CROSS FORUM NRL 2022 Round 8 Discussion

[scobie]

The problem is he’s all elbows and knees - a huge hard frame, not a ‘big’ guy like a Paulo or or all torso like Haas. That’s where defenders get into trouble.

While I don’t think there was much wrong in the end with the contact on Sue, he’s very prone to raising the knees or lowering his elbows into contact

JWH is the worst offender I reckon for elbows when carrying the ball.

 

[Super Freak]

It's funny just how quickly things can go bad.

Knights were 2-0 to start the season, they were playing exciting 90's style footy, Jake Clifford was tipped to be up there in the race for Dally M 5/8 of the Year. I mean that try against the Roosters (or against the Tigers?) where Fitzgibbon takes a hit-up, offloads, Knights shift to the right, Clifford gets the ball and puts in a grubber and scores. They were playing really good footy.

Now he's hooked, Knights are 2 from 8 losing 6 straight and they haven't scored a try in 2 whole games of footy and conceded 89 points in those 2 games.

Ever since Barnett was sent, it's been a downward spiral for the Knights.

Where's the side that started the season? Hell, where's the side that put up a good fight against the Panthers with 12 men for most of the game?

Something is rotten at that club, and I think it's got something to do with Ponga. I don't think the playing group and Ponga get along. I think there's a disconnect there and it's causing issues.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

It's funny just how quickly things can go bad.

Knights were 2-0 to start the season, they were playing exciting 90's style footy, Jake Clifford was tipped to be up there in the race for Dally M 5/8 of the Year. I mean that try against the Roosters (or against the Tigers?) where Fitzgibbon takes a hit-up, offloads, Knights shift to the right, Clifford gets the ball and puts in a grubber and scores. They were playing really good footy.

Now he's hooked, Knights are 2 from 8 losing 6 straight and they haven't scored a try in 2 whole games of footy and conceded 89 points in those 2 games.

Ever since Barnett was sent, it's been a downward spiral for the Knights.

That's why you never, ever take early season results seriously. Same story for us, we were 2 and 0 and suddenly everyone was like "oh hey hang on, the Broncos are in the 4".....Yeah, with 18 rounds of footy left to play. One fucking week is an eternity in Rugby League never mind 6 months of it.

Luckily for us we seem to be righting the ship enough to get a middling end to the season which I would call a small victory for Kev. The sad story for Newcastle is they're neck deep in the scrutiny of the Sydney media bubble, who are sooo desperate for a scalp to cleave off every single week to back up their macho presentation it's unbelievable. I mean, look at this shit in the 360 intro:

Look at this smug ****. Either he is trying to present an image of being authoritative and a tough nut, or he's a try hard fuckwit who thinks way too much of himself and his own opinion, and the only way he knows how to scratch that itch is to kick struggling sides in the nuts while they're down. Then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. How hard is it going to be for Newy to get up off the canvas next week after the media are done with them in the next few days?

 

[Jedhead]

It's funny just how quickly things can go bad.

Knights were 2-0 to start the season, they were playing exciting 90's style footy, Jake Clifford was tipped to be up there in the race for Dally M 5/8 of the Year. I mean that try against the Roosters (or against the Tigers?) where Fitzgibbon takes a hit-up, offloads, Knights shift to the right, Clifford gets the ball and puts in a grubber and scores. They were playing really good footy.

Now he's hooked, Knights are 2 from 8 losing 6 straight and they haven't scored a try in 2 whole games of footy and conceded 89 points in those 2 games.

Where's the side that started the season? Hell, where's the side that put up a good fight against the Panthers with 12 men for most of the game?

Something is rotten at that club, and I think it's got something to do with Ponga. I don't think the playing group and Ponga get along. I think there's a disconnect there and it's causing issues.

Yeh I think no small coincidence that Ponga and his dad creating such a prima donna circus has unsettled a few at the club.

