NRL Round 16 - Knights Vs Dragons - 8:00pm Friday, 19th of June - McDonald Jones Stadium

Newygirl said:
How on earth did this match get scheduled for Friday 8pm?

Regardless, I don’t think this will be quite the drubbing of the previous match up. The refs seem to have put whistle away, so penalties and 6 Agains are down quite a bit since that awful magic round and the scorlines reflect that. Nevertheless, they should still be looking to win well and I’d hope to see a more complete performance, than the last few weeks.

Looking at the stats for the year so far, there’s clearly things to work on. The attack is great, naturally some errors will come with it, but they’re currently making too many and the defence isn’t good enough to withhold the really good teams.

Currently they are:
- 3rd last for possession averaging only 48% per game,
- 3rd last for completion rates at 77%
- 5th for errors
- 3rd Handling errors
- 8th penalties conceded

- 4th for missed tackles
- 4th for ineffective tackles
- 12th Goal kicking only 74%

For just about everything else they’re going really well. If they tidy these things up a bit, I don’t see why they can’t be Top 4. That spot is wide open and their run home isn’t too bad. I think they should be winning 7 or 8 of the next 11 which should do it.
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It will all come down to like if our efforts against Parra and Storm where we made 10-15 errors or not
We need to complete high percentage first half even if it’s 12-0 or 12-6 to us, then as we get into second half the young guys in dragons who hold the team together will get tired and that’s the time to lay it on and get like a 30-6 win on the board
Sharks did that to them on weekend so that’s how we need to be, just complete and tire them out and the points will come, not go searching with crazy erratic football
 
Agree, love the style of attack they’re playing and not arguing for that to change, just to focus a little more on completions and maintaining possession. No need to score on every play.

Scoring points isn’t an issue for them, we can see that, so the less they turn the ball over, the less defence they’ll have to do and then the points will come anyway
 
Will Francis be getting a run this game? Kinda felt sorry for the bloke or are we missing something the coach is seeing? He is raw but showed promise in the roosters and Souths games. I would like to see him get more opportunities. I’d have him over Tom cant any day.
 
Pretty sure Cant and Francis will be the second rowers. I reckon Cant must have been impressive during preseason but hasn't really had a chance to play much. Francis is a monster, his time will come. But so far this year both edges have been pretty resilient, McKewn is much improved and Lucas has risen to rep standard.
 
Really thought the game was tomorrow
 

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Get a bit lost with names, some use first other surname and some an easy way out of spelling.
Francis/Manuleleau/Manu is unlimited potential but what I’ve seen is not 100% committed to whole game and that is Cup not firsts so can understand Coach being hesitant.
Me I would be happy to throw him in, ask full committment, show what he can do but have a bench ready to replace him. Dont think anyone including him that knows what he is capable off but he needs to put in 100% to show us and if he shows us who knows what he might achieve, regular firsts, extended contract meaning big bucks all requiring big input
 
Manuleleua is a bit odd with his fitness level.
In the last 5 minutes of an 80 minute game he can explode and score a 60 metre try, leaving guys all over the ground.
But if he has to make 5 or 6 tackles in a short time, he'll probably miss the last one because he is stuffed.

I think we should use him like other sides use giant, powerful, fast guys - that is off the bench against tired players. 20 or 25 minutes either side of halftime and he'll give them hell.
 
Sounds like a props role. We dont have a current 50-60min backrower for that to work.

Could he do it at lock? Or do those minutes at prop?
 
Treadly said:
Sounds like a props role. We dont have a current 50-60min backrower for that to work.

Could he do it at lock? Or do those minutes at prop?
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He couldn't do a prop's workload at this point.
He did have a great off season and is much fitter than last year, and he's at the age when forwards start getting a lot of stamina, so he might be a middle forward option next year.
 
Manuleleua has been born with some special rugby league gifts. It is much easier to add fitness to an explosive athlete then it is to add that level of explosiveness to workhorse. If he wants to be as special as he can be, the sky is the limit. Next preseason will be massive/crucial for him.
 
waynesworld said:
We can get Friz/Cant to play spell Manu.
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As I've said before, Manu is basically a bigger and better version of Lachlan Fitzgibbon.
Fitz didn't debut in firstgrade till he was a year or 2 older than Manu, but it was years before anyone expected him to play 80 minutes and he typically made 15 or so tackles a game.
Manu played 80 minutes in his second game and made 31 tackles, but missed 6 tackles because he was out on his feet.
Manu has 84% tackle efficiency - Lucas does 40+ tackles a game at 97% efficiency, and is still able to run 150 metres and be an attacking threat.

