Pre-season challenge - R2 - Knights V Parra - Friday 17th Feb, 5.55pm Gosford Stadium

Billy

Billy

Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
From what O'Brien was saying, it sounds like Dom needs to keep working on his fitness, so maybe not ready yet.
He also said Ponga should be ready to play some minutes, and Miller is a chance.
In round 2 the maximum squad is reduced from 28 to 26, but still with unlimited interchange.

1 Miller
2 Dom Young
3 Gagai
4 Best
5 Hunt
6 Ponga
7 Hastings
8 d Saf
9 Brailey
10 J Saf
11 Frizell
12 Fitz
13 Elliot

14 Mann
15 Gamble
16 Marzhew
17 Mapapalangi
18 Lucas
19 Crossland
20 brodie Jones
21 jack Johns
22 Hetherington
23 Tuala
24 Cant
25 Keeley
26 Hodgson
 
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jamesgould said:
I would have thought getting Miller out there to form some connections would have been a priority in both our trials. Did he not do a pre-season with Cronulla? Or is he injured?
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O'Brien didn't list everything but did say he had a few things going on apart from all the footy stuff, like moving house with wife and family etc.
 
couldn't squeeze in Clune, Riley Jones, Pliezner, Talty, Toleafoa, Armstrong, Kiah Cooper, Hollis, Tuipounea, Rivett or Vea'ila
 
Coach is going to be in a tough spot if miller has a poor game in this one. He'll probably look like a bloke that has just met the team, because he is.
 
If O'Brien doesn't think Miller has had enough time to learn our plays yet, it wouldn't be a bad move to throw Hodgson back in the deep end to see if he can turn it around.
Wayne Bennett used to say he'd feel good about dropping a rookie who had just had a great game because they'd go back to reserves convinced they belonged in firstgrade and work hard to improve and get another shot, but if you dropped them after a bad game, they'd be full of doubts and nerves the next time you needed them.
I think trial games give us a unique opportunity to let Hodgson have a quick chance to make good in a game that doesn't matter at all.
 
My trial 2 lineup:
1 Miller*
2 Marzhew
3 Gagai*
4 Best*
5 Hunt
6 Ponga*
7 Hastings
8 D Saf
9 Brailey
10 J Saf
11 Friz*
12 Fitz
13 Elliott*

14 Mann
15 Thompson*
16 Johns
17 Hetherington*

18 Gamble
19 Tuala
20 Hodgson
21 B Jones
22 Mapapalangi
23 Talty
24 Clune

Missing out:
Lucas, Crossland, Keeley, Hollis, Cant, Armstrong, R Jones, Rivett & Vea'ila.

Not available:
Young (not fit enough, nor needed because he's a walk in), Tupouniua (out because of HIA rules), Toleafoa (injured from reports) & Croker (suspended).
 
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I think young couldn't play last week because of the CBA rules where they have got to train a certain amount of weeks before they play any games after having a long break because of world cup but think he is good to go this game
 
One way to look at it is that we don't need to see more of fringe guys like Fitz, Jones, etc - but we do need to see if Talty, Cant, Keeley, Hollis etc are capable of stepping up if we need them.
Maybe finding who our next best forward is should take priority over giving a fringe guy 20 minutes of gametime.
 
The Gidley flick said:
I think young couldn't play last week because of the CBA rules where they have got to train a certain amount of weeks before they play any games after having a long break because of world cup but think he is good to go this game
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Radley played for roosters. I'd say they just want him to rest up or he is doing the old keep cards close re contract situation.
 
We should see a side very close to our new look firstgrade side named today, and they should play for the first 20 minutes of the game at least.
The new look spine has Brailey and Ponga, but since Brailey has had few chances to play and Ponga is in a new position, you can make the argument that it is a completely new spine from the last few years.

If I had confidence in the coach, i'd say the new spine will have a new style of play and will change the team fundamentally, so all we thought we knew about the side no longer applies. If you add into that new names like Elliot, Heighington, Marzhew, Gamble etc - it's new year, new team for the Knights.
 
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