 

[Big Pete]

I don't think it's all that surprising for the Knights. Ever since Pearce left and Brailey tore his achilles they weren't expected to do all that much this season and the Round 1 result came as a huge surprise. However with the benefit of hindsight it's easy to put a chunk of that down to the Roosters form. The other chunk is that Newcastle are missing players who stood up for them - namely Dominic Young, Dane Gagai and Lachlan Fitzgibbon.

On top of that both Clune and Daniel Saifiti appear to be playing injured. Saifiti rushed back early after Thompson broke his leg in the pre-season and he's been a shell of himself. Even Ponga seems to be carrying a lot of niggles judging by the way he picks himself up after tackles.

Keep in mind, their second game was against Wests who were absolutely awful on the day and it's pretty easy to figure out why they've struggled against Penrith, Melbourne, Parramatta, Cronulla and Manly. The only winnable game was against the Dragons and there was maybe only a few cms between them potentially winning the game at the death with Su'A going extremely close to being off-side.

 

[Jedhead]

I don't think it's all that surprising for the Knights. Ever since Pearce left and Brailey tore his achilles they weren't expected to do all that much this season and the Round 1 result came as a huge surprise. However with the benefit of hindsight it's easy to put a chunk of that down to the Roosters form. The other chunk is that Newcastle are missing players who stood up for them - namely Dominic Young, Dane Gagai and Lachlan Fitzgibbon.

On top of that both Clune and Daniel Saifiti appear to be playing injured. Saifiti rushed back early after Thompson broke his leg in the pre-season and he's been a shell of himself. Even Ponga seems to be carrying a lot of niggles judging by the way he picks himself up after tackles.

Keep in mind, their second game was against Wests who were absolutely awful on the day and it's pretty easy to figure out why they've struggled against Penrith, Melbourne, Parramatta, Cronulla and Manly. The only winnable game was against the Dragons and there was maybe only a few cms between them potentially winning the game at the death with Su'A going extremely close to being off-side.

That Dominic Young certainly looks like a future star. He's all effort and everything seemed to come off for him before that injury.

 

[Morkel]

Good to see Coates developing his game at Melbourne. I didn't see much of the game, but what I did see was him finishing off a bunch of overlaps. Literally running to the line, he was bought for his speed so he could finish those chances. That's it. He looks bored as ****.

 

[GCBRONCO]

 

[NZWarriors.com]

[st_table="45%"][st_tr][st_td_row="2"]

[/st_td_row][st_td]Aman - nzwarriors.com[/st_td][/st_tr][st_tr][st_td="0.7"]JOINED: .April 9, 2016
MESSAGES: 4,971
REACTIONS: 10,445[/st_td][/st_tr][/st_table]

---

Im in disbelief over the coverage our game is getting. There are far worse calls every week (most against us) that never get a peep from the media but **** me dead they're going on about that Lodge tackle like it cost the Raiders a GF! Also everyone thinks it wasn't high and whilst I agree it wasn't forceful but even a blind man could see it was high.

Some even had the audacity to say wightons tackle on Walsh shouldn't have been a penalty and Lodge should have been red carded for his raised elbow!!!

Like wtf is going????

---

 

[Super Freak]

[st_table="45%"][st_tr][st_td_row="2"]

[/st_td_row][st_td]Aman - nzwarriors.com[/st_td][/st_tr][st_tr][st_td="0.7"]JOINED: .April 9, 2016
MESSAGES: 4,971
REACTIONS: 10,445[/st_td][/st_tr][/st_table]

---

Im in disbelief over the coverage our game is getting. There are far worse calls every week (most against us) that never get a peep from the media but **** me dead they're going on about that Lodge tackle like it cost the Raiders a GF! Also everyone thinks it wasn't high and whilst I agree it wasn't forceful but even a blind man could see it was high.

Some even had the audacity to say wightons tackle on Walsh shouldn't have been a penalty and Lodge should have been red carded for his raised elbow!!!

