FINALS WEEK 1 - PARRAMATTA EELS V NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

Eels or Knights

  • Knights 1-12

    Votes: 8 30.8%

  • Knights 13+

    Votes: 3 11.5%

  • Eels 1-12

    Votes: 4 15.4%

  • Eels 13+

    Votes: 11 42.3%
  • Total voters
    26
I have allowed enough time for alcohol and hopefully common sense to take over.
Firstly we got beat by a better prepared side. Our strength was our forwards but they came out and hit us hard and we never came back, always felt like they had us and was just waiting for the Moses, kick, run, chase game. Don’t think any of our forwards outplayed there’s so we were in trouble. This was a tactic that they had over us and typical of our games this year was our inability to change tactics to counter it, we got beat by our strength failing
 
Next, some of our plays and lack of variation killed us, same old same old wasn’t working but that’s our play so stick with it.
Coach, Obi, has not shown enough, yes the players might not be the best but has failed to change the system to show a bit more, coaching to avoid failure.
Some glaring faults in our side are the failure to utilise the quality players but continue to reward the lesser with selection. Players that have continually failed to deliver, not always but often include high paid ones. Forget stats but anyone supporting the Knights is surely disappointed with the efforts of high paid players such as Ponga, Best, Pearce, Klem, not individual efforts but team efforts, if they all played strong together we generally win but when two or more didn’t we failed.
 
We are finished this year, close to an exceptable result, beating Eels and not going further would have been seen as progress.
Next year is not filling me with confidence, basically the same side, Gagai for Mann, Mann for Watson then we have a declining Klem, not suited to current style, Pearce looking older, slower but running the show. Will he relinquish his ego and allow Clifford to run the show, kick more, Talk of Ponga to 5/8 but don’t 5/8 need to tackle, and with Pearce here for 2022 will he play 5/8. Hodgson to f/b but hasn’t played firsts yet. Clifford showing good signs at 5/8 but is he ready to play 7. And goal kicking is a serious problem, you score 4 tries you want to kick 3 goals plus a penalty or two. Not sure Frizell has another good year, not sure Barnett is good enough for us making top 4. Not sure we have players to cover King leaving, Saulo, Sue, Momoisea etc are not as good at this stage.
 
Am on a full rant, was so hopeful we would be better than we have shown this season but more importantly this afternoon/evening.
Ponga, very good attack that directly scored us tries, defence?,
Wings Tuala and Hunt were very good, scored tries, didn’t shirk the work, am a big Hunt fan but Tuala was very good, we don’t need Edrich unless super fit
Centres, Mann was his usual ordinary to bad, Best was ok but needs to up his defence. Never thought I would look forward to a Gagai return
Halves, sorry but Pearce has shown nothing since his injury return, looking slow and mistake riddled, his dropped ball under no pressure and his passes to under pressure players were bad, Unfortunately another year to go and no one in reserves to fill in, Crossland?
Forwards, King gone, no comment, Klem same old Klem lots of yards but no variation, Saf twins normally strong but both had ordinary games by there standard, Frizell, am not sold, good this year but not sure about next. Barnett makes a good back up/bench but need more, goes missing, Sue is wholehearted but gives us nothing extra, reserve/bench type, possibly a 13.
Bench, Watson gone, will likely be replaced by Mann, that’s a minus, Klem, King commented in forwards, Jones, like him but hasnt cemented a spot, faster than others, reads play well but jury is out.
Others, Toa, Momoisea, Sasagi have potential but need games even if reserve grade to develop, think Crossland will come good but at which position, Johns I don’t think so.
What we really need is a ball playing offloading forward to give us variety the thing we most lack
Obi needs to do something, it’s not a bad side but it needs some tweaking.
 
daniels said:
So I was just reading an article that said the NRL has cleared Guthersons kick as within the rules and that ball was a drop kick and what the NRL said back when Slater did it in (origin?) was a drop kick can be done at any time and not just when going for goal.. load of crap if you ask me and it's a rule they should look at changing. https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/09/12/penalty-try-divides-opinion-but-lead-up-kick-legit/amp/
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How often does it come up in games though? And he was motioning to kick it anyway, so I’m ok with it in our game.
 
Peter Sterling used to do it on purpose, referred to as a stab kick when he executed it. It has always been in the rules.
 
I remember is getting a winning try from one vs Canberra after a lot of video investigation … was 2004 I think, and Ennis was the kicker!

So can’t complain given it’s won us a game in the past.
 
To all the negative people here. Do you not think this team can do alot better as we continue to get a full team on the park?

I get the disappointment, but I think that game really summed up the season. Tried hard but some errors and inability to fully execute cost us.

We were in it. Last year we were just smashed. So there is improvement and alot more possible from this team.
 
Treadly said:
To all the negative people here. Do you not think this team can do alot better as we continue to get a full team on the park?

I get the disappointment, but I think that game really summed up the season. Tried hard but some errors and inability to fully execute cost us.

We were in it. Last year we were just smashed. So there is improvement and alot more possible from this team.
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Agreed. For mine though, I haven’t seen anything decent this year or last to indicate that we can reach that potential. Hope I’m wrong next year, but this is déjà vu yet again.
 
The disappointing thing for me is I think we have the potential to play a lot better than I saw all season. I think we have the players to give the title a good crack but we aren't getting the best out of the team.
I'm happy we got as far as we did, but I think we should honestly do better.
 
Struth Treadly you see nothing in Jake Clifford, Brodie Jones, Tuala, Brailey and Sue? We are watching different games mate.
 
member 2299 said:
Struth Treadly you see nothing in Jake Clifford, Brodie Jones, Tuala, Brailey and Sue? We are watching different games mate.
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Not sure how you have taken my post. I actually see alot of improvement in all those guys individually. I feel we need to get it right as a team.

We didn't have the killer D last night that we had the few weeks leading up to finals. I was waiting for us to beat them in defence. So I know we can do more there than yesterday.

And the attack is still clunky - overused term but very apt.

I think our squad is pretty well rounded. Yes a strike back rower could be good, we just need to keep the squad together and get the most out of them.
 
I thought we came a long way over 2020 Treadly. With a little luck and less injuries another 3/4 wins would have seen us close to a top four finish. Hopefully the Dane Gagai we get back is a lot more polished player than we let go a nd should give Hymel Hunt and whoever plays fullback a little more confidence on the inside defence.

We were in the game for 75 minutes yesterday and staging that 10n piont comeback is something for Obi to really build on, plus the effort the young guns showed against the Doncs is encouraging.
 
member 2299 said:
I thought we came a long way over 2020 Treadly. With a little luck and less injuries another 3/4 wins would have seen us close to a top four finish. Hopefully the Dane Gagai we get back is a lot more polished player than we let go a nd should give Hymel Hunt and whoever plays fullback a little more confidence on the inside defence.

We were in the game for 75 minutes yesterday and staging that 10n piont comeback is something for Obi to really build on, plus the effort the young guns showed against the Doncs is encouraging.
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Yep all I'm wanting to see next year is effort and accountability. Our older heads are only getting older so now is the time to get it right.
 
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