Why your team will do better in 2020: Newcastle Knights

Knights will make the finals this year

Sounds like a problem that has crept into many teams: Wingers and centres being used as battering rams and strong ball carrying forwards getting their hands on the ball for play 4-5 with no intention of passing followed by a Hail Mary back line move or kick to gased outside backs? It really stops ball movement and makes attacking players easy to stop. When second rowers start getting the ball on play 2 and 3 with ball playing front rowers looking to off load whenever possible we might actually see some teams put their name on the Trophy? IMO

Yes, I never rated Danny Levi so they are heading in the right direction. Jai Field is a player they could look at, he's lightning quick and looked ok on debut last year. Looks like going to Super League but Knights could get him cheap

It’s as if the Knights are possessed by an evil spirit. They should have hired an exorcist before hiring a new coach. It’s going to be a looong year for them.

Your welcome. I always read your comments with interest as you always try to make a bit of sense. In saying that I don't think I'm on his Xmas card list.

They had Mason Lino play there for the entire second half of the draw in ‘19, very average, but wasn’t his fault they missed the semis..point the finger at Shaun Kenny-Dowal, jinx of a man. Crossland sounds like he’ll take over eventually. And Brailey is definitely an upgrade.

They have massive weakness in the five eighth and hooker spots. Brailey looks likely but is still raw and Mann is onto his 4th club and hasn't been able to establish himself at any. If they sort out a decent five eighth they have decent players. I think it's time for Ponga to start to justify his price tag. From what I've seen he's worth half of what he's being paid

I always give credit where it’s due and I don’t take any of the differences of opinion we have personally... it was a good comment and I particularly liked the last sentence...

Just reading through some of the comments and I nearly fell off my chair. " The Barry" giving a thumbs up to a "Forty Twenty " post. I'm sure he'll return the favour.

It seems like (by no means have I watched most of the games), that if Klemmer is on fire, the pack falls in behind him and they do well. If he’s having a bad day though, no one else steps up - it’s like no one else is allowed to play better than Klemmer. Obviously that’s an exaggeration ... but that’s just kind of how it felt at times last season.

I don’t think Ponga pouted about the move to 6 but I don’t think he was near ready for it. It’s a massive ask for a young kid with barely a season under his belt to take over 50% of the playmaking duties when he’s been used to playing what’s in front of him His ‘failure’ at 6 definitely knocked his confidence around. He’s definitely a confident person - skateboarding to training, flipping off a roof into a pool, brilliant golfer and general sportsman. It had to knock his ego and confidence a bit for someone who does everything so easily to not have it just happen for him 10-15+ years ago, the move from fullback to 5/8 was a massive deal...now it happens pretty regularly and we could probably name a dozen players in the last five years who’ve done it with varying degrees of success - but mostly not He may very well make a brilliant 6 - but it was a massive ask after one not quite full season Ponga’s definitely faded out of the last couple of seasons. I think that’s just down to age and inexperience and not desire The Watson to 13 move is worth watching - I hadn’t heard that. Could be a return to the genuine ball playing lock like Dymock or Scotty Hill

He just dominates possession for the Knights pack ( ala Gallen at the Sharks) which limits the involvement of others in the pack, so they don't develop. Remember , in a typical set of 6 , if they start off from their own line with a fullback or winger retrieving the kicked ball. We have a hit up by both wingers and a centre for the first three tackles, then Klemmer hits up on the 4th , maybe another forward hit up on the 5th and then a Pearce kick. If the Knights get the ball in an attacking position, Klemmer often has two hit ups in a set, Pearce tries a backline spread on maybe two tackles, and kicks on the 5th. Not much opportunity for the rest of the pack for any involvement with the ball. This may all be by design from the coach, but it makes the Knights very one dimensional and limits the opportunities for the other forwards to show their wares.

I sometimes think that Klemmer is the type of player that teammates hide behind rather than lift alongside. Could very well be wrong. Not a criticism of him personally.

