2023 Preseason thread.

frankLauda said:
It's the step he has. Players get beaten by him and they throw their arm out as a reaction. I'm not sure they mean to, it's so quick. But yeah the NRL needs to come down more heavily on that.
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No, Ponga has always been dog shot, eg., Hargreaves from Roosters, Townsend from Cronulla etc. Half the problem is our players don’t protect him like Melbourne do with Munster, or Cowboys do with their fullback.
 
Billy said:
My impression of Knowles was of a guy whose best skill was self publicising.
Very good at talking himself up, and our inexperienced coaching staff ate that up in my opinion.

Same story with Zammit in my opinion.

I get the opposite impression of Parr. All his interviews are about how lucky he's been to be in the right place where others achieved a lot of success. He's not claiming much credit - which makes me think he doesn't need to - his results speak for themselves.

I have a lot of confidence that Parr will make the right decisions with appointments for this year, or move them on pretty quickly if they don't work out.
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We haven’t really had a tough coach here since Malcolm Reilly. We seem to have a big turnover of personnel in all aspects of the club, but absolutely no appointment of our most needed aspect of the game, and that is defence. Our defence has been a major issue why we don’t win games for nearly 20 years. If the fan on the hill can see it, what is wrong with the people running the club?
As a rusted on Knights supporter since 88, it is embarrassing watching our teams get rolled over time and time again, due to poor defence. And nobody has tried to fix it in the last 20 years!
Is it because it is hard? Requires fitness? Requires teamwork and attitude? Requires pride in the jersey?
Newcastle teams have not displayed these defensive qualities for decades, and all the quality imports in the world won’t change this huge elephant in the Knights kingdom. Too many self opinionated players who are soft, and not enough tough coaches to run the place. Maybe Parr is the start of something better for the long suffering Knights supporters, many of who have had enough of the bull dust coming out of Knights headquarters.
 
The interview with McDermott today has a bit of training footage in it. Interesting that Gagai and Marzhew are training together on the right. Gagai delivering a little flick pass to Marzhew, who looks like a monster. I've been thinking I wouldn't mind seeing Dom on the left in 2023. He started on the left and should go just as well there as on the right, and Best has a great record for try assists for his winger that generally go unappreciated - not to mention that Ponga guy will probably be lurking there as well.
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Billy said:
The interview with McDermott today has a bit of training footage in it. Interesting that Gagai and Marzhew are training together on the right. Gagai delivering a little flick pass to Marzhew, who looks like a monster. I've been thinking I wouldn't mind seeing Dom on the left in 2023. He started on the left and should go just as well there as on the right, and Best has a great record for try assists for his winger that generally go unappreciated - not to mention that Ponga guy will probably be lurking there as well.
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dom/best/Kp that left could work very nice
 
Herald article on McDermott.
Says he arrived last Thursday and is just observing for now.
Says he is impressed by the facilities.
The article goes through his playing and coaching career - which makes a pretty impressive resume.
He didn't say what his specific role will be - said it will evolve over the season.

Puts a bit of spin on the two English players not arriving till next year, saying they will be better players for another year in ESL. That pretty much negates his message of being straight with people, because that's clearly ********.

www.newcastleherald.com.au

Right hand man: McDermott on mission to propel Knights up ladder

"I know people want them here right now, but they will be a better product when they get...
www.newcastleherald.com.au www.newcastleherald.com.au
 
Billy said:
Puts a bit of spin on the two English players not arriving till next year, saying they will be better players for another year in ESL. That pretty much negates his message of being straight with people, because that's clearly ********.
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How is that bullsh*t??? They aren’t going to come here and be instant superstars, this year will be a good chance for them to improve under easier conditions than the NRL, it will only make them better for when they get here.
 
Maxibon said:
How is that bullsh*t??? They aren’t going to come here and be instant superstars, this year will be a good chance for them to improve under easier conditions than the NRL, it will only make them better for when they get here.
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an nrl preseason and an nrl debut would be better development than another season of ESL, even if they spent the rest of the year in reserve grade.
 
Defence wins games said:
We haven’t really had a tough coach here since Malcolm Reilly. We seem to have a big turnover of personnel in all aspects of the club, but absolutely no appointment of our most needed aspect of the game, and that is defence. Our defence has been a major issue why we don’t win games for nearly 20 years. If the fan on the hill can see it, what is wrong with the people running the club?
As a rusted on Knights supporter since 88, it is embarrassing watching our teams get rolled over time and time again, due to poor defence. And nobody has tried to fix it in the last 20 years!
Is it because it is hard? Requires fitness? Requires teamwork and attitude? Requires pride in the jersey?
Newcastle teams have not displayed these defensive qualities for decades, and all the quality imports in the world won’t change this huge elephant in the Knights kingdom. Too many self opinionated players who are soft, and not enough tough coaches to run the place. Maybe Parr is the start of something better for the long suffering Knights supporters, many of who have had enough of the bull dust coming out of Knights headquarter
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Love this, not far off the mark. Defence is built on attitude, would you rather run at the Saf's or Hetherington and Elliott?
 
