2012 Season Expectations
- Thread starter Ballsout
- Start date
That's a very biased assessment, looking for negatives in every player, and some of those players were already at the club. And doesn't mention Hilder.
Hilder awesome , but the rest is true though and impact player or not all players strive for a starting spot and i bet Faaoso would rather start .I dont think im biased in any way those assesments a true and im not trying to belittle the players just trying to make the point that smiths clean out didnt work at all .
Just bashing all the players he bought, pretty much. Compare them to who he released, and it was a huuuge improvement. He didn't get to finish his work, but imo he saved the club post-Johns.
At one point or another each of those players have stepped up to a higher level. The only reason it didn't turn into a premiership was because he knew what he was going to do with those players, but he also left the club before he anything came to fruition. We were travelling very well (coming 2nd at one stage in the season) until he announced his retirement.
The last 2 or 3 years has been generally a dark time for Knights fans but some of the aforementioned players were a shining light. You can't blame anybody for De Gois' injury problems, and everytime he took to the field he was one of our best. We won a lot of games off the back of his tenacity. Uate and Hilder were complete successes. Naiqama was an eventual success. Taia was a great success up until this year. Faas has been a great success. Of course all players look for a starting spot but they also know they can do a hell of a lot from the bench, and Richie seems fine with that, so he is a success, he is probably one of the best impact props in the game. Jimmy Mac has been great, and he mgiht not be the greatest attacking winger, every game he marches up the field when the forwards are tired and he never does anything wrong. SUCCESS. And everybody barely speaks of Houston's transgressions anymore, innocent until proven guilty. In the yaer before and the year after the trial he threatened for NSW spots. He has probably been the greatest find of them all. So that leaves De Gois, Taufua and Vuna who (plus a few others that have come and gone), although they were very good, they were eventualyl let go due to either salary cap or lack of wanting from Bennett.
That's three key players out of the other 6 who, may I remind you were from 2 years ago which sees a lot of roster changes in the NRL because of the salary cap and the Knight's financial situation. 6 players that will continue (from two/three years back) to play under the supercoach. Brian Smith's job was to find players that would build up to a moment like this where they would improve until they had an opportunity to strike gold, and their opportunity is now. Smith's influence is definitely still felt at the club and it's put it in a very good position for next year. Players we know that can win a premiership, because we've seen them play, are in our roster, handpicked by Brian Smith and good enough to be kept at the club for all this time.
If Snowden stayed here, he may not have blossomed into the prop he is now. Sticky tells the story of how he had to sit him down and get his head in before he actually started to fire up. Tahu was always going to go to the other code. Who else has Smith let go that we should have kept?
Aidos
Andrew 'Joey' Johns
Fa'aoso might strive for a starting spot, but if the coach thinks he's better coming off the bench, then that doesn't make him any worse just because he's not starting. It's a part of team tactics - getting the big men on when the opposition are tired. There are heaps of examples where teams put there more damaging props on the bench. Sam Rapira for the Warriors has played off the bench a number of times and he's up there with the best props in the game. George Rose for Manly, Sam Mckendry (NZ International)for Penrith are just a few other examples.
Mateo is off the bench for the Warriors at the moment, would anyone argue he's not one of their top players?
Most of what you wrote about the players is allmost exactly what i said, and im sorry but in my opinion Smith at the club didnt work and we have nothing to show for it no silverware or top 4 spot so i think it was a fail and now the super coach is getting rid of a lot of the players smith brought in and hey just like you im allowed my opinion.I too remember when Smith had his cleanout and everyone hated it when he brought in outside players and everyone hated it also when he left like a thief in the night and everyone hated him and now your all saying he did a good job sorry but if you have nothing to show for it then in my opinion its a fail
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I think most people on here loved Smith, sorry. Especially when he had the cleanout and got rid of all the dross. And brought in the good players. And got great results until he left.
Joshhh
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Mate, Smith only had 3 years at the club, 1 with the 2007 team that was sh*t without Johns. He isn't Bennett, so it's gonna take more than 3 years to take a crappy team that relied on one player to a premiership team. He did not fail. In 2 years of rebuilding he took us from a bunch of nuffies to a top 4 team for the majority of the year. If he stayed here, we'd be one of the top teams no doubt. Wayne is only getting rid of some of the players Smith bought for a logical reason. Lets see here:
Ailaomai - Smith bought him coz he had great potential, Wayne got rid of him coz of his fitness troubles & salary cap
Ciraldo - Smith bought him coz at the time he was a tall solid bakcrower with potential, Wayne got rid of him coz he hasn't gotten over his injuries
De Gois - Smith bought him coz he was a good player, Wayne got rid of him coz he was injured too much & on big money that could be used
Karawana - I'm not actually sure if Smith signed Marv, but Wayne got rid of him to free up cap
Lulia - Smith signed him coz he was a young centre/backrower who could become a very good player, Wayne got rid of him to free up cap, although i think we shoulda kept him
McDonnell - Smith signed to backup Gids, Wayne got rid to free up cap aswell as having Mata & Boyd
Mika - Smith signed on massive potential, Wayne got rid of coz he didn't live up to that potential & has become lazy
Rogers - Smith signed as a halves solution only coz we didn't get Arana Taumata, plus Rogers had potential, Wayne kept him but forced to retire
Taufua - Dunno if Smith signed him but he was a good player, Wayne got rid to free up cap plus he's getting on in age.