Like wtf is going????

---

The penalty for Lodge was soft, but at the end of the day it's still a penalty.

That's been a penalty all year and it will be a penalty in the 6th minute so if it's a penalty in the 6th minute, then it's a penalty in the 79th minute.

I guarantee if their team were playing and copped that shot and they didn't get a penalty, they would be blowing up about it.

The refs can't win here.

 

[Sproj]

it will be a penalty in the 6th minute so if it's a penalty in the 6th minute, then it's a penalty in the 79th minute.

That generally isn’t true.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

[st_table="45%"][st_tr][st_td_row="2"]

[/st_td_row][st_td]Defence - nzwarriors.com[/st_td][/st_tr][st_tr][st_td="0.7"]JOINED: .May 9, 2012
MESSAGES: 6,861
REACTIONS: 20,011[/st_td][/st_tr][/st_table]

---

Hmm yet no mention of old mate playing for the penalty when Sj scored a few minutes earlier? Strange that….well not really.
Or the fact lodge was penalized for a even softer one in the first half.
Wighton drops someone on his head, rapana shoulder charges Egan, tapine eye gauges…. But what about lodge head butting poor horsboroughs arm!
Was it last year the raiders lay down like 3 times in the last five minutes to pinch the game against us? didn’t rate a mention in the media the next day though…
Wouldn’t wanna make sticky angry!

---

 

[Super Freak]

The Tuilagi no try against the Dragons.

I can live with that decision from the bunker, I actually think they made the right call.

When you look at it frame by frame, at first he has both hands on the ball. Then his right hand comes away from the ball. Then his left hand starts to come away, but because part of his left hand is under the ball, it doesn't come away completely and he's still got fingers on the ball as he grounds it. But he was losing control.

I guess the question you ask, can you say that's downward pressure?

An issue you have is, the ref said try so did the bunker have enough evidence to overturn it? It was very much a 50/50 call, and unfortunately it didn't go Tigers way.

The Cobbo try was a bit different. Cobbo had control of the ball and has both hands on the ball when he grounds it and has fingers on top of the ball.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

[st_table="45%"][st_tr][st_td_row="2"]

[/st_td_row][st_td]OnceWereWarriors - nzwarriors.com[/st_td][/st_tr][st_tr][st_td="0.7"]JOINED: .April 4, 2022
MESSAGES: 77
REACTIONS: 280[/st_td][/st_tr][/st_table]

---

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...w/news-story/a688f86b2867aca6e9063aab9bd1235a

Does anyone think that anyone in that Newcastle playing group would play for this guy? Newcastle imo are in for a massive shit storm of a year and I could actually see them falling away massively!

This to me is the perfect reason you don't go splashing the real big cash on players that are just not winning you most of your games. I know there are other factors but I can't help like Newcastle are under this kids spell, and thier future doesn't look good?

David Fafita is the other that springs to mind.

---

 

[BroncsFan]

[st_table="45%"][st_tr][st_td_row="2"]

[/st_td_row][st_td]OnceWereWarriors - nzwarriors.com[/st_td][/st_tr][st_tr][st_td="0.7"]JOINED: .April 4, 2022
MESSAGES: 77
REACTIONS: 280[/st_td][/st_tr][/st_table]

---

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fo...w/news-story/a688f86b2867aca6e9063aab9bd1235a

Does anyone think that anyone in that Newcastle playing group would play for this guy? Newcastle imo are in for a massive shit storm of a year and I could actually see them falling away massively!

This to me is the perfect reason you don't go splashing the real big cash on players that are just not winning you most of your games. I know there are other factors but I can't help like Newcastle are under this kids spell, and thier future doesn't look good?

David Fafita is the other that springs to mind.

---

It's not a good look when your captain is lost for words and doesnt really know how to convey a message to the journo.

I also noticed on the kick off for the second half he basically had a look of disbelief on his face and appeared to be 'joking around' (like "what the ****... did we seriously start both halves the same way") when they were lining up for the drop out.

