2009 Knights Side - Opinions

Ive said it before, Vuna is going to be a way better center than Uate.

Uate has better kick returns, which i guess doesn't really matter if the Center/Wing communicate i guess the Center could return it.
As Aussie said, my main worry is defense. Look i love Uate as much as a mother would love her only Son but his one on one defense wont cut it as a center. The defensive work load that would get put on him would Create over laps when he misses tackles that he should of made in under nines. Uate i still love you i just wish you would put effort into your tackles its like you grab air sometimes.
 
1. Kurt Gidley
2. James McManus
3. Cooper Vuna
4. Junior Sau
5. Aku Uate
6. Matt Hilder(you say knights need a big 5/8)
7. Jarrod Mullen
8. Ben Cross
9. Isaac De Gois
10. Dan Tolar
11. Chris Houston
12. Cory Paterson
13. Steve Simpson

14. joel edwards
15. Zeb Taia
16. George Ndaira
17. Danny Wicks

18. Mika Con


the biggest problem with playing both Uate and Vune as wingers together is that they are both left wingers. You may have noticed that in their respective world cup teams, they both played right wing. That meaning they had very little impact, baring when Uate went to the left side to take a run.
 
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the biggest problem with playing both Uate and Vune as wingers together is that they are both left wingers. You may have noticed that in their respective world cup teams, they both played right wing. That meaning they had very little impact, baring when Uate went to the left side to take a run.

If your playing top level rugby league mate you should be able to play both sides of the park. Wingers unless they were real whingers wouldn't care what side they play on.

Generally it only matters what side your second rowers are playing on. Patterson doesn't have the same effect on the right as he does on the left. Cooper could be better playing on the left. With him looking to possibly have a stint in the second row if He bulks up more than he did in the last off season.
 
If your playing top level rugby league mate you should be able to play both sides of the park. Wingers unless they were real whingers wouldn't care what side they play on.

Generally it only matters what side your second rowers are playing on. Patterson doesn't have the same effect on the right as he does on the left. Cooper could be better playing on the left. With him looking to possibly have a stint in the second row if He bulks up more than he did in the last off season.

I agree, it shouldn't make much difference for a winger. They should be able to fend with both arms, they don't have to pass much, and they should be able to jump equally well off each foot, at that level.

Centres it definitely matters for, Matt Gidley would never have played left, it would have negated his flick!
 
If your playing top level rugby league mate you should be able to play both sides of the park. Wingers unless they were real whingers wouldn't care what side they play on.

Generally it only matters what side your second rowers are playing on. Patterson doesn't have the same effect on the right as he does on the left. Cooper could be better playing on the left. With him looking to possibly have a stint in the second row if He bulks up more than he did in the last off season.

it's the same with all outside backs. cooper is best on the right for his defence, folau is best on the right for the big jump, inglis is best on the left for his huge fend and gasnier's best on the right for his step, just to name afew.
:love:
 
Sorry this is so late i went on hols for a bit...

How do we have so many High Profile players? if we had high profile players then we would have made the cut for the finals this year, but our High Profile team lost to a NZ team that was on a huge losing streak in Aus even to the cowboys then we lose against them???

Im just wondering wered all our money go from losing all our other players??? We need to sign a big player preferably in the halves to take pressure off Mullen so he can play a more calm and collected game rather than trying to guide Dureau through his first year.

Why do we have 3 hookers????? Thats a really weird move, its good to have 3 hookers but not 3 better hookers who will probably be all in the side each week when we could fill those spots with other positions.

I do think Sau is definatly a player for the future, him and Uate on the left, Naiqama and McManus on the right.

Also give the kicking duties to Paterson and Naiqama, takes pressure off Gids, because when he misses so many times in some matches it impacts his confidence and can affect his perfect game.

GO KNIGHTS 2009!!!
 
Ndiara can play 5/8 and half too, Hilder can play 2nd row, lock, hooker and 5/8 and De Gois is class.

Dureau will shine this year if he gets game time he was our best player along with Cross in the backend of the season imo.

Uate and Vuna.. Ahh the story of my two loves, Cant Split them.

Uate one Side Vuna The Other. Sau Uate's Center, Mcmanus Vuna's

:D

I'd have it the other way, Uate needs Jimmy because of how well Jimmy can read the play. Sau and Vuna combined incredibly well in the limited gametime they got together.
 
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I have a very optimistic feeling about 2009. There's not been a revolving door this off season so most of the team's got at least one year's experience of each other's style of play. DeGois is a good replacement for Danny B, and with the extra depth at 6/7 this should be a very good season. I'm tipping that the boys will be comfortably in the play-offs. Depending on injuries (obvs) and on what transpires around Origin, there could be at least a semis berth open for us.
 
I have a very optimistic feeling about 2009. There's not been a revolving door this off season so most of the team's got at least one year's experience of each other's style of play. DeGois is a good replacement for Danny B, and with the extra depth at 6/7 this should be a very good season. I'm tipping that the boys will be comfortably in the play-offs. Depending on injuries (obvs) and on what transpires around Origin, there could be at least a semis berth open for us.

lets hope so
 
Personally I think the below team is the one that will go closest to finishing in the top 6. Being a massive newcastle supporter its hard for me to say this but unfortunately and honestly the knights simply dont have the forward pack to be a major force in this years competition. I think they'll defiantely make the semi's but newcastle is still in the rebuilding process.

