Less dining, more signings please Nathan

dragons offered him a lot more money than the knights about $200,000 grand more a season and at the time everyone thought the dragons were mad to offer vaughan that much money. I guess the dragons are the ones laughing now.

Another point you have kinda missed is that there weren't many realistic optins willing to put their career in the line to coach the Knights.

On you first point. Coaches are unfortunately judged on their win percentage. Wins are what keeps them in jobs. Secondly. I'm not questioning the Knights desire each week, they put in 100%. They are a credit to their fans (who are amazing), I should have outlined more about their effort each week, it's a positive reflection on the job Brown is doing. My concern is the lack of quality arriving at the club (Ponga excluded), I feel if they signed 3-4 of the players I mentioned it would help them towards the back end of each game. Experience is key, along with a few old heads in the pack.

Sluggers, You do not judge an NRL coach on his win percentage. Ideally, you need to rate (value) his list and its expectation and that includes points scored for and against based on the quality of the list. Some facts: Brownie inherited a nightmare from Wayne Bennett who implemented a short term strategy. Ie, Wayne did not care about developing players only that he wanted to win the GF that year. This is fine if it comes off but if it backfires, you get a double whammy disaster. The Knights were in a shambles when Brownie signed on and his first job was to get rid of the old “dead wood”. That cannot happen overnight but it is just about done. The light in the tunnel as I see it is: • Ponga is a genuine world beater and the Knights have got him long term and he will be worth much more than they paid for him when his contract runs out. A huge coup. • Mitchell Barnett is another who could play Origin in the future. Barnett could have re-signed anywhere but he chose to stay at the Knights, always a good sign. • Every week the knights turn out with a much inferior 17, but they generally also turn up to play and do their club proud. They always put in which is a reflection on the coach. • Defence is always the yardstick how a team is going and the Knights have improved markedly in 12 months. • Finally, the coach. I rate Nathan Brown highly and as the cattle arrive so will the wins.

Spot on Max ! No point jumping in at every name coming off contract. Most of the names being thrown around for the Knights to buy are "dime a dozen" fringe players. That's why they haven't been resigned already ! They have plenty of these types already in their ranks ! What they need is a couple of good quality enforcers / leaders to show the way for the rest of the young roster. I hark back to the late 80's when the Panthers had bunch of promising youngsters like Alexander, Geyer, Izzard , Fitler etc coming through trying to get to the next level ( a premiership team). In 1988 they brought Chris Mortimer & Peter Kelly from the premiership winning Bulldogs. Two tough as nails competitors and leaders and "Origin players" who guided the younger Panthers to the semis in 88, 89 , the Grand final in 90 and eventually GF winners in 91. Newcastle need a couple of these types right now. James Graham would be the ideal type of leader to snare and if they can convince Cooper Cronk to move to the Hunter, these couple might be the answer. And such competitive types of players also attract other better players to consider the move to Newcastle to a new found winning culture.

What is your point there?

The Knights seem to be in the grip of "recruitment yips" Ironically, that may prove to have been fortuitous. I just hope they sign a pair of durable enforcers.

Every body has said who would be a good fit for Newcastle but not too many will come until they fix the ownership issue. Also I still don't think that Nathan Brown is still the right option for Newcastle.

Prop, half and center @ quality are the neccessities..pray he's already signed James Graham..which can domino into some class like Hayne,Chambers,Asiata..looks like you read the Newcatle Herald Sluggers..

They've been really unlucky with injuries. Going to struggle to hold on to gagai too. When all fit, halfback is probably the biggest issue for them. Next would be an old head at prop, and some experience to come off the bench. Scott Bolton and Josh Hoffman on 2 year deals would add something to their pack and have experience in big matches. Shouldn't cost the earth either. Michael Gordon might be looking to tie down a wing for 1 year. Just having those kinds of guys around training would boost the squad. Sam Tagatese might be alright but you've already got a lot of big forwards. Albert Vete would be a good mobile option. As for half back if Cronk doesn't come there's really no options in the NRL that are that crash hot. Tyrone Roberts would likely not come. Frawley from the dogs? Maybe super league is where you need to go. Luke Gale has been very good over there.

I could have sworn the knights made a play for vaughan but he wasn't interested.

The first group of players I mentioned are off contract at the end of this season. Limited number available.

Changes to the broadcast deal Bruce, with State of Origin II moving to a Sunday mid-season. Trans-Tasman Test will be played first week of international season with a possible second game the week after (hopefully) pending on tour schedules.

Kostjasyn is a back up hooker Would barely make a difference

Where's the current problem with the Knights? Age and Experience, especially in the forwards and a decent hooker rotation for Levi. Kostjayson would have been perfect for them this year but unfortuantely hasn't been able to get on the park and may not at all with his current injury potentially career ending. Peats is not the answer here. Knights need a big experienced prop and a new half to partner Lamb with Hodkinson looking like a broken steam boat out on the field. Maybe Marshall? Packer would be a good pick up, as would NAS. I would be surprised to see Gubb go anywhere but the Cowboys considering we have been chasing him for the last 12 months. Eastwood could be a good pickup if he wants to drop a few kgs and if the Coal Train really is a changed man he would be great for Newcastle on a short term deal. Joe Offa would be a great pick up for them as would Guerra. Ryan Hoffman would also be another good short term pick up.

Um you must really not want the knights to be any good. Ever. Knowingly over paying for a known quantity is the same as voluntarily reducing your salary cap. Peats etal are the players they are, there is no potential upside, no "we're one player like him away" urgency. It is simply saying hey we've got no use for this 100k of cap space so lets burn it! They are in an unenviable position of their money doesn’t mean as much. Which is paradoxically an outcome of a salary cap if everyone has similar financial resource then you can’t “buy” success off better clubs, rather it is based on other differentiating factors which actually means successful teams should be able to remain successful for longer as they can offer a differentiating factor (before even layering in the obvious recruit v retain premium) What the Knights are doing at the moment is overpaying for potential and using juniors. It may seem like a short term disaster but it helps in two ways. If everyone else overvalues the next 3 years production more than the likely next 4-6 then that is a technical support for you to be able to purchase forecast 4-6 year value. I’d think paying for potential tends to leave you with swathe of moderately over valued players, a decent batch of fair valued players and a few massively undervalued players. Now that you’re in the retain v recruit you can get a discount on the high end and pay a small premium at the filler spots. The pathway is by no means a guarantee for success but it is a path. You're strategy condems them to dreaming about 6th-8th

after watching the Anzac test last weekend I've been reading that is was the last Anzac test why is that