2014 NYC Holden Cup Thread

NYC Knights win minor premiership

Sun 7th September, 01:20PM

The NYC Newcastle Knights have secured the under 20s Holden Cup minor premiership with a victory after sitting on top of the ladder for most of their stellar 2014 season.

The side accomplished the feat with a 36-26 victory over St George Illawarra Dragons at Hunter Stadium on Sunday.

The fight for the minor premiership was a tight one with the top four teams battling it out in the final rounds of the competition.

But after recent strong wins against the Parramatta Eels and Warriors, the Knights maintained their dominating position coming into the final match against their closest contenders, the Dragons.

The feat is the first time the Knights have won the minor premiership since the competition’s inception in 2008.

The NYC side has been a nursery for a number of the game’s rising stars and has seen three of its under 20 members, Jake Mamo, Joseph Tapine and Sione Mata’utia make their debut.

The side’s talent has also been aptly recognised with four of its players in Danny Levi, Jake Mamo and Sione Mata’utia and Joe Tapine being named in the NYC team of the year along with the team’s coach Mick Crawley.

SUMMARY

Knights 36 (T: Lamb 2, Fitzgibbon, Donovan, Peni, Boyce G: Donovan 5/6, P: Donovan 1/1)

Dragons 26 (T: Fonua-Blake, Kavanagh, Modceidreke 2, Dufty G: Crook 3/5)

The Numbers:

Points: 40
Wins: 17
Draws: 2
Losses: 5

Season overview:

Round 1 Panthers v Knights 22-34
Round 2 Knights v Raiders 34-28
Round 3 Storm v Knight- 0-50
Round 4 Knights v Sharks 56-10
Round 5 Cowboys v Knights 28-48
Round 6 Raiders v Knights 28-48
Round 7 Knights v Broncos 34-34
Round 8 Bulldogs v Knights 18-30
Round 9 Panthers v Knights 40-22
Round 10 Sea Eagles v Knights 40-38
Round 11 BYE
Round 12 Warriors v Knights 34-22
Round 13 Knights v Wests Tigers 22-28
Round 14 Roosters v Knights 24-28
Round 15 Knights v Cowboys 64-16
Round 16 Eels v Knights 16-20
Round 17 BYE
Round 18 Sharks v Eels 22-22
Round 19 Knights v Titans 42-12
Round 20 Knights v Roosers 16-40
Round 21 Rabbitohs v Knights 18-32
Round 22 Knights vStorm 38-0
Round 23 Knights v Warriors 40-34
Round 24 Broncos v Knights 36-16
Round 25 Knights v Eels 34-30
Round 26 Knights v Dragons 36-26

http://www.newcastleknights.com.au/news/2014/09/06/nyc_knights_win_minor_premiership.html



 
The boys looked really committed today and smashed the team coming second in the comp, and they played without Sione, Levi, Cogger, Pondekas and Mamo - who would be 5 of their top 6 or 7 for the season.
Levi was on the sidelines keeping warm, so hopefully he didn't go back out just because we didn't need him.
De Saxe had his best game of the year.
Lamb - 3 try assists, two trys and a great kicking game.
Our bench is the best in the comp easily. Taylor, Petersen-Robati and Togiatasi all go just as good as our starting forwards and easily outshine opposition bench players every week.
Donovan had a good game too. It's hard to say who is our best fullback, Donovan, Sione or Jake.

Complacency is the thing that could hurt us next week. This week the guys went hard from the start and took the opposition very seriously - even though we will have a stronger side next week, we need to not slack off even a little bit.
 
Up the Knights! NYC Minor Premiers!!!

Hopefully the win against the Dragons today doesn't bite us on the bum next week. We can go all the way with the side we have especially with Sione back from NRL.
 
Hard to pick the side for next week because we get no injury news, but i'd keep Donovan at fullback and put Mamo on the wing and Sione in the centres.
We will really miss Levi if he is out with injury, but maybe we should sit him out if he is 50/50 just so we have him for the knockout games.

