Jack Bird Discussion

[Broncs_Fan]

He doesn't want to go to a club that is going to suck for a long time, despite his efforts.

Good for him.

Newcastle are not going to suck for a long time. The worst of the pain is over. Guys like the Saifiti brothers are going to be excellent players going forward.

 

[Morkel]

Newcastle are not going to suck for a long time. The worst of the pain is over. Guys like the Saifiti brothers are going to be excellent players going forward.

Just like the Mata'utai brothers? I don't know if it will get better.

 

[theshed]

Newcastle are not going to suck for a long time. The worst of the pain is over. Guys like the Saifiti brothers are going to be excellent players going forward.

I'm afraid I have to agree with bird in not sharing your optimism. Their situation seems particularly dire.

No one wants a bar of them. They need some kind of draw card in either a new more respected coach or a huge signing in the calibre of Cronk. I don't think even someone with as much promise as Bird in addition to Ponga will do a lot to draw other names.

 

[Allo]

Just like the Mata'utai brothers? I don't know if it will get better.

Having two good prop brothers is better than 4 ok outside backs, one becoming an ok backrower, one demands his last name pronounced different and two can't even make first grade at the Knights

 

[broncos4life]

Newcastle are not going to suck for a long time. The worst of the pain is over. Guys like the Saifiti brothers are going to be excellent players going forward.

Oh god the Saifiti brothers of course, I could I forget. My bad, good times ahead for the knights.

Newcastle Knights 2020 Premiers, start printing the shirts now boys.

 

[broncos4life]

Having two good prop brothers is better than 4 ok outside backs, one becoming an ok backrower, one demands his last name pronounced different and two can't even make first grade at the Knights

That is exactly the point. Remember when they were overhyped and going to be the next mainstays for Australia?

 

[Broncs_Fan]

That is exactly the point. Remember when they were overhyped and going to be the next mainstays for Australia?

Sione is a good player. He needs to be put back at centre though.

 

[Unbreakable]

Matt Gidley comparing Ponga & Guerra to Inglis & S.Burgess

:biggrin:

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4731070/knights-say-get-back-in-your-box-jack/?cs=2382

KNIGHTS chief executive Matt Gidley accepts Jack Bird’s rationale for declining an offer to join Newcastle.
But Gidley thinks the Brisbane-bound Cronulla star will be proven wrong after he declared on Wednesday that the Knights “won't be in the top eight for the next three years”.
Speaking to NRL.com, Bird revealed the reasons that prompted him to knock back potentially the richest deal in Newcastle’s history to instead sign with the Broncos.
“I was close and leaning towards them more [than Brisbane] but they just couldn't sign anyone,” Bird said in the interview.
“The Knights’ culture and living experience I was looking forward to and the club itself, but I just felt the team where it is at the moment and that they couldn’t attract key players made me doubt things.
“I just didn’t want to go there by myself.”
Gidley said Bird made it “really clear” to Knights officials that the lack of big-name recruits was his major concern.
“Everything else, he was really comfortable with,’’ Gidley said.
“He’d been a Knights fan growing up, he could see the direction the club was heading in, but for a 22-year-old, it was a bit of a leap of faith.’’
Gidley, however, could not accept Bird’s prediction that the Knights would be waiting several years until they again feature in the play-offs.
“You want to go to a team where you think you’re going to win the competition,” Bird said.
“I didn’t want to be the only guy going there and play five-eighth with no firepower around me. They’ve got Sione [Mata’utia] and Mitch Barnett, who are leading a young team and they’re only going to get better, but won't be in the top eight for the next three years.
“They’ve got some good players but just can’t seem to attract any others.”
Gidley was confident, despite back-to-back wooden spoons, that the Knights were capable of defying Bird’s unflattering outlook.
“In terms of making the finals, we clearly disagree with what he’s said,’’ Gidley said.
“I think there’s enough examples in history that, on the back of a couple of quality signings, things can improve pretty quickly.
“If you look at South Sydney, they signed Sam Burgess and Greg Inglis [in 2010 and 2011], retained their best young players, and won a premiership in 2014.”
The Knights have signed Kalyn Ponga (North Queensland) and are poised to announce a three-year deal with Roosters lock Aidan Guerra.
Gidley said Newcastle “haven’t made any decision” about Shaun Kenny-Dowall, released this week by the Roosters and due to face cocaine-possession charges in court next week.

 

[Big Pete]

I can see where Bird is coming from, but surely if he signed it would have inspired others to sign up? The Knights may not be anything great now, but with Bird they would have had some of the best up and coming talent in the game with Ponga, the Saifitis and Sione Mata'utia in the side. You throw in a Brock Lamb, Danny Levi, Sam Stone, Josh King among others and there's a squad that could be very competitive by 2019.

Joining the Broncos is the safe option for Bird. If it works out, he's a representative mainstay with a habit of winning premierships. If it doesn't work out, then he simply moves onto the next club and his failure reflects poorly on the club.