However i think whilst ever kurt gidley is wearing a knights jersey they have the potential to upset any team on their day. Kurt in my opinon is going to surpass any player we've ever seen at this club he's ability on and off the ball in almost every position is outstanding, however i think he is very wasted fullback. In recent times kurt has shown on every occasion he's potential as a first class playmaker; by moving him into the halves and allowing mullen to play he's natural five eight position newcastle could find themselves with the leagues most destructive halves combination.

Freeing up the fullback position also allows another superstar to begin his apprenticeship, akuila uate is a born fullback with his lightning pace and presence he can begin getting experience in his own position rather then training him on the wing and bringing him in later, like gidley i think aku is being wasted on the wing. I honestly believe that the more he handles the ball and if given a chance he'll make billy slater look like a schoolboy.

One last thing from me i dont know if anyone else agrees but malcolm reilly must be signed as head coach once brian smiths contract runs out. I do respect what Brian has brought to the club in his defence he has had quite a hard task in rebuilding the club post johns and buderus but i just think Mal has so much to offer the club. Smith still hasnt won a premiership and just look O'Reilly's record if Mal was brought back to the club he could certainly add a winning culture which could reallly win us a premiership. You only have to look at what he done to the 97 boys, he did the impossible with that team and with Brian's foundations he could be very successful.


1. Uate
2. McManus
3. Sau
4. Naiqama
5. Vuna
6. Mullen
7. Gidley (c)
8. Cross
9. De' Gois
10. Tolar
11. Simpson
12. Houston
13. Paterson

14. Ndaira
15. Taia
16. Wicks
17. Edwards

18. Constatine Mika

Danny Wicks, Dan Tolar, Zeb Taia and Joel Edwards really have to lift this year that's where the main weaknesses are however i think moving cory paterson to lock and allowing him to use the football abit more would be another big positive.
 
Personally I think the below team is the one that will go closest to finishing in the top 6. Being a massive newcastle supporter its hard for me to say this but unfortunately and honestly the knights simply dont have the forward pack to be a major force in this years competition. I think they'll defiantely make the semi's but newcastle is still in the rebuilding process.

However i think whilst ever kurt gidley is wearing a knights jersey they have the potential to upset any team on their day. Kurt in my opinon is going to surpass any player we've ever seen at this club he's ability on and off the ball in almost every position is outstanding, however i think he is very wasted fullback. In recent times kurt has shown on every occasion he's potential as a first class playmaker; by moving him into the halves and allowing mullen to play he's natural five eight position newcastle could find themselves with the leagues most destructive halves combination.

Freeing up the fullback position also allows another superstar to begin his apprenticeship, akuila uate is a born fullback with his lightning pace and presence he can begin getting experience in his own position rather then training him on the wing and bringing him in later, like gidley i think aku is being wasted on the wing. I honestly believe that the more he handles the ball and if given a chance he'll make billy slater look like a schoolboy.

One last thing from me i dont know if anyone else agrees but malcolm reilly must be signed as head coach once brian smiths contract runs out. I do respect what Brian has brought to the club in his defence he has had quite a hard task in rebuilding the club post johns and buderus but i just think Mal has so much to offer the club. Smith still hasnt won a premiership and just look O'Reilly's record if Mal was brought back to the club he could certainly add a winning culture which could reallly win us a premiership. You only have to look at what he done to the 97 boys, he did the impossible with that team and with Brian's foundations he could be very successful.


1. Uate
2. McManus
3. Sau
4. Naiqama
5. Vuna
6. Mullen
7. Gidley (c)
8. Cross
9. De' Gois
10. Tolar
11. Simpson
12. Houston
13. Paterson

14. Ndaira
15. Taia
16. Wicks
17. Edwards

18. Constatine Mika

Danny Wicks, Dan Tolar, Zeb Taia and Joel Edwards really have to lift this year that's where the main weaknesses are however i think moving cory paterson to lock and allowing him to use the football abit more would be another big positive.


hey not a bad opinion but its up to brian smith, maybe you could email brian at newcastle and tell him how u feel about uate, i strongly agree with wat you said about aku and malcom but i would go with hilder instead of ndaria and zeb at lock
 
Personally I think the below team is the one that will go closest to finishing in the top 6. Being a massive newcastle supporter its hard for me to say this but unfortunately and honestly the knights simply dont have the forward pack to be a major force in this years competition. I think they'll defiantely make the semi's but newcastle is still in the rebuilding process.

We have one of the best backrow combinations between Simpson, Patterson, Tai, Houston, even Hilder. We have bought one of the most promising hookers, and we all know Ben Cross is capable of enormous things. I think our forward pack may lack good front rowers, but we make up for that with a great backrow.
 
@mrfrost_123

I take your point about Gids, and giving Aku the go at the back. But Reilly? He's not done a great deal since coming back to the UK. Stints at Huddersfield, Leeds and Hull KR weren't that successful.
 
@mrfrost_123

I take your point about Gids, and giving Aku the go at the back. But Reilly? He's not done a great deal since coming back to the UK. Stints at Huddersfield, Leeds and Hull KR weren't that successful.

It seems quite well documented in various autobiographies that he pumped the players up, and Matthew Johns did a lot fo the technical side of the coaching while he was here ... probably not quite what we need in this day and age. He was brilliant while he was here, though!
 
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