NRL Round 5 - Knights Vs Raiders - 4:05pm Sunday, 5th April - McDonald Jones Stadium

jamesgould said:
I know people are annoyed at the commentators pointing out our losing streak at home. Well it was definitely worthy of being a big talking point for me. So how good was it to see and hear the crowd going bananas and the Newcastle chant going up! That final try to Don was just total 2023 vibes.
Click to expand...
Last year is irrelevant 5 rounds in to 2026 when we've only played one game at home and that was right after the Brown/Ponga injuries, it was such a stupid thing to say from Vossy in my view.

It's kind of like how the Knights had a very negative h2h record against everyone during their three wooden spoons, again, no ****
 
Lefty said:
An excellent article in which JSaf explains why the team is performing so well this year.

Changing our head coach has made a massive difference.

www.nrl.com

'Completely different side': Saifiti embracing new direction at Knights

Without Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown, Newcastle have beaten two of the top four teams from last season in consecutive weeks, and the leadership of senior players like Jacob Saifiti has helped make that possible.
www.nrl.com www.nrl.com
Click to expand...
Love the comments on how all the boys have bought into and believe in the systems that Holbrook has put in place, the simplified game plan that plays to their strengths.
 
nighttiime said:
**** it feels good to be a knights fan for the first time in a long time
who cares who replaces Best its next man up mentality lets go
Click to expand...
We have a lot of options to replace Best.
Personally, I wouldn't use De Coursey. He went OK, but I feel the Wests coach would have a week to notice we've replaced one of our best defenders with a kid who is a poor defender on his usual right side and might be very poor next to Greg on the left.
I'd move Lucas to centre, start Frizz at second row and bring Hopwood or Hola or ESL onto the bench to replace Frizz in the middle.
 
what about McCarthy Billy? and agree De Coursey looks like a winger only from the glimpses i've seen - good athlete who needs to not really think just catch and run on instinct
 
KPGreatness said:
I may be wrong since my memory doesn’t go that far but didn’t Lucas have a horrible game last time he went centre and this forum collectively agreed he is now an out and out second rower.
Click to expand...
Yeh eels game last year, got injured late in the game as well
 
nighttiime said:
what about McCarthy Billy?
Click to expand...
He's another option and usually plays on the left (not this week, but usually) - but I'd still stick with using our very strong forward depth to plug the hole, instead of using a rookie for 80 minutes. I'd keep De Courcey at 19 and give him some time if we could.
 
Holbrook in the presser did say he really considered moving Lucas there when Best came off so may still happen.

Thankfully we know have some depth so there’s actually a few ways they could go
 
I know some of the things he says is a bit back to front but I think Blocker calls the game with neutrality for the most part. His specialty is forwards and always has something positive to say about any bloke out there having a good crack at it, no matter the team or the score line. So I very much like him for that. Plus the silly things he sometimes says just makes me laugh like my drunk uncles used to growing up so I find him endearing.

So analysis I really like Cooper Cronk. Has a freakishly good read on the game and again doesn’t show bias no matter who’s playing. Doesn’t let his fellow commentators get under his skin, just does his job very well.

And Kevin Walters again, I felt like he was scapegoated at Brisbane so always felt a bit sorry for the guy but again, a great eye for the game and why and how things happen and seems to be able to give credit where it’s due.

An honourable mention goes to Johnson. Smart, likeable and easy to listen to.
 
Seano said:
IMO Joey was terribly biased in his early commentary career; he now goes so far out of his way to "not be biased" against teams that play the Knights and Blues, he at times sounds ridiculous.
Click to expand...
He still looks at the game as how he played it, trust me he honestly believed that was a try, and he is right back when he played it was a try.
 
danknights said:
The atmosphere in the last halfa at the game was absolutely electric. The boys were getting it from the crowd and lapping it up. All the old boys in the box had the biggest grins I've seen in a while. Great win and I thought the refereeing was good for both sides other than the hair pull one.
Click to expand...
Already a bloke in the bin otherwise I think he goes, it was not a shirt pull definitely on purpose the hair!
 
Billy said:
He's another option and usually plays on the left (not this week, but usually) - but I'd still stick with using our very strong forward depth to plug the hole, instead of using a rookie for 80 minutes. I'd keep De Courcey at 19 and give him some time if we could.
Click to expand...
Watching tigers at moment their winger on that side is a good leaper so McArthy would help that attribute and is probably a bit more accomplished defender than Wilson at moment so think he might get the start and Wilson stays at the 19
Lucas is too good in 2nd row to move and we need to keep as much cohesion in side as we can
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Something which stands out for me, looking at our middle defenders:

Minutes/tackles:
Phoenix 77/39
J Saf 65/32
Mooney 40/34
Croker 48/32
Graham 35/29
Frizell 40/22
Saulo 15/15

Big part of why the previous coaching staff wrapped J Saf was work rate/1%ers. Under Holbrook he’s not a work rate player. Holbrook wants others doing the dirty work and J Saf focusing on higher leverage/more impactful stuff: Strong carries, big first up contact on key opposing players, being the enforcer.

The thing which makes Payne Haas such an absurd player is that he will have games where he leads both the metres gained AND the tackle count, I highly doubt any other player would have as many games where they’ve made 200 metres and 50 tackles. AND everything he’s doing has the impact you’d get from a really good bench prop. That’s why he’s such a rising tide that lifts all boats, you can throw any average forward with him and they are making both easier carries and fewer tackles at the same time.

For us, J Saf’s career best footy is being enabled by the trust placed in the other guys to facilitate it with their work rate and effort. Always felt like AOB had it the other way around, the Saifitis, Leo etc were supposed to set the example with work rate and Croker, Jones etc were supposed to provide the impact off the back of that.
Click to expand...
Same reason he's always looked fantastic when playing for NSW. Impact player AOB forced into being a toiler.
 
Last edited:
MBQLD said:
I know some of the things he says is a bit back to front but I think Blocker calls the game with neutrality for the most part. His specialty is forwards and always has something positive to say about any bloke out there having a good crack at it, no matter the team or the score line. So I very much like him for that. Plus the silly things he sometimes says just makes me laugh like my drunk uncles used to growing up so I find him endearing.

So analysis I really like Cooper Cronk. Has a freakishly good read on the game and again doesn’t show bias no matter who’s playing. Doesn’t let his fellow commentators get under his skin, just does his job very well.

And Kevin Walters again, I felt like he was scapegoated at Brisbane so always felt a bit sorry for the guy but again, a great eye for the game and why and how things happen and seems to be able to give credit where it’s due.

An honourable mention goes to Johnson. Smart, likeable and easy to listen to.
Click to expand...
Yes, maybe my comments didn’t apply to all Fox commentators and in retrospect, with the calmness of time, I agree with most of what MBOLD has mentioned. The other Fox commentators are difficult to take, hence my muting them as it helps me maintaining positive mental health.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top