Billy said:
The interview with McDermott today has a bit of training footage in it. Interesting that Gagai and Marzhew are training together on the right. Gagai delivering a little flick pass to Marzhew, who looks like a monster. I've been thinking I wouldn't mind seeing Dom on the left in 2023. He started on the left and should go just as well there as on the right, and Best has a great record for try assists for his winger that generally go unappreciated - not to mention that Ponga guy will probably be lurking there as well.
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I think Marzhew is just filling in for Dom while he’s having a well deserved break after the World Cup? I think we should still stick with Dom on the right.. if ain’t broke, don’t fix it?
If we going to persist with Gagai at centre… then we should only look at playing him at left centre. He did have the best year stats wise playing left centre at Souths even better than what Manu produced last year.
 
So who was this guy at training yesterday? He put a big step on Brodie Jones like he's a 7s player. I thought they might have snuck Miller in, but even though he looks like Miller, Miller doesn't have any tatts.
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There are a heap of advantages in getting the young Pom's here next year! They get to train at NRL intensity, get to know their team mates, get acclimatised, get comfortable with the facilities/staff/players, form combinations/friendships and hopefully play some NRL. Even if they didn't get a crack in the NRL next year they are still better off being here, in my opinion!
 
Source: FOX SPORTS
KNIGHTS

Positional battle: Second row

Analysis: Veteran Tyson Frizell is set to be one edge player, but who partners him is less certain after a poor season for the Knights in 2022. The Knights have recruited Adam Elliott, who is tipped to play lock, but he can also cover second row. Lachlan Fitzgibbon struggled with injuries last season, but will be motivated heading into a contract year to win back his starting role. Brodie Jones has been a real find for the Knights in recent seasons and will have his sights set on cementing a starting role in the back row. Former Bulldog Jack Hetherington has also been signed and was converted to an edge player at the back end of his Belmore career, so he is another option in the second row. Leo Thompson is more of a prop and lock, but should he nab a starting role at No.13, it could see Elliott switch to the edge. Jack Johns also adds to the Knights’ depth in the back row and will come into calculations for a spot in the Knights’ forward rotation.

Verdict: No.11 Brodie Jones No.12 Tyson Frizell No.13. Adam Elliott

www.foxsports.com.au

Broncos’ No.9 dilemma; Eels’ huge void: Verdict on hottest positional battles at every NRL club

Broncos’ No.9 dilemma; Eels’ void: Verdict on biggest positional fight at every NRL club
www.foxsports.com.au www.foxsports.com.au
 
Chief Longhorn said:
I don't think Brodie came on last season as I would have hoped! If he is getting his ankles snapped by Mann at training, that is a real worry!
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It might have just been my perception but I must admit, I also thought Brodie didn't lift to the next level I expected him to when he was given the ongoing opportunity to cement himself in the top team last year.

I'm not sure whether it was just a lack being given a specific job to do - I think O'Brien tended to chop and change his role from week to week from what I recall or whether injuries were an underlying factor but he never seemed to dominate any situation when he was on the field.

I don't think he was any worse than others around him but I expected him to go up a gear when he was given the opportunity to show why he deserved to be a regular in the squad
 
Brodie did the job he was given each week.
He played right centre.
He played left centre.
He played right second row.
He played left second row.
Off the bench he played lock, prop, second row, centre.

If you want him to actually shine in a position, a good start would be to give him half a season in the one spot.

Oddly, some of his best games have been at centre, a position he's never played in his life and one he seems very ill-equipped to play.
 
If the job is to be mediocre in all of those positions he was succeeding, if the goal is to win games he shouldn't be a sniff of the first team. He is the Phoenix Crossland of our forwards in that I have no idea what he's actually bringing to the team other than being a local boy that fans can feel warm and fuzzy about while we lose. 42 games now and still no discernible ability in attack, and being a "safe" defender isn't enough to keep giving him chances (at most clubs). The one memorable game he's had so far was when he filled in at centre against the Sharks a year or 2 back and he's been living off that ever since.

I remember the talk about him being this brilliant ball-playing forward coming through the juniors, so I was aware of the name by the time he started popping up in u/20's & reserve grade games and I always just assumed he saved the good games for when I wasn't watching. Just doesn't have the athleticism required to be a threat on the edge, if he's a chance anywhere it's as a middle forward but I don't see it there either.
 
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