The pre-season thread - 2022

Unemployed CoachWhisperer said:
On the subject of our halves this year, I’m not sure things are as bad people are making out. I read an article somewhere declaring we have the worst halves in the comp and another article the other day predicting we will win the wooden spoon.

But if we look at our halves and fullback during 2021:

Rounds 1 to 4 : 6 – Mann, 7 – Pearce, 1 – Tex Hoy Round 5 : 6 – Watson, 7 – Green, 1 – Ponga Rounds 6 to 8 : 6 – Mann, 7 – Green, 1 – Ponga Round 9 : – Mann, 7 – Crossland, 1 – Ponga. Round 10 : 6 – Mann, 7 – Crossland, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 11 : 6 – Crossland, 7 – Green, 1 – KURT MANN Round 12 : 6 – Watson, 7 – Crossland, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 13 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Mann, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 14 : 6 – Watson, 7 – Clifford, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 15 & 16 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Pearce, 1 – Ponga Round 18 & 19 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Crossland 1 – Ponga Round 20 : 6 – Crossland, 7 – Clifford, 1 – Ponga Round 21 to 25 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Pearce, 1 – Ponga

That was a mess.

Pearce and Clifford only played 8 regular season games together in the halves at the back of the season. Clifford was impressive and got better, Pearce was poor most of the season, one good game against the Gold Coast, and an absolute shocker in the semi.

Pearce was cooked physically and mentally in 2021. More injuries, another pec, more hamstring problems and the off-field stuff. He’d be even worse this year. I would suggest that the 2022 version of Clune is actually a better player than the 2022 version of Pearce.

If we start 2022 with Clune at 7 and Clifford at 6, and we have some luck with injuries, we have a far better halves pairing than last year. Crossland at 14, the lock / hooker Connor role, and an option in the halves.

And I hope AOB has had Sasagi training in the 14 role and other positions too, he has to be in the 17 somewhere, even if it’s on the wing. AOB only playing him for two games last year was ridiculous. And not playing Sasagi in either of the trials is a worry. AOB is a worry.

Some of his selections and non-selections just don’t make sense. AOB has a thing for trundlers like Mann and Tuala and Musgrove and Hoy and that’s a problem. He doesn’t seem to have the confidence to coach talent and back talent: If Brian To’o had AOB for a coach he’d still be playing NSW Cup, and Kurt Mann would have his wing spot.

I genuinely think things are looking good.

Now, AOB, just, please, get the selections right.



UCW
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could not agree more, Pearce was past his used by date. Clune will be better than Pearce was last year.

AOB is not up to the task at hand IMO, hope he proves me wrong but I havent liked what I've seen so far.
 
Still_Nutty said:
Welcome aboard UCW 👍...

I think we can all agree that we don't all agree with Adzy's selection policies?! :confused::oops:

I also think your post highlights the bigger issue the Knights have had over the past few season and that is player stability in positions. I think the 'trundlers' he opts for are many of the player types that make up large parts of the systems he has come from.

Just thinking about it, Adzy came from an environment at his 2 previous clubs where all the lower grade players were drilled in their roles and moving players in and out and it largely didn't affect the balance of the NRL squad because their systems allowed that to happen fairly seamlessly - which means player stability is less important if you have ready made replacements drilled to step in and play the same structures, etc. as the top team.

We are only now starting to build that capacity at the club level, based purely on what I was at the trial last week, when the lower grade players got a good run in the same patterns and structures...but in the last 2 years, when we lose 1 or more players, the systems the Storm and Roosters have established weren't here.

I think what I've noticed with Adzy is that he is not the 'super coach' know all...what he is is the Phil Gould type club leader that will build the systems and structures and coaching and support talent around the Knights that will set the club up for sustained level of competitiveness for the long term
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1 of the most urgent matters in the club is leadership. There really isnt a natural leader of men in the roster, juxtaposed to the Storm or Rorters where any number of their roster could lead the team.
 
www.newcastleherald.com.au

Saifiti reveals why he is no longer captain, desire to play for Australia

The Knights prop explained why he is no longer part of the captaincy structure.
www.newcastleherald.com.au www.newcastleherald.com.au

Article on DSaf

Says he was thinking more about the pregame speech than what he had to do himself when he was captain.
Says Brailey and Ponga are more suited to be captain, but he was proud to do it.
Says he wants to go to another level this year and play for Australia.
Thinks he needs to improve in areas where "Jacob does it better" - whatever that means.
 
Funny looking at Sasagi's record in reserve grade last year.
Andrew Ryan's team list every week was a work of fiction, but for some reason he named Simi at 6 most weeks.
I'd say he played maybe 3 games at 5/8, but was named in about 7.
He played more centre than anywhere else, but moved around a lot.
Mac Baker was named at 1 in most games, but played mostly at 5/8 or halfback.

In under 18s Scott Dureau named Simi at 14 nearly every game and played him anywhere on the field just about. He used him as the impact guy and you could nearly bet that either Simi would score, or he'd make a mess of the defence and someone else would score.

