Round 9 - Eels V Knights - Friday 28 April 6:00pm - ComBank Stadium

Joshhh said:
God I hope they leave him out of Origin. The Fox Sports post game crew were already talking about throwing him straight back in at fullback. Just let the kid try and play some football again and recover that head.
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Those guys start crapping on about Origin after round 2.

Wouldnt pay attention to them.
 
Joshhh said:
God I hope they leave him out of Origin. The Fox Sports post game crew were already talking about throwing him straight back in at fullback. Just let the kid try and play some football again and recover that head.
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Would love for them to leave him out for our sake but if he's fit it's not going to happen.

Slater loves him and he was literally untouchable in the decider last year, one of the best Origin performances in recent times.
 
Reserve grade stats are in.
Jack Johns was the standout again - 80 minutes at lock, topped the fantasy points, topped the tackle count with 45, but only 3rd in the run metres with 140 behind Bailey Hodgson with 148 and Dylan Lucas with 145.

Lucas played 80 minutes at second row and ran for 145 metres with 6 tackle breaks, but he must have ran out of energy because he only made 21 tackles at 75% efficiency with 1 missed and 6 ineffective. With how little footy he's played recently and how little time he's spent in the forwards, he was probably out on his feet for the last 20 or so, when we gave up about 4 quick tries.
Lucas has only played 4 games of reserve grade this year. The other 4 games he was 18th man for firstgrade, and his last game was round 5, so he hasn't played for 3 weeks.
 
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Stats are no surprise those 3, Johns, Lucas and Hodgson usually do very well in Cup and our 3 most likely to be used in 1sts should injury occur
 
Probably not going to walk way from the 100k though.

I'd have Jack Johns in this weeks side personally, but AOB seems a bit off him.
 
mozza said:
Would be nice to see Ponga step down from Origin this year to focus on club football after having missed so much over the last 2 years.
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If I was AOB, I'd be encouraging every player to take every possible opportunity for rep football. Best footy games of the year with extra pay packet for the players (especially if making rep teams is a performance incentive in their player contracts). Players usually play themselves into some kind of form. The more Origin players at a club probably makes us more attractive as a destination for recruitment. It gives other players opportunities to fight for regular game spots. And, I doubt Ponga will have much of an impact for us this year, at least for a while.
 
Good Times said:
If I was AOB, I'd be encouraging every player to take every possible opportunity for rep football. Best footy games of the year with extra pay packet for the players (especially if making rep teams is a performance incentive in their player contracts). Players usually play themselves into some kind of form. The more Origin players at a club probably makes us more attractive as a destination for recruitment. It gives other players opportunities to fight for regular game spots. And, I doubt Ponga will have much of an impact for us this year, at least for a while.
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When has Origin ever improved a Knights season? The 2019 series destroyed our season. Can’t think of any examples of our players bringing back their Origin form since 2005.

Origin is massively overrated. I care more about a Knights trial game the I do an Origin game nowadays.
 
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Origin is the highest level rugby league in my eyes, the most talented players in the world on the same field playing at top intensity and physicality, the game every players wants to be a part of, the game that even people that don't follow NRL will tune into.

In saying that, considering what Ponga has just been through, I will be watching through closed fingers seeing him get thrown into that arena. I just want to see him recover fully and play some games for the Knights. He may well be MOTM and win QLD a series, but the risk for us is huge. But I guess at some point you can't bubble wrap him anymore, he's either going to get concussed at some point or he's not. Gotta live with it.
 
mozza said:
When has Origin ever improved a Knights season? The 2019 series destroyed our season. Can’t think of any examples of our players bringing back their Origin form since 2005.

Origin is massively overrated. I care more about a Knights trial game the I do an Origin game nowadays.
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Never hurt Storm, Roosters or Panthers last couple of years. Purely as an example, if players like Best, Fitz, Brailey (when healthy) were picked on top of Safs, Gags, Ponga, Friz, I'd be ecstatic. Means our coaching is working and when back for the club, those players will be turning it out. I enjoy seeing personal achievement for our players as much as club success. Particularly if they're at the Knights when it happens. The only exception to that is Darius Boyd, because **** him.
 
Don’t think this game will ride on any personnel we pick. It’ll be about concentration and completing sets. The last 3 halves of football we’ve played has been heavy in effort but a total lack of execution. Fix that up and we’ll beat the Eels.
 
This will be a good test of the lads ability in training this week to, as Waynesworld said, lift concentration levels and execute plays. They look a little battleworn the lads, some big long intense games in recent weeks, they're looking forward to the week off. S one big final push the get the win, as turning 2 points into 4 will be huge coming into Origin
 
Team lists have dropped:

1. Lachlan Miller
2. Dominic Young
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Kalyn Ponga
7. Jackson Hastings
8. Daniel Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Leo Thompson
11. Tyson Frizell
12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
13. Kurt Mann
14. Tyson Gamble
15. Jacob Saifiti
16. Matthew Croker
17. Jack Hetherington

18. Simi Sasagi
19. Hymel Hunt
20. Jack Johns
21. Dylan Lucas
22. Adam Clune
 
Tough to see us winning this one. AOB saying in the press conference there was too much back patting after the loss to Penrith … that sounds more like the Knights I know.

If this was at home I’d give us a chance, but not at CommBank.
 
This game is getting close to must win for us, I’d say, too. Lose and we will be 3 wins from 9 games and possibly five points out of the top eight.

Win it and we have Titans, Cronulla and Manly and then another bye. All winnable and we could be in a decent position on the back straight.
 
Lord of the Skraelings said:
Do we have any eligable props that could take Hetheringtons place? Cant looks the goods for mine.
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It's weird that Hetherington Isn't having the Impact I personally thought he would now that he Is here.

He Is playing a very conservative style of play, was really wanting to see the Mongrel In him bash the opposition forwards Into submission.

It's almost as If he Is the complete opposite to Barnett now that he Is here.
 
Rupert Murdoch said:
It's weird that Hetherington Isn't having the Impact I personally thought he would now that he Is here.

He Is playing a very conservative style of play, was really wanting to see the Mongrel In him bash the opposition forwards Into submission.

It's almost as If he Is the complete opposite to Barnett now that he Is here.
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Probably trying to avoid long suspensions that have been a hallmark of his game so far 😆
 
jamesgould said:
This game is getting close to must win for us, I’d say, too. Lose and we will be 3 wins from 9 games and possibly five points out of the top eight.

Win it and we have Titans, Cronulla and Manly and then another bye. All winnable and we could be in a decent position on the back straight.
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Not to sure about winnable. Seems like a bit closer comp this year thus far.
 
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