The good point for both Fitz and Manu is that they are attacking threats as big guys who can crack the defence open. Manu hasn't scored in firstgrade yet, but has made enough line breaks and try assists to show he will, and he has 6 tries from 6 games in reserves this year, and 14 in 24 games overall.

Anyway, use Manu just like we used Fitz for the first 2 or 3 years of his career, which is 40 or 50 minutes a game, and let him build up his stamina, like Fitz did in his mid-twenties.
 
With Manu, we are stacked in the second row with ESL also. Obviously Frizz permanently in the middle now. I wonder if McEwen and Manu could interchange? Anyway I say Manu will get another opportunity with Lucus more than likely not playing next Friday. Can’t wait to see.
 
I’d rest Ponga for this game and keep Lucas on the bench as cover. I’m not overly confident relying on Cant and a rookie in Manu.
 
Newygirl said:
Agree, love the style of attack they’re playing and not arguing for that to change, just to focus a little more on completions and maintaining possession. No need to score on every play.

Scoring points isn’t an issue for them, we can see that, so the less they turn the ball over, the less defence they’ll have to do and then the points will come anyway
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100%. Don’t want to change the overarching mindset of the team. Think we keep that for 90% of the game.

Hard to say without being out there, but really need senior players to recognise the moments in the game where they need to focus on getting through a set.

But maybe need a call or something where instead of a particular shape, it’s just “hold the ball, solid runs, focus on play the ball with a quick PTB on the last and a good kick down field”.

I remember Penrith talking about doing a 1 set drill or 3 minute drills. Was along the lines of scores locked - you receive kick off. Aim to get to a field goal attempt. And they just did a few reps of this at the end of training when they were a bit fatigued. Then come Gameday, they were so well oiled, they knew basically who was running where, what to do if play took them too far right etc.

Though, I’m sure, if I’m sitting on my lounge realising they need to complete the set - surely the players can.
 
Penrith had a bunch of codenames they used to use and themes they would play for such as Topgun etc. Could imagine Knights doing similar, maybe yelling Brickwall or Stonecold or something when its time to play safe and direct.
 
Billy said:
As I've said before, Manu is basically a bigger and better version of Lachlan Fitzgibbon.
Fitz didn't debut in firstgrade till he was a year or 2 older than Manu, but it was years before anyone expected him to play 80 minutes and he typically made 15 or so tackles a game.
Manu played 80 minutes in his second game and made 31 tackles, but missed 6 tackles because he was out on his feet.
Manu has 84% tackle efficiency - Lucas does 40+ tackles a game at 97% efficiency, and is still able to run 150 metres and be an attacking threat.

The good point for both Fitz and Manu is that they are attacking threats as big guys who can crack the defence open. Manu hasn't scored in firstgrade yet, but has made enough line breaks and try assists to show he will, and he has 6 tries from 6 games in reserves this year, and 14 in 24 games overall.

Anyway, use Manu just like we used Fitz for the first 2 or 3 years of his career, which is 40 or 50 minutes a game, and let him build up his stamina, like Fitz did in his mid-twenties.
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Fun fact for anyone who doesn’t know, manu was also considered the number one 1XV player in nz for his last year of high school (2022) probably doesn’t mean as much four years later and being in a different code but the potential is there
 
I’m sure they do. But it’s the guys in and around the spine, in particular KP, Sharpe, Crokes. I think that’s what’s makes DB so good also. He’s a low risk player. I have not seen him throw any silly passes. He tests the line constantly. Where as I’ve seen both KP and Sharpe throw unnecessary passes. Given Sharpe is still learning and KP purely on he is the main creator then higher chance of errors.

I made a comment on another thread about Souths last night, Cody walker in presser talking about playing a simpler game.

We don’t want to start to become that team, Cows and Souths come to mind, where we make heaps of errors. And also start to fall away in defence. That’s a by-product of errors leading to fatigue.
 
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