That and his defence is abysmal. Not just his reads, some of his shirt grabbing efforts were awful for someone trying to make first grade.
The pre-season 2026 thread
- Thread starter Billy
- Start date
frankLauda
Tony Butterfield
Schiller not a bad shout. There’s something about him. Deceptively strong, and somewhat elusive. He’s not the fastest though.
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Mclovin
Clint Newton
Regardless of who's going, what event sdo they have going on this year?
Les Misérables
Sean Rudder
I'll be there. What's on?
mullenmagic
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Line-up for what looked like an opposed session today:
Sharpe at fullback
Hunt on the right wing, Marzhew on the left
Gagai right centre, McCarthy left
Brown on the right, Smith on the left
Crossland at hooker
Saifiti, Mooney, Croker in the middle
McEwen on the right edge, Frizell on the left
Sharpe at fullback
Hunt on the right wing, Marzhew on the left
Gagai right centre, McCarthy left
Brown on the right, Smith on the left
Crossland at hooker
Saifiti, Mooney, Croker in the middle
McEwen on the right edge, Frizell on the left
frankLauda
Tony Butterfield
Thanks for the update. Still no Ponga, and Dom training yet. I would be surprised if Sandon gets displaced from the halves round 1. They will go with Crossy as starting hooker.
Are Best and Lucas injured
slotmachine
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
5 weeks out from first game and Ponga still not training, hmm.
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Alex
Steve Simpson
Yeah you'd have to think he won't be going to Vegas
I did have a look at training last week with my daughter. There were only backs on the field on it was a really low key session, more tactics based. They finished off with some long kicking (and catching) practise with the kickers operating from a play the ball on half way. It was interesting that it was Sharpe and Gamble operating on kicks to the right of the ptb and Matt Hunter to the left. Sandon Smith was acting as the dummy half. As it was so low key and Crossland wasn't involved in the session I don't know what we can take away from this. Dylan Brown didn't even worry about being invilved. I will say one thing though, Sharpe has a massive boot on him. There are no worries there.
It is something my daughter and I have done during the January holidays over the last 6 or 7 years. She will take the markers along for autographs or get photos. We have asked the club in the past and have usually got a response of "we don't hand that info out, but if you try tuesday morning you might have some luck". Since the COE has opened we have taken pot luck and it has usually been ok. This year, we tried the Tuesday they headed for the mines, tried again the Thursday and it was a day off then finally had some luck last Tuesday. Others may be able to help with a more exact approach.
MBQLD
Sean Rudder
Yeah we just need someone with glue for hands and springs for legs instead of baby oil fingers and anvil feet.
Marz returns were good but you lose count early in the season of dropped balls, missed tackles and bombed tries. You just have to capitalise on them when it happens because those opportunities don’t pop up every second minute if at all some games.
Been checking the team out a bit this preseason and I usually have a word that describes the feel of the way they look or play. Some years it’s “fitter”, some years it’s, “sloppy” but this year it’s a different vibe altogether. Don’t know how it will translate onto the pitch but they actually look mean and aggressive.
Hopefully enough has changed at the club where they are remotely intimidating now as last year Newcastle was the team everyone wanted to play against and you never want to be that team ever.
Defence wins games
Todd Bates
Isn’t this so typically Knights!
They claim they want to make the community proud, but never make themselves available.
If I wasn’t a cynic, I would say they really couldn’t care about the community.
Wow!
Earlier in the pre-season, they did go around a few local areas I think and have open training days.
But I’m always surprised they don’t have an open training day each week where they publicise the time and place. Take it around a different spot throughout the season.
Really connect with fans and the community, those interactions you get with players when you’re a kid are what turn you into a lifelong fan.
KPGreatness
Todd Bates
Yeah it is dumb I’m seeing a lot of “round 1” lists and they all have Saulo out of it.
I get it he is a Knight again so they will stop talking about him but damn to think Brodie Jones or Croker will be ahead of Saulo is laughable he’s better than both at prop.
Not surprising since both aren’t really props I always look to Croker as a 13 and I think of Jones as a… well he is a player I’ll give him that.
And Cant well he doesn’t seem to showcase his talent at the top flight but in reserve he is a very good/solid player still not sure where his best position is either a second rower or a lock