Most of the players Smith signed were signed on potential. Most fulfilled that potential & will continue to develop under Wayne. If Smith was still here, we probably would be very capable of a premiership.
Smith definitely signed Taufua.
And as for Lulia, according to what Stone said in the Newcastle Herald, it was all Lulia's decision to leave - Rick and Wayne wanted him to stay.
And as for Lulia, according to what Stone said in the Newcastle Herald, it was all Lulia's decision to leave - Rick and Wayne wanted him to stay.
And then post the players who Smith got rid of, and see who is still a good player. Most are either retired/NSW Cup/Newy Comp or playing in the ESL and being nothing special.
Snowden of course is the exception, but tbh if he was at any club he might have been turfed sooner. Smith didnt want to deal with him and Ricky gave him a rocket up the butt and he turned it around. Also Ross was getting neck injuries so that helped as well I think.
Most of the Smith hate was fuelled by Buzz. True story
Yeah there was nothing wrong with Lulia. Just that he had a better and more deserving opportunity in the ESL.
Snowden of course is the exception, but tbh if he was at any club he might have been turfed sooner. Smith didnt want to deal with him and Ricky gave him a rocket up the butt and he turned it around. Also Ross was getting neck injuries so that helped as well I think.
Most of the Smith hate was fuelled by Buzz. True story
Yeah there was nothing wrong with Lulia. Just that he had a better and more deserving opportunity in the ESL.
Reynoldson went from strength to strength after he was shown the door.
Reynoldson went from strength to strength after he was shown the door.
I remember when the Knights played the Dragons and a Reyno article came out. He was a bit like "yeah this day is a bit different etc" and the article "written Buzz style" had stuff like "had the support of a town when he was shown the door" and pretty much all the comments by Knights fans were like "BS he had the support of a town"
and "I spoke to a bunch of random Knights fans at a pub and they most certainly ddidn't share the DT's sentiments" Most importantly, it was all there to see when he bombed the try by trying to throw a dummy.
Joshhh
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Just for the record McManus has been much better in attack than defence this year! There is nothing wrong with his attack. Just coz he doesn't bust through every tackle doesn't mean you should have a go at him for it. Good wingers don't have to be like that. Have a look at Ashley Graham or Kevin Gordon etc. His speed could be improved on i guess but his only real downfall was his defence this season. And i think that was only due to him being partnered with Junior instead of MacDougall.
Ahhh didn't know that. I was wondering why Lulia was gotten rid of, even if he did take up some cap, he's still a very a good player.
We will win a premiership that is guaranteed. But the fruits of Bennett's labour will be evident in the development of the our young juniors long after he is gone. I glance at the Warriors and Manly line up for example and see the likes of Locke, Johnston and Cherry-Evans who have transitioned well into FG and wonder how with such a large junior base, we aren't producing the same quality of players. These players are killing it in FG and have helped their teams to a GF. Whereas, we have had Mullen shift between the 6 & 7, and all these years later, has not been able to reach his full potential. The question has to be asked. What would have happened if Stone retained the head coaching position? Would we have persisted with Mullen or explored other options? I'm not psychic but I think we would have continued being the mediocre football club who scrapes into the bottom 8 and is happy to have even made it. Stone has not been able to establish and settle our halves which is important in all top football clubs. Bennett will achieve this and whether we like it or not, Gidley and Mullen will be our halves pairing next year. Bennett will make it work because that is why he is one of the best ever coaches.
I really believe that some people are underestimating the signing of Bennett.
I really believe that some people are underestimating the signing of Bennett.
I too would leave my job if I was doing a pretty good job and management never got back to me about a new contract. He was keen to see out the year but eventually the boys stopped playing for him and the knights board had to move. Had they signed him earlier we were going to stay in the top 4 or thereabouts (we were there for a lot of the season until he left). Yes, I was very critical of Smith during the cleanout, but I began to eat my words when we were cruising near the top of the ladder for that season. I don't understand why you can't see that we were actually in the top 4? We ended up only scraping in the 8 but if you look at the circumstances, we lost a few games in a row as soon as the leaving of Smith was announced and we didn't win until the the board moved on the issue and put in Stone. Had the contract been renewed, I'd put a large sum of money on us being in the top 6 by the end of the season.
What I said about the players was completely different to what you said. You hound each one for their flaws, but you negate the fact that they played brilliantly in most cases. You label them as failures yet those 6 players I mentioned will clearly be most of the core of the team next year. Players Smith has sourced from obscurity into solid first grade players that get a job done, and get it done well. If your effect on a club is so profound four years down the track I'd say it was a bloody success. As I said, these aren't fringe players anymore...they're the core of the team.
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I don't think that's possible on this forum. Everybody is waiting for Bennett with arms open. Although I'm pretty sure this year Stone was pretty set on the halves combo of Henry and Mullen and was willing to let them gel for the whole season...but that whole injury thing ruined that plan. Commendations for finding a halves pairing that sort of worked this year in Stig and Mullen. I'll give him credit for that...but the previous 2 years has been a worry.
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