I've watched a lot of his games, and I don't know what his position is. He just goes on, plays with a lot of energy, and whoever is between him and the tryline better be on their game or he'll score. If he's going to play the Watson role where he goes on when everyone is tired and runs amock - i'd say that will suit him.
 
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Unemployed CoachWhisperer said:
On the subject of our halves this year, I’m not sure things are as bad people are making out. I read an article somewhere declaring we have the worst halves in the comp and another article the other day predicting we will win the wooden spoon.

But if we look at our halves and fullback during 2021:

Rounds 1 to 4 : 6 – Mann, 7 – Pearce, 1 – Tex Hoy Round 5 : 6 – Watson, 7 – Green, 1 – Ponga Rounds 6 to 8 : 6 – Mann, 7 – Green, 1 – Ponga Round 9 : – Mann, 7 – Crossland, 1 – Ponga. Round 10 : 6 – Mann, 7 – Crossland, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 11 : 6 – Crossland, 7 – Green, 1 – KURT MANN Round 12 : 6 – Watson, 7 – Crossland, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 13 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Mann, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 14 : 6 – Watson, 7 – Clifford, 1 – Tex Hoy. Round 15 & 16 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Pearce, 1 – Ponga Round 18 & 19 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Crossland 1 – Ponga Round 20 : 6 – Crossland, 7 – Clifford, 1 – Ponga Round 21 to 25 : 6 – Clifford, 7 – Pearce, 1 – Ponga

That was a mess.

Pearce and Clifford only played 8 regular season games together in the halves at the back of the season. Clifford was impressive and got better, Pearce was poor most of the season, one good game against the Gold Coast, and an absolute shocker in the semi.

Pearce was cooked physically and mentally in 2021. More injuries, another pec, more hamstring problems and the off-field stuff. He’d be even worse this year. I would suggest that the 2022 version of Clune is actually a better player than the 2022 version of Pearce.

If we start 2022 with Clune at 7 and Clifford at 6, and we have some luck with injuries, we have a far better halves pairing than last year. Crossland at 14, the lock / hooker Connor role, and an option in the halves.

And I hope AOB has had Sasagi training in the 14 role and other positions too, he has to be in the 17 somewhere, even if it’s on the wing. AOB only playing him for two games last year was ridiculous. And not playing Sasagi in either of the trials is a worry. AOB is a worry.

Some of his selections and non-selections just don’t make sense. AOB has a thing for trundlers like Mann and Tuala and Musgrove and Hoy and that’s a problem. He doesn’t seem to have the confidence to coach talent and back talent: If Brian To’o had AOB for a coach he’d still be playing NSW Cup, and Kurt Mann would have his wing spot.

I genuinely think things are looking good.

Now, AOB, just, please, get the selections right.



UCW
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The problem here is your judging AoB's selection choices as far as Simi is concerned but you don't know whats happening behind the scene's or at training.
Sasagi could be injured it only takes a niggle to keep you out or just got out trained by other players who then deserve a spot over him.
Sorry mate but thats rubbish about Toó and AOB and i dont know if you watched the trial but while there Mann was probably our best player.
 
Simi is very similar to Connor Watson at the same age.
I wasn't a fan of the Connor Watson who had no passing game, no kicking game and no playmaking ability - just a good running game - but coaches found a way to use his talents, and he eventually got a few skills as well.
On the plus side, Simi has a kicking game and a passing game and he's a lot bigger than Watson - so he is starting with more than just an elusive running game.
The big difference is that Watson managed to stay fit in his late teens, so he got to play 20 or 30 games as a bench utility by the time he was Simi's age.
I don't know if we have the luxury of keeping Simi on the bench and using him for 20 or 30 minutes a game - but I see no reason he couldn't be a better version of Watson eventually if we could do that.
 
Maybe the plan of picking up crossland for the one season is so he can keep semi's seat warm at the start of the season. We may see them swap in and out of the 14 for the season to see who is most capable.
 
A lot of discussion about Pearce so I thought I'd have my two cents worth. He wasn't t complete plod for us like some are suggesting, but after his effort on the final last year, I wouldn't have wanted to be heading in to another finals series with him this year.

What I think we will miss most is his competitiveness in tight games. Close out 70 minutes became Mitch time, his sheer will to win would get us a win a lot more often than not.

Where I think we can cover that is that through more cohesiveness in attack and a much better kicking game, hopefully we aren't in so many arm wrestles this year and have put more teams away by 70 minutes. If Clune or Cliffo prove winners in those clutch moments (probably more through composure than hyperactive helter skelter) then we will actually be better off overall. Clune and Clifford would be on less then Mitch combined as well.
 
Frank McWilliams said:
Simi needs to get some game time, reserves, then to be our 14 needs to be better than Mann and Crossland as you only want one as your 14 with the other two playing reserves
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It wouldn't surprise me to see him jag a few games and instantly look better than Mann and Crossland. I hope he does. But my problem is he just hasn't done anything yet and so many people are saying he needs to be in the 17. Let's see him play a few games first, see exactly what he brings to the team, both positive and negative. All I've seen of him really is him playing in the centres and throwing one decent pass.
 
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