For Knights fans, the only way is up

Heads up Knights fans. It has been a good year irrespective for the Knights. After missing out on playing in the finals for the last seven years this was always going to be a first step on the road to premiership glory. Even the Rabbitohs had limited finals success in the years leading up to their 21st premiership title in 2014. You have a good coach now and a competitive roster with Tyson Frizell arriving in Newcastle next year. Bigger and better things are in store for the Knights in coming years if they just keep building on this year.

Hard season to judge due to Injuries - season ending Bailey, Watson, Glasby, McCullough, Green and a lot of five to six week injuries (best, lee, sione, safiti) didn't help, Travel same day of game- 3 hrs each way just for Sydney games (same issue for Canberra- that's why they finished 5th). Fatigued sent in the last six weeks of comp, very noticeable in their kick chase . My feeling is Newcastle is where Canberra were two three years ago and where Panthers were last year - can be very good, but can also be very bad. Need ball playing backrower, organising 5/8, and to play more football in attack using strike weapons like best, toa, lee (underused in chasing high balls)

You're right, the Knights had an ordinary run with injuries, but not to the point where they missed the finals and there's the issue. They're good enough to win enough games to get into the 8, but their losses are heavy. Some of that can be down to missing players but more is down to simply defending poorly. I'd reckon if they can get the defence right, the attack will sort itself out.

I think the Knights have definitely got a pass mark this year by making the Finals. Lets not forget they lost their first choice hooker then lost McCullough who they brought over mid season from Brisbane. Up to that point they were looking pretty good. As other teams have shown, having a first class hooker is pretty much required to go further into the finals. Mann looked very good at 6 but had to be repositioned to 9 and that really messed up his season. If they can keep that spine on the park I think they can do better than this year.

I agree improvement is needed to finish higher next year. Defence is also a concern for me even more so that it was obrians main focus. In saying that some of the defensive issues can be put down to the injuries and having different players in different positions most week. Also by improving the attack the less defence you have to do which has always been the case but has even more effect with the new rules. Lots of teams are defending under a lot of fatigue hence the big score lines.

You're right, if they can nail down the hooking role with someone to play the full season, that would certainly help the attack, but the concerns for mine are the defence and the inconsistent way they play. The last 4 rounds of the regular season, sums up the headaches O'Brien has to fix, on both sides of the ball. That is, if they want to finish higher than 7th or 8th.

For mine they were still good enough to make the eight with a horror list of injuries they only over side who had that many long term injuries were the Broncos and they finished with the spoon. So just going on that if they have a healthy squad next year you think they will improve. Brailey at hooker will be a massive improvement not sure what the answer at five eight is yet. I think a lot of the inconsistency come down to lack of cohesion in the squad. Even yesterday's game although one of the stronger sides the knights had fielded for a while you still had lee,best, sione 2nd or 3rd game back from long term injuries a hooker with a hand full of first grade experience a utility playing five-eight. I think tyson will be a massive addition to the squad.

Where specifically do you see the Knights improving? You also mention a lot of young players coming through, but apart from Best, who are they? In a shortened season, it looks to me like the Knights ran out of steam. Sure they put a serious hurting on my Dragons, in the second last round of the season, but in other games at the same time, they got a belting from Easts, the Titans and now Souths. I truly hope the Knights do come good as you suggest, but I equally can't see it happening. At best, I reckon they might squeak into 8th, if they make the finals at all.

If they get Brayley and Watson come back they have hooker covered but losing Essesse ? and Guerra leaves them a bit light on in the forwards .

Unfortunately I think you're probably right. I'm just not seeing a clear road to a non-defeatist mindset, it might take some time - like years. Also, I think we need another true game-breaker. The best teams don't just depend on one player to create opportunities. Mitch Pearce is fine and does a good job, but we can't depend on Ponga for all the flair. Maybe Best can develop into that, but I just don't know if centre is the position for game-breakers anymore.

I like your optimism mate but It will be somewhat tougher next year than what you think. Going through the team there is a mass dearth of class players. The novice coach hasn't earned his first grade stripes yet which is also a handicap. Ponga looks as if all he has to do pull on the boots and go through the motions. He's a good player but not top class. Pearce is exactly what he showed in SOO for all those times he played. A good, stock standard first grader but unable to lift a notch. They badly need a 5/8, a hooker and some good old mongrel in the pack. Fitzgibbon is merely a de facto player who wouldn't be in the top squad if his father wasn't CEO of their major sponsor. Klemmer has gone the way of his mate Woods at Cronulla, backwards. One scribe in the Newcastle paper quoted stats to say Klemmer should have been in Freddy's squad, but no opposition player fears him. I doubt Frizell will make much difference in the back row being a one trick pony, cart the ball up and get tackled. Best has potential but it will come back to coaching as to how far he goes. Keep up your support mate, every team needs supporters like yourself.

The fight went out of Ponga and domino impacted the entire side when Cody Walker crunched his ribs, turned his toes up. Pearce brought nothing to this game and the other main man Barnett, couldn't possibly have gone worse. Can't dump Pearce, but they've got to get him a decent 6 to ease his load and an NRL standard right center.

The Knights have a potential issue which has troubled a few clubs in the last year. Some of the big guns on big dollars who are meant to lead the way in the big games are looking like average 1st graders not match winners. Pearce and Klemmer are a bit of a worry but maybe they can crank it up next year. Pearce looks like he's run out of steam and if that's true they'll have to do something with him. The Broncos were stuffed with a couple of over paid plodders and the top teams don't let it fester for too long. Look at the Storm with Croft, on ya bike son.

Unfortunately, if the Knights play like that next year, the only way is down.

As were Newcastle this year... Apart from anomaly games against Cronulla (who were also downward trending), the Knights have been smashed the last two months or so.

I read a similar article about the Broncos last year after they got bounced from the finals.

Grasping at straws. They performed as expected and wont learn much from the experience