The Newcastle Knights are a team showing no signs of wanting success after a pathetic 30-10 loss to the Manly Sea Eagles at Brookvale Oval on Sunday afternoon.
There may have been a few questionable decisions by the referees and in particular the video referees, but the Knights, in recording their fifth straight loss, did not want to put in the hard yards.
Furthermore they lacked the mental application and tactical awareness necessary of a professional sporting team that, on a pound-for-pound basis, should be achieving much more than they are currently.
The vast majority of the players within this proud club lack mental fortitude, a weakness that is bleeding throughout the entire ranks, and it all starts at the top with both the chief executive officer and the coach.
In last week’s Newcastle Herald, Knights CEO Matt Gidley demanded complete commitment from his entire club from the ground up.
“We want players here who are desperate to win comps, desperate to represent our town, and we want them to work as hard as they possibly can to achieve those things, and we don’t shy away from that,” Gidley said.
Well, none of this was shown in the inept display against the Sea Eagles, and by this evidence, the same message wasn’t delivered by coach Rick Stone to his players, not reiterating the reinforced memorandum of understanding that the whole club has agreed to base themselves on.
Stone is proving himself to be an average coach, and an average coach only. He has shown absolutely no guts, and very little street smarts with his approach to his side’s make-up. He has no idea of his first-choice 17-man line-up.
Stone is creating a team environment lacking the necessary competence to be successful in the National Rugby League, and it eating the confidence of his players alive.
It is time for Stone to start showing his true colours and the true colours of this two-time premiership winning club. He needs to start making tough decisions on the future of many players, as well as the future of the club ahead of next week’s game against the Wests Tigers at Hunter Stadium.
Great coaches make very tough decisions, and Stone could start on the road to joining that elite group by showing the guts to make some career and club-defining decisions.
Right now, considering the talent he has at his disposal, Rick Stone is the worst coach in the NRL.
Prove me wrong, or resign.
maximus182
Roar Guru
They Knights need to shift Kurt Gidley to the bench, or send him off to the Super League now. Whilst a loyal servant to the Knights, he is slowing them down. They need to start Jake Mamo and Matauita somewhere in the run-on team. Mullen is they key to their team, but there's only so much he can do. The forward back needs to start being ruthless and taking no prisoners, with Smith, Scott, Snowden and the Sims' brothers, they should be ripping teams apart.
Albo
Guest
They just don't think they have the cattle right now to regularly worry the top sides. And I don't think Mullen is the key to their success either, I think he is one of their main problems. He has such an inconsistent game especially his kicking & passing game which is all over the place. Seems to prefer the spectacular low percentage option over the effective higher percentage option. I don't think he has improved his game one iota since he played Origin all those years ago. You get an occasional good kick or a memorable 30 m cut out pass from him , but for him, these have a success rate of one in every ten attempts ! Too many wrong options . So many handovers or 7 tackles follow his involvement. His game reminds me so much of Luke Walsh ( former Knight) who frustrated Panthers team mates & fans for 4 years with similar 10% effectiveness rates, and now doing the same at St Helens, I assume.
Albo
Guest
But I still think you are bit tough on Stone. He didn't bomb 4 or 5 tries against Manly yesterday , or miss a bunch of regulation tackles ?
Jamieson Murphy
Roar Guru
The team had no direction in attack, and lacked toughness in defence. Where is that never say die attitude that we saw in the first four games?
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
I think what you are saying in general about a dearth key players is spot on. Bennett achieved a fair bit in Newcastle. The first season was not that that great, but he took an average team to the preliminary the year after, and then his final season was hamstrung by the Tinkler turmoil, and impact of McKinnon's injury on player moral. When all come good late that season, the team was almost unbeatable. In Newcastle, a lot of people are very aware that the quality juniors now coming though. that's all thanks to Tinklers money (when it was flowing) and Bennett's direction. At the Knights, Rick Stone is doing a Micheal Hagan - living off the good work of his predecessor.
Benedict Arnold
Guest
I think that Mullen is the key. Once he is out all other teams seem to have figured them out. Roberts is out of form and they always seem to go to gidley. It's easy to know what they are going to do and it's pretty much cause he does nothing. As long as you can stop their centres, the rest is pretty easy to defend - that's my opinion anyway.
Albo
Guest
Even that guru Bennett couldn't get the Knights performing for one simple reason. Like most of the NRL clubs they just don't have the key players that run the game out on the park, and lead the other boofs around the field . They are missing a complete spine ! They are a long way from the Johns / Buderus era. Their current halves are average and for so long been over-rated .They have an average couple of number 9's, and alternate between an inexperienced fullback ( Mata utia) or an over the hill one (the loyal but stumbling Gidley). Overall they are directionless out on the field. They are in the same boat as many other clubs. The key quality spine players are rare , and even rarer are those spine players that can lead a team around the park effectively. Compare the Knights with the Storm's spine of Smith, Cronk, Green & Slater, or even the cellar dwellers Manly with Ballin, Foran, DCE, Brett Stewart. Each have a couple of leaders that can run their team effectively around the park. Or how would the Knights look and their performance improve with say a JT at number 6 rather than Mullen ? No point blaming Stone for the performances. They got lucky early on with a few wins against under done teams, but now that the season is settling down, the limitations in their quality of cattle are there for all to see.
Arnold Krewanty
Guest
There is certainly a lot of Knights supporters in Newcastle who had fears this would be the case, and it certainly is. Rick Stone should never have been given the job. A successful team Bennett has built has become an aimless mob on the park. The ball has been dropped by the NRL endorsed "Board" & Matt Gidley
up in the north
Roar Rookie
Well success will stop criticism usually.
zim
Guest
With this much coach bashing I thought I was reading an article on sticky. Odd how all those have disappeared this year.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Go Manly!
Jason Hosken
Guest
Got off to a 4-0 start. Whats changed, Stone was getting plenty of wraps early.
PGNEWC
Guest
It needs to be purged from the top down there is still an old boy clique driven network going on with the Gidleys and Stone. Going Back to Stone not so good in the first place along with the Gidleys running the show wasn't the answer. A new hardness and professionalism needs to be instilled ASAP. Just showing up for games ---god this is embarrassing !
The eye
Guest
Certainly is..couldnt be more disappointed in how many of these players are turning up on game day..time for Buderus to follow in Tooveys footsteps from waterboy to head coach effective immediately