“If you believe it when they say that you’re brilliant, you have to believe it when they say you’re shit.”
While Aussie acting icon Richard Roxburgh spoke these wise words regarding why he doesn’t read his reviews, I couldn’t help but apply them to the trial performances we’ve seen over the past two weekends.
Gasping for a bit of live footy, I attended both Newcastle’s trials – at Gosford and Maitland – for two decidedly different experiences.
Having made the trip down to Central Coast Stadium – my first time at what is a truly gorgeous ground, set on the shores of the beautiful Brisbane Water – I was tentative about Newcastle’s chances against the two-time premiers.
Indeed, the last time I made the trip south to watch the Knights play the Roosters, I was treated to a 48-10 shellacking at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
So I breathed something of a sigh of relief when I saw that Trent Robinson had rested his front-line players after their trip to Europe for the World Club Challenge.
Nevertheless, there was still a degree of schadenfreude on my part as Adam O’Brien’s team put the Chooks to the sword on Saturday night – the same number of total points were scored as that embarrassing afternoon last July, although this time the Knights were responsible for all 58 of them, Easts serving up a bagel.
As for what this means for the Knights’ chances in 2020? While I’m tempted to thump my chest and declare the red and blue as dead certs for the finals, I need only look one week further back to have trepidation, having watched a young Knights side get slayed by the Dragons 38-12 in Maitland.
Trials form. If you believe it when they say that you’re brilliant, you have to believe it when they say you’re shit.
Latrell Mitchell at fullback for Souths? Set up a try with his first touch but dropped a relatively straightforward bomb. Brilliant and shit.
The Gold Coast Titans got up 28-22 over the Broncos but were taken to task by Queensland Cup side Burleigh the previous week. Brilliant and shit.
As for the reigning premiers? They won yet another World Club Challenge, then rested pretty much their entire first-grade squad and watched their youngsters get bashed by the adults from Newcastle. Brilliant and shit.
I think we’d all be wise to appreciate that we got to see a bit of footy over the past fortnight and a few youngsters have put their names up in lights, but that’s all the trials were.
Danny Levi of the Newcastle Knights (Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
Because a good win likely came about because it was men against boys, whereas an embarrassing loss was probably the result of the same scenario – just depends which team you’re rooting for as to which way you see it.
So while Warriors and Broncos fans may be sweating a tad after disappointing results in their trials – Brisbane actually played four for just one win, notably going down to Queensland Cup side Wynnum Manly – the only real concerns at this stage should be your injuries list.
Other than that, the trials were a nice distraction after almost five months without a ball kicked in anger, but they’ll have zero bearing on who makes the eight this September.
Steve
Guest
Would also have been nice to see a balanced assessment of refereeing at end of each round - within each game and assessing consistency between games. Some genuine concerns there. Would one of the stats minded Roar writers please get cracking on a ref stats / rating system and post this after each round for 2020? Pleeeeeease?
Paul
Roar Guru
so if neither side got anything from the game.....?
matth
Roar Guru
But neither did their opposition
Nat
Roar Guru
There is a few options for that L center. Assuming Bird stays FB there is Arthars and Farnsworth. The latter played there a few times last year. Arthars is an interesting story and he can play C/W/FB with aplomb - super quick too. Coates is a big boys up close as well as quick, he'll stay there a while now he's got his chance. Wasn't great defensively last year but it was only a small showing so he'll get better with experience. He shouldn't get out-jumped too often.
Nat
Roar Guru
You can't carry 3 hookers though. B Smith can run in the forwards but it's a waste of his ability.
Nat
Roar Guru
Quite the opposite actually, there is a clause in his contract that he must play 14 (?) NRL games to have his contract extended. If his form doesn't warrant that many top grade games this year, he won't be there next year.
Joe
Roar Rookie
I agree that Cam probably doesn't need to do 80 mins and that maybe Grant gets some game time if they're comfortably ahead or even have Grant start some games and Smith play 2nd row which he has played before but I wouldn't be counting out teams just yet...we barely scraped a win against the Dogs last year.
