Wicks promoted for Knights Team vs Titans
- Thread starter Ms.Nobody
- Start date
knight-no-7
Moderator
Best possible team at with City v Country on, i reckon, although now Bedsey seems like he wont be backing up.
Wicks deserves a starting spot, but if Cross backs up, he might drop back to the bench? Or Cross off the bench.
Wicks deserves a starting spot, but if Cross backs up, he might drop back to the bench? Or Cross off the bench.
Last edited:
U23
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
That is pretty odd.
If no Buderus then..
9. Hilder
Utility?
And if no Cross, who are they going to replace him with when they only have two backs on the extended bench. :-k
knight-no-7
Moderator
Hilder and Gids will share the hooking role, if Buderus is rested.
If bedsy doesnt play (and mad dog also) looking at that side Hilder will start, Sau will come off the bench and go into centres, Wes to FB, KG to hooker when hilder comes off (if he does).
Dunno who will replace Crossy if he doesnt play though, maybe BS is looking at a small pack to stick with the GC quick men. If not i'd say Sarge or Taufua.
Dunno who will replace Crossy if he doesnt play though, maybe BS is looking at a small pack to stick with the GC quick men. If not i'd say Sarge or Taufua.
~knights1~
Ben Kennedy
Hopefully Tafua
~knights1~
Ben Kennedy
yep ill post one up
knight-no-7
Moderator
HeraldBedsy in frame to back up
By BRETT KEEBLE
HEAVY WORKLOAD: Danny Buderus, right, trains with Country Origin teammates yesterday. - Picture by Kirk Gilmour
KNIGHTS coach Brian Smith does not expect Danny Buderus will back up for Newcastle against Gold Coast 24 hours after Friday's City-Country game in Wollongong but, after a change of heart, will now give his captain every chance.
After reviewing Buderus's probable workload in the next month, and swapping messages with the Country Origin skipper yesterday, Smith named him to lead the Knights against the Titans at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Saturday.
Smith wanted the likely NSW skipper excused from Country duties and urged coach Laurie Daley not to pick him. The Newcastle coach said this month that if Buderus was selected, he would not ask the dynamic dummy half to play against the Titans.
But Buderus has not played since Newcastle's 34-20 victory over the Roosters on April 20 and will have similar long breaks between games in the next four weeks.
Another factor was the inclusion on Monday of Dragons utility Ben Hornby, who Smith envisages will give Buderus a breather at dummy half on Friday.
"He's happy doing what he's doing and all we're doing is making sure he's aware that if he happens to get through and wants to play, he'll be playing. We're just allowing for all contingencies," Smith said. "I think it's most unlikely that that will happen but you never know. Who knows, the game might go in such a way that he's not under pressure and Laurie doesn't have to play him for the entire 80, and if that happens and he feels all right, then we'll go with him.
"If it turns out that Country are doing well and Benny Hornby plays a bit more time at dummy half and Bedsy plays a little less, I'm not going to cut my nose off to spite my face just because I would have preferred the other thing to happen."
Buderus has said several times since his selection on Sunday night that he wanted to be given every chance to play for Newcastle but would abide by Smith's decision.
If selected for NSW as expected, Buderus will be mandatorily stood down from Newcastle's games against the Tigers (May 18) and Bulldogs (June 7) before Origin I (May 21) and Origin II (June 11). There will be more relief when the Knights have their second bye in round 11 (May 23-26).
"It could work out that he may only end up playing four games in the 30-day period leading up to [and including] that second Origin game," Smith said.
"By the time he plays City-Country, he'll have already had 12 days off since his last game for us against the Roosters. If he doesn't play for us on Saturday night, he'll have had a 10-day break before we play Melbourne. After we play Melbourne on the 12th of May, he's stood down for our Tigers game if he's in the Origin, which is on the 21st, so that's a nine-day break there.
"We've got a bye the weekend after that first Origin then we play the Warriors on May 31 so . . . from that period of May 2 to May 31, he'll have had breaks of 10, nine and 10 days between games, so he's not going to be in mad overload.
"It might be a mini-overload of two games in two days this weekend, but that's after a 12-day break since his last game, then he wouldn't have to play again until we play in Melbourne nine days later, so it's possible."
Test utility Kurt Gidley was named at fullback for the Titans game. Jarrod Mullen returns at halfback and Wes Naiqama moves to the centres.
Smith said Adam MacDougall, named on a six-man bench because of a knee injury, completed training last night and would be given until later in the week to prove his fitness. Country prop Ben Cross was named on the bench, giving Danny Wicks his first start in Newcastle colours.
~knightsgirljess~
LIVE LAUGH LOVE
I think wicks is a good impact player off the bench so it will be interesting watching him start.
Is Dureau injured still? with the form our halves have been in does anyone think Luke Walsh will get a chance?
Is Dureau injured still? with the form our halves have been in does anyone think Luke Walsh will get a chance?
Wicks starting is stupid. He is the laziest of any of our forwards and the biggest liability with hi lack of lateral speed. Having him start nullifies his only asset demonstrated this season, his impact as a fresh forward running against tired defenders.
The Tolar/Royal combination have laid such an effective platform, I doubt Smith will be changing it. Or Cross will start.
The Tolar/Royal combination have laid such an effective platform, I doubt Smith will be changing it. Or Cross will start.
knight-no-7
Moderator
Yea he is still injured.
Id like to see Walsh play again, but with the many halves combinatation we have atm, i doubt we will see him any time soon.