The Newcastle Knights are one of the darling teams in the NRL.
If you ask a fan who their second team is, many will say the Knights.
One of the reasons for that is that we all love an underdog and in the last ten years there has been no bigger underdog in the NRL than the red and blue.
But it’s not just about the team on the field. Many of us also have love and admiration for the club’s fans.
Despite the lack of success in recent years, their average home crowd numbers are always right at the top.
Novocastrians love their footy and their team – even when they dish out performances like they did against Manly on Saturday night, as the Knights slumped to their fourth straight loss.
It’s time to accept reality.
For those of us who tipped the Knights to make the top eight, it’s evident from the first five rounds that this is not the team we thought they were and that we may have overestimated the impact that some of their new signings would have.
So how did they get here?
Over the last couple of seasons, we have seen a similar pattern in the off-season. During this ‘rebuild’ under Nathan Brown, a couple of good signings are made each year, and then the media talks about these recruits and how they will either improve the club’s fortunes dramatically, and this year, propel the team into the top eight.
But let’s look at some of those 2019 signings: David Klemmer, Hymel Hunt, Edrick Lee, Tim Glasby and Mason Lino.
(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
While Klemmer was significant, many of these players fall into the category of depth signings. The problem is that many of them have been elevated to the starting line-up.
Adding to the hype this year was Brown’s announcement that Kalyn Ponga would move into the halves.
Some experts predicted – before even playing a game together – that Mitchell Pearce and Ponga would be the halves pairing of the year.
Matthew Johns was one of those experts, declaring that if Ponga stayed fit, Newcastle would have the best halves pairing in the comp.
His brother, Andrew, said Ponga would win the Dally M if he stayed fit.
They were wrong.
I was never a fan of Ponga moving into the halves.
He is an exceptionally talented player, but just like we saw in State of Origin last year, when his defensive workload increases dramatically, he is not as destructive with the ball in hand.
I remember the break he made in the second Origin match, towards the end of the game, where he was gassed because of the extra work he was doing in the middle.
(AAP Image/Brendon Thorne)
Additionally, this move showed arrogance.
When Darren Lockyer shifted into the halves, it took him about six weeks to find his feet. This was a man who already had over 200 first-grade games under his belt when he made the move.
Ponga has barely played 30 games.
To add insult to injury, this experiment was never really given the chance to work, with Ponga returning to his preferred position of fullback midway through the third match of the season.
So how much longer does Brown have as a coach? Is his time up?
He delivered back-to-back wooden spoons in his first two seasons, then improvement to 11th last year.
(AAP Image/Darren Pateman)
There may have been some positive signs in their games so far. They have lost a couple of close encounters, and heading into Round 5, had the fourth-best defence in the competition.
But all of that means nothing if you can’t get two points, particularly when you consider how poor their performance was on Saturday night.
Their opening quarter showed no urgency or intensity and 20 minutes in, they trailed 18-0.
There are several teams who have shown in the opening weeks of 2019 that rebuilds don’t take as long as they have at the Knights.
The Eels have shed a couple of players, made some big signings in key positions, and look like a different team. Same story for the Raiders.
How much longer will Newcastle supporters buy the rebuild story before beginning to question the man in charge?
I don’t envy Knights fans. You spent an entire off-season waiting for the footy to return and head into Round 6 with a win-loss ratio of 1-4.
That start is almost impossible to recover from, particularly when they have already had four home games and lost three of them.
Traditionally, Newcastle are not a team that travel well, so this does not bode well.
So how many more years of a rebuild can Knights fans endure?
Because I’m starting to get impatient for them.
wizard
Roar Rookie
"the most dangerous kick returner in the game, bar none"...i guess you don't rate James Tedesco, Blake Ferguson and RTS?
BA Sports
Roar Guru
It is his second season. He came has a big signing to play centre and lasted 4 games before getting wrecked.
Richard POWELL
Roar Rookie
When teams are going through a rough patch it usually comes down to attitude. Unfortunately the Knights are focusing on negatives - Don't drop the ball, Don't give away a penalty, Don't miss a tackle. The result is that's exactly what they do. The only thing that can grow in your life is what you focus on and if your focus is a negative that's exactly what you'll get and it makes you try too hard and be too conservative. The Knights need a shot of confidence and that starts with the belief that they've got a brilliantly talented roster capable of winning the premiership. If they can get that belief and add ruthlessness and discipline they can beat any and every other team - home or away. I'm yet to see Klemmer get back and hit the line at top speed. 250 metres a game is not beyond him. If Browny has had a spat with Ese'ese he should overcome it. If the forwards can believe and be ruthless and disciplined, Pearce and co can run riot.
Superspud
Roar Rookie
Moga has been at the club for two or three years.