I'm not going to lie, Bird at Newcastle would have been the better fit for the game by and large. With that said, he's a great talent and I'm glad he's coming to the Broncos.

 

[BroncsFan]

Newcastle are not going to suck for a long time. The worst of the pain is over. Guys like the Saifiti brothers are going to be excellent players going forward.

I don't know why you say brothers Jacob isn't in the same league as Daniel... and they're twins

 

[BroncsFan]

Matt Gidley comparing Ponga & Guerra to Inglis & Sam Burgess

TBF there was no comparison made by gidley or even the journo. Gidley said you only have to look at what a couple quality signings can do... and the journo stated Newcastle's current signings and didn't even state they were quality signings haha although I believe Ponga is a huge talent and could be their draw card in a few years

 

[Unbreakable]

Neither of the Saifiti brothers are that great honestly, Daniel looks like he might be a serviceable NRL forward, but that's about it.

Gagai & Ross are arguably their best 2 players, and they're losing both of them. Bird might've been conservative when he said they won't make the playoffs for the next 3 years, it could easily be a 6-8 year process, unless Ponga is literally the best Fullback in the world within 24 months, which doesn't seem likely.

 

[Big Pete]

Neither of the Saifiti brothers are that great honestly, Daniel looks like he might be a serviceable NRL forward, but that's about it.

Gagai & Ross are arguably their best 2 players, and they're losing both of them. Bird might've been conservative when he said they won't make the playoffs for the next 3 years, it could easily be a 6-8 year process, unless Ponga is literally the best Fullback in the world within 24 months, which doesn't seem likely.

With the way the competition is run, they'd be a realistic chance of squeezing a Top 8 spot by 2019 provided they're on point with their signings. Let's not pretend that making the Top 8 is some great achievement either, it really isn't, especially in a competition that punishes you for success and long term planning.

I don't think they'll miss either Gagai & Ross. True they have been two of the Knights better players, but they're not irreplaceable and given Gagai signed on when the Knights were absolutely desperate they probably weren't getting value for money.

As for the Saifitis, I can't think of many forwards in their age group making the type of impact they're making. Who else is there? Asofa-Solomona & Pangai Jr? Daniel is ahead of them as well as a bunch of '94-'95 prospects as well. Granted front row forward development is difficult to get a handle on, and a 195cm 125kg prop is going to make an impact regardless of age, but I wouldn't turn my nose up on him.

 

[Unbreakable]

As for the Saifitis, I can't think of many forwards in their age group making the type of impact they're making. Who else is there? Asofa-Solomona & Pangai Jr? Daniel is ahead of them as well as a bunch of '94-'95 prospects as well. Granted front row forward development is difficult to get a handle on, and a 195cm 125kg prop is going to make an impact regardless of age, but I wouldn't turn my nose up on him.

What exactly is the impact they're making? Daniel is barely scraping together 100 metres per game and Jacob is at 60 per game, they're far from setting the world on fire, they're average forwards on a horrible team. Ese'ese is putting up almost identical stats to Daniel Saifiti and we're talking about how he's expendable and deserved to be dropped to ISC.

 

[Big Pete]

Daniel Saifiti is taking the tough runs, is capable of bending the line in a team where he receives little support and has the ability to get an offload away and move the football. If you watch a lot of Knights games, the Knights typically start well because of him and his ability to control the ruck and as soon as he goes off the Knights usually go backwards.

Jacob hasn't made the same type of impact, but he's had his moments in grade which is what you'd expect from a 20-21 year old player who is still making the transition from a backrow into a prop forward.

When your best competition is Pangai Jr & Asofa-Solomona, you know you're in good company.

 

[Unbreakable]

Daniel Saifiti is taking the tough runs, is capable of bending the line in a team where he receives little support and has the ability to get an offload away and move the football. If you watch a lot of Knights games, the Knights typically start well because of him and his ability to control the ruck and as soon as he goes off the Knights usually go backwards.

Jacob hasn't made the same type of impact, but he's had his moments in grade which is what you'd expect from a 20-21 year old player who is still making the transition from a backrow into a prop forward.

When your best competition is Pangai Jr & Asofa-Solomona, you know you're in good company.

There's my problem. I most certainly do not watch a lot of Knights games.

Maybe next year once they get Ponga I'll be able to stomach their games.

 

[Foordy]

Jack Bird is right about the Knights and i think a big reason why they struggle to get big name players to sign for them at the moment is the Ponga deal.

I wonder if the big name players have seen the Knights throw 750k a season and a rookie and think to themselves that if a rookie can get that then they should be worth similar or much bigger money.

 

[Harry Sack]

I take what Bird said as a bit of an insight into the opinion amongst the players regarding Newcastle. I imagine he toured the facilities and listened to Nathan Brown etc but, obviously, couldn't be swayed.