After 24 games the Newcastle Knights have finished their season.
Sadly, in front of 24,662 at Old Boys Day, they didn’t get the result they wanted as they fell 24-14 to the Dragons. I do remember saying they’ll either just make or just miss the eight.
By coming 11th it would be their lowest spot on the ladder that I’d have predicted at the start of the year.
Overall I am very proud of how well they did but I do think had there been better luck without injuries to key players, they would have finished higher (7th–9th). I know it’s wishful thinking but there’s no harm in that, no harm asking what if and they had done brilliantly.
Four of our key injuries were Kalyn Ponga, Connor Watson, Mitchell Pearce and Slade Griffin and right there you have the original spine of the 2018 season. Mitchell Pearce was the only one of them who played in our last match.
In the opening two rounds of the season, Ponga, Watson and Pearce had shown they were working on a brilliant combination with the Knights tasting success in both matches including their late Golden Point opening round win in front of 23,516 at home against Manly 19–18 and their win in the final minutes against Canberra 30–28.
Many were claiming they would be the next big three. Personally I’d call them the holy trinity. The big three title is taken and if we can reuse names, might as well throw Danny Levi in and call them The A-Team.
They were combining in excellent fashion but they only got to spend 176 minutes on the field together this season.
Down below is a list of statistics to compare this year to last year:
– Last year we scored 428 points and conceded 648 points = – 220.
– This year we scored 414 points and conceded 607 = – 193.
– This year we scored 73 tries and conceded 99 = – 26
– Last year we scored 72 tries and conceded 111 = – 39
2018 points – 414
2017 points – 428
– 14
(Last year we had better a goal kicking record)
2018 tries – 73
2017 tries – 72
+1
2018 F/A – 193
2017 F/A – 220
+27
2017 position – 16th
2018 position – 11th
From what myself and many of my fellow Knights supporters can see, we are coming back on the rise and in 2019, I can see us making the finals. The top four is an unlikely possibility – fifth to eighth is more realistic from my point of view.
What I admire about the Newcastle Knights supporters is after three years of pure hell, they showed up in massive numbers to cheer the boys on the field and show their passionate support along with the infamous “New-cas-tle” chants.
What I admire about the players is that I feel once more the team is giving back to the community. Even last year I saw some signs of it. The players don’t just play for the pay check and they don’t just play for the team, they play for the town.
A friend of mine and I both said it, you could schedule the Knights to play at 2am in Newcastle and the red and blue will still show up in massive numbers ready to cheer the boys home.
I cannot wait for the 2019 season for Newcastle and I’m absolutely excited. The players said they’re looking forward to seeing us in 2019 and gentlemen, we’re looking to seeing you too.
Roarers, I’ve had my say so now you have yours. How do you think Newcastle will go next year?
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