Adam
Roar Guru
Boyd was training the house down last year as well....
Walter White
Guest
They could do a deal with him where Cam does reduced minutes (unless they are losing) and let him gain experience. There is no real need to have Smithy doing 80 minutes against say the Titans or Bulldogs.
Paul
Roar Guru
it took me a few sessions with my old man wielding the persuader before most messages got through to me. I eventually understood his point of view though!
Joe
Roar Rookie
Agree on Croft and Bird putting their hand up and also on Darius looking like he doesn't want to be there. I think though you need Bird at 1 to really make that spine complete, he is sound both defensively and in attack and is a big body so would be a danger close to the line. I also thought Coates showed he belonged in first grade with his performance on the wing but there's a lot of competition. Not sure who replaces Darius though as most of the outside backs are listed at wingers but since Oates wants to play 2nd row, how about he start by moving one in and playing centre instead.
Nat
Roar Guru
Trials about about individual performances more than results. Some will play their way into the top 20 and others will fall out. I watched my team and saw some good things and disappointment as well. I like what I saw from Croft. When he was on, you could tell there was a game manager. Bird at FB is a little left field but he outplayed Isaako on both occasions and it wasn't close. My greatest concern for him is his body. I still think he may be better utilised in left center because, unfortunately, Daruis was terrible. Ball watching and poor decisions in defence with nothing in attack. I get he'll most likely be in the team for Rnd 1 but it can't go far past that if that's still his best.
JohnnyRipe
Guest
I dunno , when my old man gave me a hiding , a tended not to make the same error in judgement again . And I’d say Walter is in the money , so someone has to play .
Joe
Roar Rookie
I really hope we don't lose Grant, I would have him on the bench this year with B.Smith just to keep him in the Storm fold until next year. If we let him go there is no guarantee he will return and more likely won't. Just as they found a way to play Papenhuyzen as a 'bench fullback' last year they need to do the same with Grant. This might end up being a loss of JT/Bulldogs proportions if they let him go.
Walter White
Guest
Simply completing an obligation to hold a trial ?
Nat
Roar Guru
Grant is a fair conundrum. Finally the greater NRL community has seen this kid light up the 9s and the trials. Then you have B.Smith tearing up the All Stars match, all sitting behind the greatest. Surely Bellamy has to let him go play somewhere else. He's already better than half the hookers in the league.
Walter White
Guest
I think the Storm have tended to be terrible at trials because of the way that Bellamy uses them. He tends to try out new players, new combinations and new ideas in trials many of which he will later discard. One thing that is ominous is the fact that after a decade of willing the demise of the Storm when their big 3 retire, is seeing the quality of the kids taking to the field in these trials. Melbourne have clearly developed a degree of professionalism that many clubs can only aspire too.
Walter White
Guest
I did wonder if there is something in his contract about having to be selected if available ? Might sound a bit far fetched but consider this. At the time of his contract negotiation he was a pretty good but ageing player. The Bronco's concerns would have been over injuries rather than ability. We know that they inserted a clause into his contract whereby he had to play a minimum 15 weeks to gain his salary (lets not be pedantic over details). In such a scenario, it would be reasonable for Boyd to have inserted something to protect him against the Broncos "freezing him out" so that they didn't need to cough up. Not only would that protection clause have seemed reasonable at the time, it would explain a lot of what has happened since.
Paul
Roar Guru
I've no issues with him resting his front line players Johnny, that was always going to happen after a tough time in England, on and off the field. My point is, if he does that, what does he expect to get from watching a bunch of his second tier players cop a hammering? There's zero intensity when your on the end of a hiding, so they get nothing from it as far as I can see
JohnnyRipe
Guest
Robbo knows it’s a long season, and the top players would have come back from England jet lagged and partied out. So resting them makes a ton of sense. And giving the young players a taste of the intensity of the top grade will do them nothing but good. I’ve come to think that Robbo might Know a thing or two about this coaching caper.