POST GAME [Round 21, 2021] Knights vs Broncos

Since taking the biggest earners out of this side; Milford, TPJ & Lodge we have looked a far, far better team.
We certainly haven’t missed Fleggler nor did we miss Turpin tonight. Levi was impressive again tonight.
We are certainly moving towards a team who genuinely want to play for each other and the jersey. A couple of solid off-season recruits could rocket this team into finals contention next year.
Another well timed HIA to stop any momentum too i read. I turned off and jumped on the indoor trainer so I missed most of the 2nd half.
 
Another well timed HIA to stop any momentum too i read. I turned off and jumped on the indoor trainer so I missed most of the 2nd half.
Herbie made a half-break deep inside the Broncos half only for the trainer to call time and give Newcastle a minute breather. Newcastle then dominated the following two tackles and were right on the front foot.

Just one of those gamesmanship things. If it was Kalyn Ponga, they wouldn't have called for it.
 
Do you have a better explanation for the Isaako hold-back? If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck....
The argument which BroncsFan brought up earlier is that once Isaako touches the ball he's fair game.

I get the feeling Annesley is going to back the Bunker here.
 
Sidenote, still hate our bench rotation.

If Kelly was fit, should have started. Especially if the plan was to sub off Croft for him.

Riki was so fucking gassed at stages, gotta get him a break. Kelly in at 7 and TC on the bench would have been far better.
Kelly absolutely had to come into the squad when fit... Croft just doesn't provide enough attack. Tries hard sure, and realistically he's probably a better defender in terms of solidifying that side when the communication is good... I had already turned off when Kelly was given his cameo so not sure how he went, but I don't recall him being a liability out there in previous games.

We just have so little attack across the team that we can't leave everything on Gamble, especially when Staggs drops out for the year, so we absolutely need Kelly out there to give us more focal points across the park. Kelly also likes to float across either side of the ruck to put questions in the defence's mind.



Funny that you note TC onto the bench and Riki being gassed... when I saw our confirmed bench for the game I thought we were a little light with backrow coverage. Kennedy, Bull and Willison are all middles, and Palasia looked to be our only backrow coverage across the forwards and he was starting at prop... so unless his last stint was going to be a sub on for Riki then he was going to be playing the 80... and we already know that he gets loose in defence when he gets fatigued. It's little things like that which suggest we are unbalanced across the squad, but it hasn't helped that players are being released left, right and center, coupled with injuries, to give us even less depth.
 
Fox commentators talking up Niu while ignoring everything he doesn’t do off the ball is very irritating, it’s as if they get a cut from his manager. That Fitzgibbon try in particular where Isaako was held off the ball, Niu was standing almost under the post watching. Similar effort in the Pearce try where he should have got down low to stop him from reaching out. He is eerily similar to Milford. Like a lot of these kids they play a handful of nrl games & think they are superstars & deserve the massive contracts, It’s a good test of character for the club to weed out.
Thankfully ikin would be awake the the fox hype train
 
The argument which BroncsFan brought up earlier is that once Isaako touches the ball he's fair game.

I get the feeling Annesley is going to back the Bunker here.

For what it's worth I agree he'll back the bunker, but it's the wrong call. The ball clearly brushes his fingers (ie a knock on) for starters. Accidental, yes, but a knock on all the same. Even clearing that, Best is quite obviously looking over Isaako's shoulder at the ball bouncing well in front, while still holding Jamayne back. "No obstruction"? Please.

Yes, we should have been better to not then let in another 2 tries after that. But that call was the turning point of the game.
 
I'm just glad we are finally running and defending hard. That's half the battle and something that several other coaches haven't been able to achieve with their teams this year.
 
Kelly absolutely had to come into the squad when fit... Croft just doesn't provide enough attack. Tries hard sure, and realistically he's probably a better defender in terms of solidifying that side when the communication is good... I had already turned off when Kelly was given his cameo so not sure how he went, but I don't recall him being a liability out there in previous games.

