods best game in FG.

But McEwen and Manu, not enough is being said about their performances. Manu in defence is a genuine difference maker. Every tackle he seeks to physically dominate the ball carrier, particularly early in sets. I don't think I've seen another Knight do this so consistently and effectively for a long time.

And McEwen's leg speed and PTB speed is elite. I'd wager that his average PTB speed against the Rabbits was the quickest of any forward in the NRL for the 2026 season. Havent looked at stats just an observation.

The Wahs will need to bring their very best. As will we. But the Wahs should be concerned.

 

[HarVeeGee13]

We have had a lot of really good back rowers at this club but I'm not sure we've had something like Francis. Kennedy was an alpha dog in the back row too obviously but the comp for him is someone more like Cordner, just an absolute machine where definitely a lot of what they brought to a team was insane work rate.

Francis more of a "the numbers do not capture what this guy is" like David Fifita when he burst onto the scene (IMO terminal SuperCoach Brain has undermined his career), young Kikau, young Sonny Bill, Leka Halasima. He could end a game with 50 run metres and 22 tackles but you come away thinking "that guy won us the game" because in there were also 3 key try involvements and four forced errors. The next game he might run for 200 metres with three massive line breaks. An 80 minute impact player.

A starting pack with J Saf, Mooney, Lucas and Manulelua in it, with Hopwood & McEwen coming off the bench, has the chance to be one of the best all round packs in the NRL *starting next year*. No shade on other blokes because you need your workhorses too. But the mix of physicality, work rate, mobility & speed we will have, I really think that's the skeleton of a premiership winning pack. All Niukore, Crouch, Croker or whoever else we have on the field will need to worry about is line speed, contact and effort areas.