EAS was more than a feeling

We're bigger than the Knights, say Jets
John Taylor
February 13, 2008 12:00am

NEWCASTLE Jets owner Con Constantine says that his team has conquered the rugby league heartland and is now just as popular as the Knights.
Just days before the Jets aim to shoot down Queensland for a place in the Grand Final at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday week, Constantine declared that it would be "an Origin battle'' and insisted star striker Joel Griffiths was Newcastle's latest sporting hero.

"For 20 years rugby league dominated this city - not any more,'' Constantine said yesterday as his team worked to cast off the memory of losing the major semifinal to the Central Coast on Sunday. The Jets were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate after falling 3-0 in the return in Gosford.

"When we started out three years ago I would have given the Jets a rating of 6/10. The Knights were 10/10. We've got just as much credibility now and we're all square. The people in this place just worshiped Andrew Johns. He was God. I loved the man myself. A great guy.

"But don't think for one minute that Joel Griffiths is not as big a personality as Andrew was. You go into pubs and clubs and everyone talks about Joel. Aside his looks, he's a coach's dream the way he plays the game. He gives it everything. He works his butt off and it was an absolute credit to him that he was the league's top scorer. He's a class above the others.''

With a place in the grand final at stake in Sunday's winner-take-all preliminary final, Constantine - who has poured millions into the club - said the buzz around the city now would be as nothing given victory over the Roar.

"This is not Sydney or the Central Coast we're playing - this is Queensland,'' he said. "This is like an Origin battle. And you know what NSW people think about Queenslanders. The fans will come out in their thousands to cheer our boys on and drive them home. This is just as big as when the Knights won their last grand final (against Parramatta in 2001).

"What some people may not be aware of is that we get over this hurdle and we're into Asian football. How good's that going to be for this city? It's also very special for the city in that soccer was played here over 100 years ago by Adamstown and to think we've come this far.

"We had a hiccup last Sunday (against the Mariners). It was one of those days. That's the round ball for you. I said when I took on the Jets that I believed it would take off. It was not easy at the beginning but this year we have gone to another level. As for the A-League, the sky's the limit.''

But Constantine's dream is to see the Jets and Knights unite.

"There's room for both to exist. One's played in winter and the other in summer. Let's have no more conflict,'' he said. "We have a very good relationship with the Knights now and I know we can do it (unite).''

A grand final spot is one thing and a re-match with Central Coast beckons. But victory over the Roar will also mean an automatic place in next year's Asian Champions League.
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http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23206357-2883,00.html
 
Untitled23 said:
But Constantine's dream is to see the Jets and Knights unite.

"There's room for both to exist. One's played in winter and the other in summer. Let's have no more conflict,'' he said. "We have a very good relationship with the Knights now and I know we can do it (unite).''
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What a load o' choad! You can't spend the whole article saying how the jets are as good as the knights and Joel "I love myself sick" Griffiths is the new talk of the town instead of Joey and then say oh but lets unite..! He's just contradicting himself - what a toss!
 
AussieKnight said:
Joel Who? Never heard of him.
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Lol, I love it. :lol: Joel Griffiths thinks he's Mr.Jet and the other guys work for him, fair enough he's got some points up his sleeve but seriously the guy is so far up his own clacker I don't know how he can breathe. Does anyone else agree that he wears GUY LINER???
 
He's talking rot!! As good a sport as football is, the only reason the Jets have been so popular is because they're successful. Wait until they've slipped into mid-table mediocrity (and they will at some point - all teams get it) and let's see how popular they are then. He's comparing the Jets' popularity against a Knights fan-base disillusioned with (relative) failure. If the Knights reach the finals this year, he should compare again.

It's got to be said - if Joel Griffiths is that good, he'd be making millions in Europe alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Christiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Pato, and so on. Andrew Johns was the best in the world.

Mind you, it's Constantine's job to talk up his team when he's competing for the cash of the people in Newcastle. He just needs a bit of a reality check.
 
Jekk said:
AussieKnight said:
Joel Who? Never heard of him.
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Lol, I love it. :lol: Joel Griffiths thinks he's Mr.Jet and the other guys work for him, fair enough he's got some points up his sleeve but seriously the guy is so far up his own clacker I don't know how he can breathe. Does anyone else agree that he wears GUY LINER???
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:lol: I know of Joel Griffiths... but you cant say that after 1 year of brilliance.

