2025 pre season thread

Marzhew is good form is devastating. It’s his consistency you needs to get right. But I think he is moving in the right direction.

Goes to show why Brian To’o is the best winger in the game. He has consistently (for years) been one of the highest meter gainers and as safe as houses in defence, high ball etc.
 
I gave AOB credit for our late season wining streak and currently have faith in him. I have said next season should be a true test of his coaching ability.

Before the late season run, I definitely wanted him sacked.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
I started the thread about how we should sack him when we were in a tailspin in 2022 hahaha so I'll put my hand up.

I think I started to believe again in early 2023 though and I'm not sure I've significantly wavered since?
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Haha I’d have you down as a supporter despite the thread creation. But I don’t think those that wanted him sacked and those that thought he should stay have massively changed viewpoints. Maybe just a bit of heat taken out of the convo for now with the top eight finish.
 
AOB is just lucky ponga has saved his arse two years in a row surely we want a coach that can carry us further then wk 1 of finals disappointing watching this team under achieve
 
Grandpa Joe - Prev Lord said:
You guys are deadset bipolar over O'Brien, for the last 6 months you were calling for his head now his awesome. Make up your minds.
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Don't look at me, I still think he is not going to take us further than he has.

But I've said my opinion on it enough, see what he does first 1/4 of next season, first half. See where we are at, see if the team actually respects the competition points on offer every week. Until we start next season and work our way in to the season who knows.

I'm sure we will have another best pre-season ever.
 
So young guns squad?

1 Sharpe
2 Annan
3 Kyle McCarthy
4 Connor Votano
5 Schiller
6 Jye Linnane
7 Zac Herdegan
8 Zeb Sua
9 Matt Arthur
10 Paul Bryan
11 Jermaine McKewn
12 the penrith recruit - Francis Manuleleua
13 Cody Hopwood

14 Jacob Davis
15 Elijah S/L
16 Jack Hilliar
17 That big kid who looks like Hopwood - Bailey Carmichael
 
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Treadly said:
Hopefully we see a big chunk of these guys replacing our older squad members as they move on/retire.
I really hope this is the start of dominance like panthers have with their great junior pathways setup.
Keep producing quality kids. Replace players who move on for bigger pay days with those kids.
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That’ll be the goal. Having. A pathway and finances to have the best talent stay and want to stay and be successful here. Lots of talent in what Billy just put up, then there is the A.Johns and Daley squads and HMatts that had 4-5 very impressive kids in them, that should go up another level next year.
 
Sheent14 said:
There was alot of chat about how everyone hates O'Brien and the whole team hates each other 🤣
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That was mostly garbage writing from Foxsports which of course ends up getting proven wrong. Always seems to be the same regurgitated story when the Knights lose a few. Think back to 2021 I think it was when we were third or second last and same thing, heads will roll etc...made the 8, never happened lol. And we played Melbourne and Penrith in that stretch and didnt get blown out (unlike some teams).
The players absolutely play for him and we've seen it multiple times during his tenure here.
It is good that he figured out the season doesn't end a month out and just because you've wrapped up a top 8 spot doesnt mean you can take your foot off the pedal.

Then of course Paul Crawley gets wheeled every time out to give his irrelevant 2 cents on the made up topic 😂

But I do agree results in the Finals and not just making it will bear a heavy influence on the decision making of his next contract extension.
 
Billy said:
So young guns squad?

1 Sharpe
2 Annan
3 Kyle McCarthy
4 Connor Votano
5 Schiller
6 Jye Linnane
7 Zac Herdegan
8 Zeb Sua
9 Matt Arthur
10 Paul Bryan
11 Jermaine McKewn
12 the penrith recruit - Francis Manuleleua
13 Cody Hopwood

14 Jacob Davis
15 Elijah S/L
16 Jack Hilliar
17 That big kid who looks like Hopwood - Bailey Carmichael
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Don't know about the backs, but to bring out the crystal ball, I'm expecting Jack Hetherington to be at another club in 2026 with Cody Hopwood taking his spot in the rotation full time starting that year, Mat Croker to continue to stay on in the squad but Zeb Su'a or Tyrone Thompson getting picked over him in the top 17 when all fit, and Matt Arthur to be playing 50+ minutes per game off the bench at 14 with Brailey at another club by then if he hasn't already left over this summer. McKewen or Manuleleua a great shot at being one of our starting edge forwards with Lucas on the other edge. I still think Kai will probably leave.

Hopwood as our full time starting lock forward in 2027.
 
Wilson DeCoursey on a development deal.
He's a year younger than Kyle McCarthy.
In 2023 KM started in Ball and was one of our best by the end of the season.
In 2024 WD joined Ball halfway through the season and was one of our best immediately.

In 2023 KM went up to Flegg at the end of the Ball season and grew and grew till he got 3 or 4 games in reserves, where he went well.
In 2024 WD was the first player moved from Ball to Flegg before the Ball season ended. He looked OK in Flegg, but got injured before he really stood out much.

Different types of centres though - KM is a tall guy who can jump and moves really well. WD is powerful and hard running - a bit like a young Dylan Lucas.
 
R_A said:
That was mostly garbage writing from Foxsports which of course ends up getting proven wrong. Always seems to be the same regurgitated story when the Knights lose a few. Think back to 2021 I think it was when we were third or second last and same thing, heads will roll etc...made the 8, never happened lol. And we played Melbourne and Penrith in that stretch and didnt get blown out (unlike some teams).
The players absolutely play for him and we've seen it multiple times during his tenure here.
It is good that he figured out the season doesn't end a month out and just because you've wrapped up a top 8 spot doesnt mean you can take your foot off the pedal.

Then of course Paul Crawley gets wheeled every time out to give his irrelevant 2 cents on the made up topic 😂

But I do agree results in the Finals and not just making it will bear a heavy influence on the decision making of his next contract extension.
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Not just that there was some posts on here that were very gossipy stuff about group chats and how the playing group hates each other and don't like the coach.
 
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Rocks up first day wearing this 🤣
 
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