The pre-season 2026 thread

frankLauda said:
If we want to pick and stick with a view to the future, I think we should go with Sandon at 7. We have signed him for 4 years. He seems more suited to a halves position than hooker.

I think Sharpe plays Centre/wing and bides his time until Ponga leaves or when injured. I honestly feel given Ponga’s injury history Sharpe will be playing a lot of FB the next two seasons.
Click to expand...
Yeah leaving aside all the debate about whether or not Fletcher is a half, I just feel like this has to be the clincher. Fletch is probably going to be playing 20 games at fullback over the next two seasons anyway. And if that's what indeed happens, should we be paying through the nose to hold onto Kalyn? Is anyone on here going to be slashing their wrists if Fletcher is our first choice fullback in 2028?
 
mullenmagic said:
"Dylan's definitely in the halves," Holbrook said. "He's the one spot that's locked in there and then it's up to Sandon and Sharpie to grab the other spot.
Click to expand...

We can lock Phoenix in at 9 it looks like, and whoever loses out in the halves goes to 14 in my reading.

Why they wouldn't give Brown atleast a half in the first trial is beyond me.
 
I think the second trial we should run out our full strength side for the first half. That should include DB. Besides KP which I think they have already made a call on. Sharpe is FB and Sandon 7.
 
- Names 6 players who won't play the first trial: Crossland, Best & Brown due to shortened preseason after international duties. Ponga & Young still working way back from injury, and he adds Dylan Lucas. Says all should be right for the second trial except for Ponga, but still maintains he's on track for Vegas.
- When talking about the middles he names Saifiti, Frizell and Mooney which seem to be the most likely starting group.
- Smith and Sharpe will start in the halves. Sharpe will spend time at fullback as well.

www.newcastleknights.com.au

Coach's Corner: First trial team, Vegas outlook

Head Coach Justin Holbrook looks ahead to our first trial against the Dragons, and previews the upcoming trip to Las Vegas.
www.newcastleknights.com.au www.newcastleknights.com.au
 
We'll get our first look at Sandon steering the ship like a dominant proper halfback.

We know he likes his hands on the ball and is very very vocal but it'll he the quality of decision making in attacking zones, general play kicking and the general shape and orderliness with ball in hand that will be the key items. So keen. Not expecting too much but am get excited to watch Smith in particular
 
So only Smith and Sharpe of our regular spine in trial 1.
No Brown, Ponga or Crossland - also no Best, Lucas or Young.

possible lineup

Votano
Hunt
gagai
McCarthy
Marzhew or Schiller
Sharpe
smith
saifiti
Arthur
Mooney
McEwen
Frizell
Croker

Graham
Hunter
Jones
Saulo
Crouch
Hopwood
De Courcey
Sullivan
 
slotmachine said:
Disrespectful to road kill.

Was KPs last game in the halves the one where Moses clowned him for 80 minutes and he missed 11 tackles?
Click to expand...
i’ve seen one of the best halves of recent times do this week to week… sometimes miss even more tackles, went on to have more success than most halves ever have.

Think he went by Jimmy, ahhhh James Maloney that’s the one, also another guy called JT, heard of him? **** defensive halves are more common than you’re all making out.
 
Ponga definitely had the potential to be a good half but unfortunately he didn't had a good coach or a good team around him when he attempted it.

It might be too late for him to try again.
Not sure.
 
Ponga is 96kgs plus and physically robust.

He should be able to defend to a basic level, he just doesnt want to and as a result, never bothered to learn. Got his head in the wrong spot once while making a tackle playing at 6 (I was at the game and watch the tackle from the sideline) and has now been written of because of his concussion history largely unrelated to making tackles
 
Billy said:
So only Smith and Sharpe of our regular spine in trial 1.
No Brown, Ponga or Crossland - also no Best, Lucas or Young.

possible lineup

Votano
Hunt
gagai
McCarthy
Marzhew or Schiller
Sharpe
smith
saifiti
Arthur
Mooney
McEwen
Frizell
Croker

Graham
Hunter
Jones
Saulo
Crouch
Hopwood
De Courcey
Sullivan
Click to expand...
Would it be better to just plant gamble in the 6 the whole game and rotate SS and sharpe in the 7, give sharpe some time at fb and SS at 9 also.
 
Les Misérables said:
Ponga is 96kgs plus and physically robust.

He should be able to defend to a basic level, he just doesnt want to and as a result, never bothered to learn. Got his head in the wrong spot once while making a tackle playing at 6 (I was at the game and watch the tackle from the sideline) and has now been written of because of his concussion history largely unrelated to making tackles
Click to expand...
I think there were quite a few tackles where he came reeling out looking dazed.
 
EASBay17 said:
Would it be better to just plant gamble in the 6 the whole game and rotate SS and sharpe in the 7, give sharpe some time at fb and SS at 9 also.
Click to expand...
I forgot about Gamble.
An article a month or so ago pretty much said Holbrook has told him he needs to train to be a utility.
I think he'll make the 19 every week if he can do a spell at lock, hooker, halves to a reasonable level.
Because of that, I think they'll try him out as lock and hooker in the trials.
 
Junior said:
i’ve seen one of the best halves of recent times do this week to week… sometimes miss even more tackles, went on to have more success than most halves ever have.

Think he went by Jimmy, ahhhh James Maloney that’s the one, also another guy called JT, heard of him? **** defensive halves are more common than you’re all making out.
Click to expand...
Not even in the same ball park. Kalyn in the defensive line was basically a free line break for the other team if they got even a little bit of ruck speed, and liable to knock himself out because his tackling technique was so bad.

Maloney was a little guy who got bumped off in initial contact a lot - which is why his missed tackles were always high - but that's not the same as opening the gate and letting whoever through. And Thurston was a perfectly fine defender for a half, he gets dinged for his defence compared to other greats because some players like Wally, Joey and Cleary were/are good defenders by the standards of second row forwards.

Weirdly I think Kalyn is a good defender at fullback, almost purely because he has these preternatural footy playing instincts where he can do something which looks really odd but turns a 2 on 1 into a no try. But in the line he was a catastrophe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top