Abit low from that Ken fella.
 
man con is a wanka eveyrone has jumped on the jets band wagon
a) because there winning
b) theres nothing better to do
im sure theres a fair few knights supporters who like the jets but if con keeps talking **** like that they will lose those supporters
 
pommie_knight said:
It's got to be said - if Joel Griffiths is that good, he'd be making millions in Europe alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Christiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Pato, and so on. Andrew Johns was the best in the world.
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Spot on! I tell you what, everyone loves the freakin jets, today it was absolutely crazy! They were replaying goals on the radio every half hour and everyone was talking about it................. no matter who they are - everyone loves a winner :p
 
they only drew a crowd of 16000 i heard but i know alot of people who are heading to sydney to see the grand final
 
I saw alot of seats empty the other night when I was watching parts and couldnt believe my eyes.

Heaps on the hill though, they sure are attractions hills. How boring are seats :lol:
 
Yea it was only 16000. You would have expected more for a GF qualifier. I guess the people of Newcastle are reverting back to League mode :lol:
 
AussieKnight said:
I saw alot of seats empty the other night when I was watching parts and couldnt believe my eyes.

Heaps on the hill though, they sure are attractions hills. How boring are seats :lol:
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How are you supposed to jump up and yell if you are sitting? lol. Too many opportunities for me to fall (accident prone) :D Not to mention those seats are very big and if you don't know your neighbour it would be so uncomfortable!
 
I don't think we'll get much knights news this week in the herald....not until after sunday anyway

The'll be concentrating solely on the jets
 
~knights1~ said:
I don't think we'll get much knights news this week in the herald....not until after sunday anyway

The'll be concentrating solely on the jets
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Well we got two pretty good articles, on Cross being allowed to play and Sargents Illness.

Im guessing the A-league is all over the papers in Newie?
 
knight-no-7 said:
~knights1~ said:
I don't think we'll get much knights news this week in the herald....not until after sunday anyway

The'll be concentrating solely on the jets
Click to expand...

Well we got two pretty good articles, on Cross being allowed to play and Sargents Illness.

Im guessing the A-league is all over the papers in Newie?
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Well its not too bad now but Monday it was everywhere!!!!!!!! I was kinda expecting gold and blue in shop windows this week like when the knights were n the GF but nah??
 
Jekk said:
knight-no-7 said:
~knights1~ said:
I don't think we'll get much knights news this week in the herald....not until after sunday anyway

The'll be concentrating solely on the jets
Click to expand...

Well we got two pretty good articles, on Cross being allowed to play and Sargents Illness.

Im guessing the A-league is all over the papers in Newie?
Click to expand...

Well its not too bad now but Monday it was everywhere!!!!!!!! I was kinda expecting gold and blue in shop windows this week like when the knights were n the GF but nah??
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you meen the jets right? :lol:
 
Oh ok :wink: . Its alright you were just getting a bit to keen cause thats what you'll be saying later on this year!!! :D :D
 
bigdan said:
I hate all this "us vs them" BS that the leaguies and the football fans go on about.

The Knights and the Jets need each other to get the stadium upgraded. They play at different times of the year, so it's not like the stadium is a white elephant.

The one thing that does hurt the Knights is constant night games. As much as the game needs TV money, it's a massive turn off!

Not to mention I never want to see or read about another national sporting league franchise going down the gurgler. We've lost too many now as it is! I can't even follow the NBL now because there is no Newcastle team to follow. I'm still pissed off a team is in SINGAPORE! They don't give a flying flute about the Slingers over there.

I love both clubs, I am a member of both. And that will continue for as long as I live.

I would like to see some harmony across both teams. Heck, if that means merging the Knights AND Jets into one company, like FC Barcelona in Spain (they run multiple clubs across several sports), so be it.

For the good of ALL sports in Newcastle - it's time to put up and shut up. United We Stand, Divided We Fall.
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Well, this year, the Knights do have a 3pm Sunday Afternoon home match vs Brisbane in Round 5. Providing the weather is fine and the Knights perform considerably well in the first 4 rounds, I think this match will go close to a sellout. Too bad the game vs Manly in Round 2 wasn't a Sunday arvo, cause if it was, that'd definitely be a sellout (given the rivalry and local derby between the two sides).
 
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