I'd go;

1 Donovan
2 Mamo
3 Sione
4 Peni
5 Robson/Birch
6 Lamb
7 Feeney
8 Yates
9 De Saxe
10 Pakau
11 Fitzgibbon
12 Tapine
13 Pondekas

14 Keenan if fit
15 Togiatasi
16 Petersen Robati
17 Taylor
 
It looks like Levi will be fine. I'd rather us try get our best team out there to make sure we get the week off and go straight into the grand final play off.

I think we will see Sione at fullback with Donovan on the wing, Robson at centre. If Boyce plays then I don't know how they'll fit Togitasi, Pondekas, Petterson Robati, Taylor, Tapine, Fitzgibbon... They're all better than Boyce but he won't be dropped. We'd have to have a 4-forward interchange.
 
Finals - Week 1 fixtures

Knights vs Dragons (Winner gets the week off)

Broncos vs Eels (Winner gets the week off)

Roosters vs Rabbitohs (Elimination)

Wests Tigers vs Warriors (Elimination)
 
Hoping it'll be almost full strength or hopefully full strength pending Levi.

If we happen to lose will we still be in or knocked out? Hoping to have a repeated effort of today's game.
 
Matty23 said:
Hoping it'll be almost full strength or hopefully full strength pending Levi.

If we happen to lose will we still be in or knocked out? Hoping to have a repeated effort of today's game.
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I assume the finals set up is the same as first grade so we'd get another chance.

The game won't be in Newcastle, will it?
 
Junior11 said:
It looks like Levi will be fine. I'd rather us try get our best team out there to make sure we get the week off and go straight into the grand final play off.

I think we will see Sione at fullback with Donovan on the wing, Robson at centre. If Boyce plays then I don't know how they'll fit Togitasi, Pondekas, Petterson Robati, Taylor, Tapine, Fitzgibbon... They're all better than Boyce but he won't be dropped. We'd have to have a 4-forward interchange.
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I want Sione in the centres because I want to see what Lamb can do with an attacking weapon like Sione outside him, and I don't think either Sione or Jake have really played their best at fullback - they are best at centre and wing, while Donovan had a very solid game at fullback today. He is very safe and gets involved at all the right times in attack.
 
jamesgould said:
Nope, Holden Cup finals games are played as curtain raisers for first grade finals.
Click to expand...

Would that mean we play as the curtain raiser for Roosters Vs Panthers/Cowboys?

Also another question would be if Manly get to play their qualifying final at Brooky? Because IIRC I think all Sydney clubs have to either play at ANZ or SFS for their finals matches.
 
Billy said:
I want Sione in the centres because I want to see what Lamb can do with an attacking weapon like Sione outside him, and I don't think either Sione or Jake have really played their best at fullback - they are best at centre and wing, while Donovan had a very solid game at fullback today. He is very safe and gets involved at all the right times in attack.
Click to expand...

Yeah, a left edge of Mamo, Sione, Fitzgibbon and Lamb sounds good to me. Lamb will be spoiled for choice.
 
Hamish171 said:
Would that mean we play as the curtain raiser for Roosters Vs Panthers/Cowboys?

Also another question would be if Manly get to play their qualifying final at Brooky? Because IIRC I think all Sydney clubs have to either play at ANZ or SFS for their finals matches.
Click to expand...

They try and match up the finals games so the same clubs are involved ... so it really depends on that more than the usual order they would play in in first grade.

And yep, that's right about Manly playing at the SFS. No doubt we will get the usual league bashing articles about a low attendance thanks the the pathetic Sea Eagles fans who can't travel to go to a game.
 
Brock Lamb was easily our best today. For a 17 year old he seems to have a really good footy brain and comes up with the right options nearly all the time. A lot of halves predetermine plays nowadays whereas you can tell Lamb assess the defence well first. I liked the way he went right to the line a few times - first time he did it he ended up throwing a great face ball to Fitzgibbon and then not long after he went himself by stepping on the inside for a try.
 
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Junior11 said:
It looks like Levi will be fine. I'd rather us try get our best team out there to make sure we get the week off and go straight into the grand final play off.

