THE GRAND FINAL VS ROOSTERS ❤️💙❤️💙❤️

[Frank McWilliams]

Hagan to play Crossland style and cover 9 & 13, no running, pass and tackling giving Graham and Croker a break.
Big job for a young bloke, big punt by Coach, might or might not happen

 

[Macca89]

It's smoke and mirrors. You can't have a guy make his first grade debut as a starter in a grand final. That would be insane.

It’s that insane that it’s going to work

 

[RedBlue]

Hagan to play Crossland style and cover 9 & 13, no running, pass and tackling giving Graham and Croker a break.
Big job for a young bloke, big punt by Coach, might or might not happen

You might as well do this for Cant. Yes Hagan passes better but just for that ‘improvement’ to debut in a grand final? I really hope he’s not

 

[Mr Goanna]

I wish I was playing.

 

[Les Misérables]

It's smoke and mirrors. You can't have a guy make his first grade debut as a starter in a grand final. That would be insane.

Context matters. If the alternative is to have a Cup grade backrower, who isn't match fit, start there instead - is it so insane?

 

[Wicket]

I don’t know much about Hagan

How big is he? Is he similar size to Crossland?

Do we think he can handle the defensive load and speed of first grade for the opening 20min. Because if he plays, the Roosters will definitely target him defensively and with repeated efforts

If he can handle that, then I don’t think it’s that big a risk. McEwen can move to the middle to give Croker a spell and Lucas covers McEwen’s edge, giving Lucas more game time

The concern, as others have said, would be limiting our bench options if an injury happened

 

[mullenmagic]

Everyone is hoping that Cant can make his passes and tackles for 20 minutes but he's had mixed results at best in both of those areas all season. There's been games where his service from dummy half is genuinely bad, and he's not even a particularly strong defender.

Either of them playing hooker this week is a risk but that's the position we're in, and at least Hagan is actually a hooker. I wouldn't start him, but I wouldn't feel any worse about him playing 20-25 minutes total with the half time break in the middle than I would about Cant.

 

[Billy]

Cant was easily our best player in the Flegg grandfinal when he was captain.
He hadn't been a standout all year - just a workhorse - but in the grandfinal he left everything he had on the field.
I have no doubt he'd do a fair impersonation of Crossland if we asked him to, for 30 minutes at least.

 

[Frank McWilliams]

Heaven forbid but what happens if Graham goes down injured in first 10 minutes, who do you want hooking then.
Things looked so good with Crossland at 9 with Graham 14.
Getting a bit anxious thinking of all the possibilities

 

[JOJO82]

It's smoke and mirrors. You can't have a guy make his first grade debut as a starter in a grand final. That would be insane.

Is it though, I mean we have been doing things differently all year and it's been working......could be a stroke of genius

 

[Newygirl]

I know it probable sounds crazy to say but the way things have worked out, I don't think they make the GF if Saifiti doesn't get sent off in round 26. I think they got so much confidence from piling on that many points against the 2nd placed team with 12 men, that it's made them believe they can do anything.

I definitely don't think they win last week, if they hadn't had that experience. I think the Warriors game pushed them to a level even they may not have known they had. That win, and getting the round 27 bye after it, I think really refreshed and bolstered their belief to a point that I don't think they reach otherwise.

Having said that, it would be handy to have Saifiti for the GF. But hey what's one more game?

 

[Sarge]

I wish I was playing.

At the end of the game we will all feel like we did

 

[Billy]

'So proud of you all': 30+ Knights old boys share heartfelt messages of support

"This is our time boys ... This season will go down in history ... Newy is behind them."

www.newcastleherald.com.au

30 old boys have messages for the team - some interesting names

Mark Hughes
Sione Mata'utia
Kurt Gidley
Aku Uate
Chris Houston
Paul Harragon
Daniel Saifiti
Steve Crowe
David Fairleigh
Owen Craigie
Tony Butterfield
Lachlan Fitzgibbon
Russell Richardson
Billy Peden
Daniel Abraham
Matt Gidley
David Klemmer
Ben Cross
Nathan Ross
Darren Albert
Matt Parsons
Ash Gordon
James McManus
Peter Shiels
Kade Snowden
Steve Simpson
Hymel Hunt
Marc Glanville
Robbie O'Davis
Wayne Richards
Adam Woolnough
Anthony Quinn
Darren Treacy
Robbie Rochow

Double page spread in the Herald - they each had about 100 words on average.

 

[danknights]

It's smoke and mirrors. You can't have a guy make his first grade debut as a starter in a grand final. That would be insane.

Yeah but if you back someone to do such a thing in a grand final what does that do to the rest of the playing group? The coach has instilled belief. If I was Hagan......oh man, I'd be ready

 

[danknights]

You might as well do this for Cant. Yes Hagan passes better but just for that ‘improvement’ to debut in a grand final? I really hope he’s not

Have some faith. Your talking like its a 12yr old going up against men.

 

[what's that pong]

How many we talking? Got friends there who were lined up at 930!

I got there 10.45am I said the mrs would have to be 10k there i hear it was more like 12-13k.

Not sure if the boys looked flat or dialed in

 

[jamesgould]

Is it though, I mean we have been doing things differently all year and it's been working......could be a stroke of genius

Yeah, it feels like a very Holbrook-ish move to me. Backing the next man up even on the biggest stage.

 

[Billy]

Ron Griffiths on over the black dot a few minutes ago said Holbrook and Parr make the place so welcoming, which is why we are going well. He didn't say anything about AOB.

 

[Newygirl]

Ron Griffiths on over the black dot a few minutes ago said Holbrook and Parr make the place so welcoming, which is why we are going well. He didn't say anything about AOB.

Saw a clip of Tahu saying how different the vibe is at the club. He said before it was like everyone was walking around on eggshells

 

[R_A]

A Current Affair sent reporters to Newcastle and the Eastern Suburbs to interview fans, it was like playing 'spot the Roosters' fan in the Eastern Suburbs, where all you have to do is show the dozens of businesses/houses/cars etc in Newcastle as well as the 10s of 1000s of fans turning up to watch them train.

Ron Griffiths on over the black dot a few minutes ago said Holbrook and Parr make the place so welcoming, which is why we are going well. He didn't say anything about AOB.

A lot of Cowboys senior players at the time thought highly of Parr, in fact some swear he was a big reason why they were able to keep Thurston there a lot of his career because he had that much respect for him (he mentions as much in his autobiography)