On Sunday afternoon, the Newcastle Knights went down to the Melbourne Storm 26-16. While failing to win the match, they went down fighting for the win and never gave up.
That attitude is needed for the whole game. They showed it when they bounced back with Bradman Best scoring right after Suliasi Vunivalu. Newcastle were good but Melbourne were better.
We have got three consecutive home games ahead. The first one against Wests then Manly and finishing off with North Queensland. We have registered a win against Wests and Manly but lost to North Queensland. In that loss despite being down by 26 points at the break, we never quit.
Every game from this point is crucial – more so now than ever. We’re coming in seventh and still have all the chances to make the top four. Of the eight teams we have left, seven of them are currently below us but that doesn’t mean they’re easy beats. North Queensland and Canterbury proved that against us.
The Newcastle Knights have a seemingly decent run home but if they walk in the game too cocky thinking they already won, they’ll lose. Right now we’re on 13 points and if we win all eight of our remaining games, that will bring us to 29. 14 wins, five losses and a draw.
The goal is simple, make the top eight. It’s possible and doable but the attitude of resiliency against Melbourne needs to be there for all games. The key is to be in control of the game.
The footy field is like a chess board, put all your pieces in position then strike. How to you win a chess game? Knowledge, resiliency, strategy and control – it’s just like winning a football game.
Mitchell Pearce at the start of the season vowed to break the Knights’ finals drought. Now is the time to turn everything around. A depleted Knights side with a lot of injured players may not have beat Melbourne but they held them to the wire.
Our first of eight tests will be on Saturday against the Tigers. They’ll be looking to get one step closer to the finals.
I said it when the season began and I’ll say it again. This isn’t a rebuilding stage anymore. The club and team is rebuilt.
So to all the Knights fans who think we are still rebuilding, just like anyone saying Die Hard is a Christmas movie, you’re wrong. I’ll say it as simple as necessary: no more rebuilding, no more excuses and no more bullshit!
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Where's me Violin! Try spinning that line to clubs like Manly,Easts ,Canberra and Sharks who have been hit just as hard with injuries.Cronulla lost one of there gun players Xerri before he laced up his boots.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
You better get Brucie on the Blower - cause your gunna need his help.All those clubs just in the 8 and just out are coming to get yah and it will be well before Xmas.
Jeremy
Guest
Have the Knights been the hardest hit by injuries this year? Brailey, Mcullough, Watson, Best, Saifiti, Lee come to mind at the moment and many other players have missed games during the year including Pearce. Perhaps not the hardest hit but definitely up there. I can see the Knights sliding out of the 8 fairly easily with all these injuries. I think the Brailey injury was perhaps the most significant of the lot as Pearce needs sharp ball and direction from dummy half to be most effective.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Nope. It’s a movie set at Christmas, but not a Christmas movie...there’s a difference :silly:
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Bought a temporary half and moved Mann who was playing well. Not convinced that's going to be a good move. Be interesting to see how O'Brien handles it when the team starts to drop down the order.
Muzz
Guest
With 20/plenty minutes to go Pearce panicked. They stopped building pressure and wanted to score of every set. Knight need better on-field game management.
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
I hope for your sake the Knights win the comp before you turn twenty-five!
Dirk Diggler
Roar Rookie
Making the Top 8 is not going to be considered a successful season nor should it. No chance of making the top 4 even with an easy run home. I like the fighting spirit of the Knights and they are good enough to beat anyone on a good day but the Storm should have scored another 2 tries if they go it right so still some work to do. Plenty to build around and bad luck with injuries but will have to learn how to win ugly before being considered for the premiership
Big Daddy
Guest
At least Green will have a quick cab ride from Gosford to Newcastle. He's probably training with them as we speak.
Bryce Burgess
Guest
I read today that Blake Green is coming to the Knights this season. Another experienced half taking some pressure off Pearce can only be a good thing for us. Kurt Mann has been a great running 5/8 this year but will need to fill the number 9 jumper. Our hookers seem cursed this year. Brailey, McCulloch and Watson all out for the season. Hopefully Randall will be back on the field soon. We have a few players out injured but if we get good service out of dummy half we have a team skilful enough and and a new found resilience in defence to push for the top 4 or at least top 6. We haven’t had a bad game all year, we’ve had some bad halves and lapses but mostly been competitive. We have a fairly easy run home and some handy players to come back from injury to boost our run to the finals (D. Saifiti, Lee, Fitzgibbon). I don’t see us missing the finals unless we lose Pearce and/or Ponga long term. O’Brien battling Des for coach of the year. Up the Knights!!
Dutski
Roar Guru
Yep. Die Hard is ABSOLUTELY a Christmas movie.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
If Bradman’s gone it’s best scenario 8th
The King of the World
Roar Guru
I did rule us out as possible grand final winners but not to make the 8. The attitude they showed against Melbourne is needed for every game.
Christopher Vassallo
Guest
To start of with I do agree with about the knights and the rebuilding is over now time to be finishing in the top 8 every year NK4LIFE ❤️????❤️????❤️???? And by the way die hard is a Christmas movie
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Last week you were ruling the Knights out of contention after losing to the Dogs? You'd want to hope Bradman Beast isn't ruled out for too long with an ankle injury.