We just have so little attack across the team that we can't leave everything on Gamble, especially when Staggs drops out for the year, so we absolutely need Kelly out there to give us more focal points across the park. Kelly also likes to float across either side of the ruck to put questions in the defence's mind.



Funny that you note TC onto the bench and Riki being gassed... when I saw our confirmed bench for the game I thought we were a little light with backrow coverage. Kennedy, Bull and Willison are all middles, and Palasia looked to be our only backrow coverage across the forwards and he was starting at prop... so unless his last stint was going to be a sub on for Riki then he was going to be playing the 80... and we already know that he gets loose in defence when he gets fatigued.
We're starting the games with Palasia instead of using Kennedy to soak up the earlier stuff. It may not make a difference to tonight's game but Palasia is mobile and we aren't taking advantage of his full skills. KW will learn I suppose. He needs good tips on bench use. He's getting a good team mentality going.

I know Croft got subbed off but he was good defensively. Pity he wasn't more gifted in the attacking sense. Good try saver in the first and another great tackle later. Be interesting next week. I can see Croft being a bench utility.
 
For what it's worth I agree he'll back the bunker, but it's the wrong call. The ball clearly brushes his fingers (ie a knock on) for starters. Accidental, yes, but a knock on all the same. Even clearing that, Best is quite obviously looking over Isaako's shoulder at the ball bouncing well in front, while still holding Jamayne back. "No obstruction"? Please.

Yes, we should have been better to not then let in another 2 tries after that. But that call was the turning point of the game.
I'm not saying I agree with the call, that's just the rationale that when Isaako touches the ball he's 'in possession' thus Best is able to complete a tackle.

I can see them also saying that it had no direct affect on the play and they were happy to play on.

I hear you and that call was the straw that broke the camel's back.
 
At half time Newcastle had 72% of the ball with something like 30 odd tackles in our 20, to only lose that game by 8 is a miracle, it never really swung.

Newcastle finished the game with a far more than even share of the ball, plenty to be proud of but obviously the win would have been nice, still making improvements.
 
We're starting the games with Palasia instead of using Kennedy to soak up the earlier stuff. It may not make a difference to tonight's game but Palasia is mobile and we aren't taking advantage of his full skills. KW will learn I suppose. He needs good tips on bench use. He's getting a good team mentality going.

I know Croft got subbed off but he was good defensively. Pity he wasn't more gifted in the attacking sense. Good try saver in the first and another great tackle later. Be interesting next week. I can see Croft being a bench utility.
I think dropping Croft to the bench is an easy call to make over dropping him completely. He probably should be dropped, but I think Kevvie is trying to cultivate a squad where form pays and trying to stop the chopping and changing. Given Croft was involved in a couple wins I think he has given him some leeway rather than bringing Kelly straight back in... but I think we have winnable games coming up and we need the attack that Kelly brings to ease the pressure on Gamble.


I would've been happier to see Kennedy start and Palasia on the bench just to give us that bit of flexibility on the bench... given Kelly was on the bench. I think releasing Lodge and TPJ, on top of Carrigan being injured, is starting to catch up with us, because although Kevvie has Willison on the bench, he's probably only confident to play him for 10-20mins a game.

If TC is fit I would've preferred he played over Willison as I think Kevvie trusts him a bit more. You can't carry Kelly as a utility for 10mins, a middle forward that you don't fully trust in Willison and Bullemor who he doesn't even pick in the 17 every week... Hell he doesn't even trust Kennedy to play big minutes.

I'd say he doesn't trust anyone on his bench, which is probably why he doesn't expose them to big minutes and lumps extra load on Haas.

Compare that to Lodge who he would play for 55min and TPJ who he could get 40-50 mins out of in the middle or 80 on an edge.
 
Congrats on your milestone game Mr Atkins. You certainly earned it tonight
 
You ever see smith dive into social media? Grow up and get off if you want to be a pro….there are obsolute dickhead everywhere, it literally achieves nothing being on it.

Apart from getting heaps of action from the opposite sex, which also brings its own issues…
 
What is this anyway? To prove broncos supporters are bad? Fucking give me a break! Cry me a river
 

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