Round 9: Newcastle Knights vs Parramatta Eels

What is your prediction for this game ??

  • Knights 13+

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Knights 1-12

    Votes: 6 40.0%

  • Draw

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Eels 1-12

    Votes: 5 33.3%

  • Eels 13+

    Votes: 4 26.7%
  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Tex Hoy
3. Enari Tuala
4. Bradman Best
5. Hymel Hunt
6. Kurt Mann
7. Mitchell Pearce
8. David Klemmer
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Daniel Saifiti
11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon
12. Aidan Guerra
13. Herman Ese'ese
Interchange:

14. Starford To'a
15. Jacob Saifiti
16. Pasami Saulo
17. Brodie Jones

18. Tautau Moga
19. Josh King
20. Phoenix Crossland
21. Connor Watson
 
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You'd imagine that Watson is in for Toa if he is fit by game day.
If Watson isn't fit, Toa should start at wing and Hoy as fresh reserve.

No Sione, Glasby or Barnett - and next week they could all be in.
 
alexwilliams said:
That bench doesn't exactly fill me with confidence
Click to expand...

If Watson is fit I'd play Moga give Hoy a rest Parra will bomb to him all game.

Injured list possible returns next week with Brailey and Lee gone for season we needs some troops

Round 10 = Tim Glasby, Connor Watson, Sione Mata'utia, Mitch Barnett
 
alexwilliams said:
That bench doesn't exactly fill me with confidence
Click to expand...
It is what it is. If they play their role in the team then I don't see why it's so bad. I think you need a creative player on the bench like a sasagi but toa could bring some energy. Against the eels but AOB obviously has confidence in those guys he has picked.
 
Would love to jag a win here, just so my father leaves me alone. Hopefully the knights laden crowd will help bring them home.
 
Toa won't be on the bench.
It's a cut and paste side.
The coach has no idea what the final team will be till training this week, so he just named all the guys where they ended up last week, all the guys he might use in whatever number came up, and will figure it out on about Friday.
 
Very inexperienced bench, Jacob will have to be good and I expect Klemmer will play big minutes.
 
It will be interesting to see if Barnett gets a short run in the srimmage match.
Apparently he is cleared to resume full contact training and to play when ready, so as many minutes as he is comfortable with in the scrimmage match, after only 3 or 4 sessions of contact, might be the best way for him to see if he has confidence in the neck.
 
https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/...e-after-being-giving-licence-to-roam/?cs=2503

we have covered most of the ground in this article over the last few weeks, but Ponga makes some very good points about the best fullbacks like Slater and Tedesco pop up across the field and he is still learning.
I remember doing a post in his first year saying he was a "one trick pony" even if it was a great trick, and I remember Joey Johns saying everyone knew what he was going to do, but no one knew what to do about it.
His "one trick" was to take the ball to the line on the left side with three strong runners going with him, and at the line deciding who to pass to, or whether he'd go himself.
Since then he has added a kicking game and also now passes before the line sometimes, for a bit of variation.
This year he is trying out a range of new options, as he should if he wants to earn his million dollar paycheck in coming years.
 
I notice in one of the photos of today's training session that Watson is kicking a ball.
You'd think his leg sprain must be OK if he is kicking.
 
NRL SuperCoach is stating that Bradman Best is in some doubt.

EDIT: Never mind Barry Toohey has denied it.
 
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I get the feeling that the coach is thinking of this game as a "free hit" where he can throw in the less "safe" selections and rest anyone who needs it.
If this was a grandfinal I think we'd play Glasby, Barnett, Sione, Watson and Best - but in this game we'll play Saulo, Guerra, Jones, Toa and Moga, and if they get the job done we'll have 2 free points and a few selection headaches next week as we try to find spots for 20 deserving guys.
 
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