PGNEWC
Roar Rookie
Agreed Mary -- they dont display the same intensity throughout the game and slacken off in defence that been a hallmark of Browns coaching he needs to go. They dont need a buddy they need a coach
BA Sports
Roar Guru
I don't agree with the notion that their signings were for depth. Yes Lino and Hunt were, you could argue Gavet and Lee. But for 2019 Ramien and Moga were brought to the club to be starting centre's and Glasby and Klemmer to be starting forwards. That is 4 out of 13 - 31% of the starting side. I agree Ponga's position is fullback. Master one before trying another. I wrote else where this morning that he is the most dangerous kick returner in the game, bar none. So why you would move him from that position makes no sense to me. They are looking really ordinary in attack at the moment. With the talent at their dispoal, they should be better. For that the heat has to be on Brownie who opted to sign the shorter deals because he wanted to back himself. He might be regretting that about now.. Problem is, who are you replacing him with?
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Just on some other points in the article Mary..Herman wasn’t signed in 2019... 2018. In his 3 games at 5/8 K Ponga made 11 tackles, that’s 1 every 7 minutes....he made 8 on the weekend..how’s that fatiguing him ?
RandyM
Guest
Whatever game plan they are using obviously isn't working and they only look dangerous when Ponga starts playing adlib. I keep saying it but the Knights should look to bring Shane Flanagan to the club if they are serious about being a premiership contender again. Not sure what the NRL's current stance is with him...
Andy
Guest
Can't believe he can't get a spot in the 17. Him and Klemmer up front could be deadly!
Dirk Diggler
Roar Rookie
Good read Mary, and aptly pointed out that bar Klemmer the signings have been for added depth. You need a good combination of youth and experience in building a team into a consistent winner and the pieces have been coming together with Pearce, SKD, Guerra and now Glasby but also some exciting players like Ramian, Ponga etc. Unfortunately the team has not gelled so someone has to cop the blame for that. No top 8 this year for me and the only thing that might save them from another spoon are the Bulldogs & Titans.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Herman Ese ese was one of the best if not the best forward at the club last year. Played every game and got a run for NZ in Denver. Suddenly after a spat with Brownie he’s ranked below Josh King and James Gavet..there’s no doubt they’ve got a stronger roster it defies logic to see them going backwards..off field rumblings, is another matter.
mushi
Roar Guru
If he does go the so should the rest of the front office. Recruitment and long term strategy isn't the sole dominion of coaches. We're so knee jerk with coaches it is baffling. It's like every part of logic dies when we talk about coaches.
mushi
Roar Guru
So who are the 16 "coaches "?
Paul
Roar Guru
I assume Newcastle will do some sort of mid season review, the same as other Clubs do every year. Obviously team performance will be high in the agenda and hopefully for Newcastle fans, the team's season would have turned around by then. They have 4 games upcoming against the Titans, Eels, Warriors and Bulldogs and they MUST win all four, not only to keep them a possible team to make the finals, but to give Brown the rest of the season as their coach. That would be my ultimatum to young Nathan if I was the Knights CEO
Paul
Roar Guru
hi Mary I assume you submitted this piece before the Eels played yesterday, when you wrote "The Eels have shed a couple of players and made some big signings in key positions and look like a different team". They looked like the 2018 team against the Raiders with 5 or 6 complete sets in the first half and not many more in the second.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Or Trent Barrett, Stephen Kearney, Garth Brennen, Jason Taylor or David Furner. But that's still a LONG way down the list.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Ricky’s made no secret of the fact that his main priority over the off season was stiffening up the sides defense and Wighton became the sheriff..a quick glance at their ‘against’ column shows it’s working..a few Eels will be aching today..on the other side of the ball,Jacks not so good..
John
Guest
He’s a better coach than BA....
Joe
Roar Rookie
I don't agree that it was arrogant to move Ponga to the halves after one season at fullback. Munster did the same thing at the Storm and was/is a great success in the 6. Michael Morgan the same at the Cowboys. What is baffling is there was no better option at 1 at the Knights and that they had signed Mann and Lino who both can play 6. That said if Ponga had worked at 6 we'd all be lauding Brown as a genius so I guess he had to try. The 6 will likely touch the ball much more than the 1 in a game and he wanted his star player to get his hands on the ball as much as possible. The problem is Ponga works best in space and at 6 there is much less. Also as you mentioned the 6 gets to make a load more tackles so isn't as fresh in attack. I still think the Knights can pull it out of the fire because they have such a good roster but the clock is ticking.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Manly has recruited a whole heap of reserve graders over the last few years and I can't recall too may punters suggesting that we've recruited better than the Knights so I'm yet to be convinced that they have recruited poorly. Pongas move to 5/8 has been much maligned but Jack Whighton has moved from fullback to 5/8 as well and the move of Ponga wasn't as silly as it's been made out to be. If Ponga was the Raiders 5/8 I'd say he'd be killing it because the rest of the team is performing. DCE has been bagged over the years as being over paid and the rest but like any player in the halves he rarely excels in a team playing poorly. In saying that , at some stage coaches have to get their team firing because the players can start to lose faith and the downward spiral can get out of control. Are some clubs being affected this year by off field issues which have yet to surface?