Only 10 comments so far and not one of them from a Knights supporter. Come on Novocastrians, time to rise up and be counted. The blocked drain has been cleared and the Brown obstruction has been flushed away. Finally there is light on the horizon... but still no coach! ;-)

Fair comment. I guess I keep reflecting back on his St George days as well (granted unfairly) and he just couldn't get his team full of stars firing. Even in England, 6yrs and only one final. IMO Newcastle is one of those places where they supplement talent with home-town pride and get some wins they otherwise may not have. I don't see that in this team yet. That said, I'll give O'Brien every oppotunity to make his mark. You can't ask for a better pedigree in coaching mentors. The fans deserve a higher standard and better results but it'll be next year for mine.

Top 6? Possible but not probable this year for me. As much as I loathe to use the word, the backs have 'potential'. They all had very good seasons in their respective ISP teams but haven't yet stepped up to this level but they have time. I've ony seen the highlights of Best and he's a big unit but I'm not surprised to hear about Benji picking on him. It's a tough defensive position for him where he's probably used to being the big bull in his age group. Welcome to 1st grade son.

Probably, but that was at Pongas own request so he had no reason to pout about it, nor did he, and lo and behold he was just chosen to represent Australia there so that idea is not completely dead amongst some coaches. This years (less) radical rumoured experiment of Connor Watson at 13 is exciting, an abject failure at full back and five eight, too much of a block head, hope to see him being a cross between Radley and Murray.. Something radically wrong clearly upset the team leaders off field around the time leading up to the West’s debacle then the Panther stomping that zapped all hunger from them so one final benefit of doubt from me. Bradman Best for all the accolades he got with the ball was the obvious target from Benji in the Tigers flogging and the Panther halfs as well in his debut games so that’s a worry. I’d be flicking Sione off the bench for Shibasaki and Moga out to the wing for the Cowboy Enari T. to freshen the place up. A big, fast, skillful side new coach O’Brien just needs to whoop the sook out of them for Top 6.

Good last question... Sitting on the fence but maybe it’s a bit of both Brown did an heroic job over the past few years at the knights but the 2019 season in particular it looked like the knights lacked the ability to go to the next level. He can definitely take credit for rebuilding the team and club and that shouldn’t be overlooked That’s probably not all Brownies fault but he didn’t have them playing with passion or mongrel or killer instinct as we’ve all sort of touched on. I think it is the coaches responsibility to find or define that for the team I don’t think Brown’s mucking about with Ponga at 6 at the start of last year helped the team in the slightest It disrupted the team and maybe cost Ponga a bit of his mojo

For mine, I think Klemmer has to rediscover his mongrel because that is the one area I think they lack. I don't think there is a fear in playing Newcastle and Klemmer needs to change that. When the forwards dominate, the likes of Pearce and Ponga can play off the back of that. Under Brown, I saw a team trundling up the middle and throwing it Pearce/Ponga to create something. It's an OK game plan provided he has space and time but that was rarely afforded to him (although I hear Foran is still wondering where Ponga went when they met in Brisbane). Question: If O'Brien gets this team into the finals, do we tip the hat to Brown for assembling the team or O'Brien for getting the best out of them?

I think you might have nailed it Baz. I thought there was often a noticeable lack of passion in the Knights performances last year. Whether that is because there are so many “imports” into the team rather than locals with local identity passion, I’m not sure ? But certainly there were some star players who put the cue away at times last year . I was particularly disappointed with Ponga’s fading in and out of games. He is their brilliant trump card, but often disappeared from the action for a half when his team needed something special from him. Maybe that is just lack of maturity , and I hope such a dominant player can get more heavily involved this year. Their pack is solid but very one dimensional . I think Klemmer dominates too much and has limited the development of others ( eg the Safiti’s). Basically , they are a pack of trundlers offering little variety in their play. On the edges, Fitzgibbon didn’t back up his great 2018 year, possibly because Ponga’s form on the left dropped off last year limiting Fitzgibbon’s runs at the try line. Barnett has ability on the right edge with an offload, but can produce an error or three. I do think that Brayley is great buy for them at 9. He reminds me so much of a young Danny Buderus and I expect him to add better control of the pack from dummy half and some more spark around the rucks. The key is still Pearce as their general. He had some good spells last year , but again faded late in the season. He needs to keep managing the troops on the park all season. As for the new coach, I will reserve judgement. I see them battling out a spot in the 8 with bunch of other hopefuls.