I think we will see Sione at fullback with Donovan on the wing, Robson at centre. If Boyce plays then I don't know how they'll fit Togitasi, Pondekas, Petterson Robati, Taylor, Tapine, Fitzgibbon... They're all better than Boyce but he won't be dropped. We'd have to have a 4-forward interchange.
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I thought out of todays game Pakau struggled to keep up and looks like he is way unfit and Taylor doesn't have much impact,one of them will have to go to make way for our better players. Yates and Togiatasi are streets in front of those two and won't have any worries about holding their spots in the team.IMO
 
2014 Holden Cup Finals Week 1 fixtures released

NRL

9:13pm Sun 07th September, 2014

The NRL tonight released details of Week 1 of the Holden Cup Final Series.

They will be played before the NRL Qualifying finals in Sydney on Friday 12 September and Saturday 13 September.

Friday, September 12, 7.55pm, Allianz Stadium

NRL: Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (2nd) v South Sydney Rabbitohs (3rd)

5.15pm Holden Cup: Wests Tigers (6th) v South Sydney Rabbitohs (7th)

3.15pm Holden Cup: Brisbane Broncos (2nd) v Parramatta Eels (3rd) *subject to stadium confirmation

Saturday, September 13, 5.50pm, Allianz Stadium

NRL: Sydney Roosters (1st) v Penrith Panthers (4th)

3.00pm Holden Cup: Sydney Roosters (5th) v New Zealand Warriors (8th)

1.00pm Holden Cup: Newcastle Knights (1st) v St George Illawarra Dragons (4th) *subject to stadium confirmation


http://www.nrl.com/2014-holden-cup-...4/newsid/81659/default.aspx?cid=NRL_HP_Latest
 
ripper said:
I thought out of todays game Pakau struggled to keep up and looks like he is way unfit and Taylor doesn't have much impact,one of them will have to go to make way for our better players. Yates and Togiatasi are streets in front of those two and won't have any worries about holding their spots in the team.IMO
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I think both Pakau and Taylor have struggled since coming back from injury, but I thought they were both a bit better this week. Yates was great, and I got the feeling that he got fewer minutes because we had the game well in hand and the less fit guys got longer minutes just to improve their fitness.
Pakau looked nearly as fat as me a few weeks ago and he still looks a fair bit overweight.

- - - Updated - - -

Aidos said:
Brock Lamb was easily our best today. For a 17 year old he seems to have a really good footy brain and comes up with the right options nearly all the time. A lot of halves predetermine plays nowadays whereas you can tell Lamb assess the defence well first. I liked the way he went right to the line a few times - first time he did it he ended up throwing a great face ball to Fitzgibbon and then not long after he went himself by stepping on the inside for a try.
Click to expand...
I've probably said this before, but I've been a massive fan of Lamb since the first time I saw him play in a Mathews trial last year. In under 16s his playmaking skills made him look like Joey Johns reborn. He basically ran the game like a conductor with an orchestra. The down side is that he doesn't look like the best athlete ever (although he holds his own in the 20s at 17, which is impressive), but his skills make up for that, and we can hire him a personal trainer. I'm sure it would be worth it.
 
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Coach for next year has been announced.
Troy Pezet.
Former halfback for South Queensland crushers and Parramatta.
Coached Parra under 20s in 2006 and Parra SG Ball in 2007 and 2008.
For the last few years he has been the coach of our high performance unit, so he has been working with many of next year's under 20's, including Sione, Cogger and Lamb.
 
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Pezet says 8 players from yesterday's win will be back in the NYC again and about 15 from the squad.

Donavan, Robson, Peni, Birch, Lamb, Levi, Yates, Smith, Petterson-Robati will all be there again from yesterday's side. Sione, Cogger, and Lo Monaco too. I'm not sure on the others but they seem to be Dylan Manicaros, Roman Fepuleai, Elliot Jennings, Hayden Smith and Marvin Tauhinu.

Togiatasi, Boyce, De Saxe, Feeney, Fitzgibbon, Keenan, Pakau, Mamo, Taylor, Pondekas, Tapine and Keenan will be moving up.

I imagine Barker, Widders, McNamara, Walsh, Amey, Faitotoa, Glanville will join the squad with a few others.
 
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