One of rugby league’s best developing stories is the rise and rise of Newcastle Knights head coach Rick Stone, who is enjoying the view from the top of the NRL table, unbeaten after four starts.
If you’ll excuse the pun, the man is proving to be a knight in shining armour, the ideal successor to Wayne Bennett, whose three-year tenure in the Hunter produced a mixed bag of results.
The club clearly needed to choose its new coach carefully and in Stone, a man who knows the workings of the club inside out, they look to have come up with a winner.
Bennett opted out of the last season of his four-year Newcastle contract but I believe he left the club in good shape, leaving a sound platform for his successor Stone. Many fans forget that the Knights were really hard to beat over the final third of last year’s competition, even though they missed the eight-team playoffs by two wins.
It’s only early days (and admittedly the Knights have had a degree of luck to go 4-0) but there are encouraging signs that the club has begun a season that will generate enormous excitement in the league-mad city in 2015.
To me it seems clear that Stone already has his players eating out of his hand. He is an excellent communicator who has the ear of the club’s senior as well as the emerging players.
He has the Knights playing an attractive brand of football with ball in hand while the famous Newcastle steel is there when resolute defence is required.
Tactically, Stone looks to be as good as any of his peers and it will be fascinating to see how his team performs when the heavyweights such as the Rabbitohs, Roosters and Bulldogs roll around. And won’t it be absorbing when the Stone-coached Newcastle tackles Bennett’s Broncos at Hunter Stadium on Monday, May 25!
I really like what he has already achieved with prop Kade Snowden who, with the Wests Tigers’ Aaron Woods, is the form front rower of the NRL. Stone has made Snowden his forward leader and his stats after four rounds speak for themselves. He has run for 150 metres to give the Knights’ pack awesome thrust and has averaged 34 tackles per game.
If James Tamou continues to struggle for the Cowboys, I wouldn’t be surprised if Snowden gets a tap on the shoulder from Laurie Daley for State of Origin 1. He has been there before (2011) and relishes the heavy slog up front.
Of course, this is not Stone’s debut as a first grade coach at Newcastle – he has had stints there before. The stats say he has been at the helm for a total of 58 games, winning 29 for a winning percentage of exactly 50 per cent.
Newcastle fans appear to like him a lot and the players are responding to his level-headed approach to the game and fair-handed selection policies that reward hard work and consistency.
I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s Knights-Dragons duel at Hunter Stadium to see what eventuates as the two clubs play for the Alex McKinnon Cup. It will be interesting to see how Newcastle responds to a brighter than usual spotlight that accompanies such strong early-season form.
The Dragons have built an imposing away record in the Hunter over the past decade but I’m tipping the locals to continue their run. There’s a rolling Stone there for sure and this one gathers moss and competition points.
Knight Vision
Guest
Bennett Ball didnt work with this squad. Boring one up, no pass ball, mistake free footy . It was boring. Bennett had a bunch of Ferrari's and kept them parked in the garage. Stone has got them playing an expansive exciting brand of footy. Unleash the Ferrari's and watch them go. Bennett's language throughout his tenure was a lot of " they" instead of "we " . He was never a Newcastle man. Better he go Brisbane where he can have unlimited 3rd party deals and get the team he wants to win the Premiership and keep the myth alive. Bennett is good at perpetuating the Bennett brand.
Birdy
Guest
Unless you had Newcastle history in your blood it would have been hard not to jump ship during the Tinkler years if an offer came along, especially the last 12 months. From what I've seen of Bennett he strikes me as a man who would not let anything like that get in his way unless 1) he wasn't getting paid or 2) we will never know how much the Alex McKinnon tragedy really affected him.
PNG Rabbits
Guest
Kade Snowdon runs 30 metres and averages 8 tackles per game? That'd be big statistics for a bench player.
Peter Beckwith
Roar Rookie
No need to rag on Bennett...... What s happening here is simply what happens when a new coach comes in i.e. The new coach takes what he is given and deals with it as well as he can until he gets to build his own side. Many of last years problems were caused by external matters and also the Alex McKinnon injury seemed to hang heavily on the players. It just seems that Stone has hit the ground running and he has taken the players with him.
Brian
Guest
I still believe Bellamy to Brisbane is a chance. He 'retires' around the time that Bennett's contract ends (coincidentally at the same time that the big three retire , he has ties to qld, and is young and competitive enough to keep going.
Brian
Guest
Rip on Bennett all you want, but he practically built this squad, stone is merely reaping the rewards.
Don
Roar Rookie
I was going to mention the same thing of the Titans last season, even winning 5 or their first 6 games but went on to finish a lowly 14th. The Knights have played a very physical game so far this season and mostly, won convincingly. They are looking the goods so far. They finished well in 2014 even with such an eventful year and it's good to see them continue it into the beginning of this season.
Jay C
Roar Guru
They have Walters, Langer and Kearney. He basically is a director. I don't think he has worried too much about plays for a while now. They also have Lockyer on the board.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
I think Bennett is the best man-manager in the business. And a role as a director of football operations awaits. But the coaching caper has passed him by. The Broncos should get him in as a director asap, looking at the day to day running of the club, inspiring the players etc. Still have a hands on role with the coaching. He needs to be there as players clearly want to play for him. And that's half the battle. But inject new blood to come up with tactics and winning formulas.
The eye
Guest
Last game last season is burnt into my memory Knights absolutely flogged the Dragons,my main man BJ was ripping them apart - until Dugan,sadly, accidentally knocked him out just before 1/2 time..one big difference in these early days is 'you never know which team is going to get off the bus each week ' to paraphrase Wayne,is no longer a factor..backrow tomorrow of Scott,Smith and Sims doing the hurting,Dragons medicos are going to have to order more ice..
Tim Prentice
Expert
I think he left the joint in very good shape.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Just getting in early for the barrage of comments about how terrible a coach Bennett is.
Tim Prentice
Expert
Obviously it is very early days Jay but the signs look encouraging for a good season. The club has come through a rocky year and there is much to enthuse over. Who mentioned champagne? Why be a wet blanket?
Jay C
Roar Guru
Titans were number 1 at this stage last year too. Maybe don't pop the champagne quite yet. Their style of football works great in these opening rounds before teams get their defensive structures set...