In that situation you want your captain being absolutely ropable on the players to snap them back into gear, because they obviously came back out of halftime without their mind on the game. At that point he had to reiterate whatever the coach's halftime message was and reset the team.

When Ponga was named captain I thought it was a bad decision and figured it was team politics in order to retain him, but now that he's staying I cant really see how they can take it off him.

It's like "What if we made a Gen Z captain?"

He looks unprepared or ill equipped for the position and knights now have a lack of leadership across the club to help him out. Klemmer, Frizzel and Gagai are basically the senior players there... and they no longer have Pearce, who was probably not perfect, but at least had some credibility as a leader and was in the spine to take pressure off.

 

[Super Freak]

It's not a good look when your captain is lost for words and doesnt really know how to convey a message to the journo.

I also noticed on the kick off for the second half he basically had a look of disbelief on his face and appeared to be 'joking around' (like "what the ****... did we seriously start both halves the same way") when they were lining up for the drop out.

In that situation you want your captain being absolutely ropable on the players to snap them back into gear, because they obviously came back out of halftime without their mind on the game. At that point he had to reiterate whatever the coach's halftime message was and reset the team.

When Ponga was named captain I thought it was a bad decision and figured it was team politics in order to retain him, but now that he's staying I cant really see how they can take it off him.

It's like "What if we made a Gen Z captain?"

He looks unprepared or ill equipped for the position and knights now have a lack of leadership across the club to help him out. Klemmer, Frizzel and Gagai are basically the senior players there... and they no longer have Pearce, who was probably not perfect, but at least had some credibility as a leader and was in the spine to take pressure off.

Ponga doesn't have the right attitude to be captain. I laughed when the Knights made him captain because I knew it was going to go this way. He's a good player, but he's not a leader.

It was one of the worst decisions Adam O'Brien has made and he needs to make the tough call and strip him of the captaincy, but I don't think he has the courage to do so.

 

[BroncsFan]

Ponga doesn't have the right attitude to be captain. I laughed when the Knights made him captain because I knew it was going to go this way. He's a good player, but he's not a leader.

It was one of the worst decisions Adam O'Brien has made and he needs to make the tough call and strip him of the captaincy, but I don't think he has the courage to do so.

I think there would've been pressure from the back office to make him captain and not solely on O'Brien.

The club would want to portray him as the main man from a marketting point of view, but it always looked a mistake.

I think he's just had it so easily from the media all the way through that he wasnt ready to be a captain yet.

If a player is often criticised as being lazy or in and out of games, it's not exactly screaming leader... and that has pretty well been the only criticism thrown at Ponga prior to this year.

The strawberry milkshake episode, holding the club to ransom multiple times already, antics from his father and his general carefree persona all should've been red flags to them.

But they've made their bed now and I just dont see how they can take it off him now.... he's still playing the same way he always has and that was the form he was in when they gave him the captaincy

 

[Morkel]

The Tuilagi no try against the Dragons.

I can live with that decision from the bunker, I actually think they made the right call.

When you look at it frame by frame, at first he has both hands on the ball. Then his right hand comes away from the ball. Then his left hand starts to come away, but because part of his left hand is under the ball, it doesn't come away completely and he's still got fingers on the ball as he grounds it. But he was losing control.

View attachment 18167
View attachment 18168
View attachment 18169
View attachment 18170

I guess the question you ask, can you say that's downward pressure?

An issue you have is, the ref said try so did the bunker have enough evidence to overturn it? It was very much a 50/50 call, and unfortunately it didn't go Tigers way.

The Cobbo try was a bit different. Cobbo had control of the ball and has both hands on the ball when he grounds it and has fingers on top of the ball.

I'd call that a try. Though he may of been in the process of losing it, there was never any separation so that's a try for mine. No separation, ball touches ground while in contact with the hand, that's a try.