Are the Newcastle Knights a top-four side? Damn right!

I can't agree but wish you and the Knights well. Something not quite right with the balance of the squad and despite top 8 success last year, the coach does seem a little unpredictably volatile! I'm going to predict 10 or 11 wins, which won't be enough to see semi-final action this season.

Yep Ponga at his best is ahead of Gutherson, Klokstad, Holmes and Papenhuysen. Mitchell is yet to prove he can play half a season of quality football at fullback. And Dylan Edward’s and Val Holmes? Val has shown time and again he’s a winger and can be hit and miss at fullback. And if I was a recruiter right now, I’d opt for Ponga ahead of Trbojevic simply because Turbo has missed so many games in the last 2 seasons and hasn’t started this one positively either.

Good one Forever18. When I saw the headline I thought it was one of Dane's humoress articles so I settled down to have a bit of a chuckle. When I realised it wasn't Dane writing this I chuckled for a bit longer than usual. I admire your optimism mate but I think you can be over confident which I think is happening with this article.

2-6 would do it in a heart beat. Heck one you've listed is injured and another will leave end of year

Pearces wildly fluctuating form was a big problem last season. When his head is down the team is stuffed.

There's probably half a dozen fullbacks better than Ponga at the moment, try in no particular order 1.Tedesco 2. Tom Trbojevic 3. Roger Tuivasa Sheck 4. Gutherson 5. Mitchell 6. Klokstad 7. Ryan Papenhuyzen Doubt any of these clubs (with the above fullbacks) would swap their fullback for Ponga. Add AJ Brimson, Valentine Holmes, Dylan Edwards, all fantastic players and Ponga is not a stand out.

F18 - I like the Knights' forward pack, it truly is one of the best forward packs in the league (NSW SOO pack Klemmer -Saifiti-Frizzell). The Knights problem in my view this year will be their backs, they have no true on-field leader - Pearce’s used by date is up, Ponga has been inconsistent of late. and thre seems to be a lot of mix and matching, they have no one to steer the ship, reminds me a bit like the Broncos last year - who had one of the best line-ups, great forwards, should have been a top 4 team but the back line was all over the place and they missed a midfield general. I don’t think the Knights will get to the bottom of the bottom 8 part of the table, but they may struggle to get into the top 8. Question whether their coach AOB has the right experience to make this team work, seems to crack under pressure just like his captain Pearce – screwed up some crucial games last year, seems to blow up on many occasions, that only works a few times (unless you’re Bellamy). Let's see around September time.

I guess my point about Ponga was that he has been elevated to such a level that he is expected to be consistently way above average. And hasn’t really achieved that just yet , perhaps that has more to do with him not getting football in good position.

Top 4 of the bottom 8, too right!

totally agree about Pearce. His best is terrific but he just can't do it for 20 plus games. That throws huge responsibility onto other guys, including Watson & Ponga to not only do their jobs but do some of his as well. I'm guessing the Knights will be lucky to finish higher than 6th this year and could easily finish ower, given they've got little coverage for their spine players.

Ponga is so talented it appears the pass mark for him has been set incredibly high.

My opinion may be a bit biased being a core knights fan also. But here's what I think. All your observations are correct. And teams do say you can't use it as an excuse but I think the Knights did have a particularly bad run when it came to injuries last year. So I think it's a fair argument, that if we fielded a full-strength side we could match it with those top 4 teams. Look at Penrith, they had a dream run last year with hardly any injuries. They do have a gun side but having the same 17 all year definitely worked in there favour. But, my concerns with the Knights is our forward depth. If you do get those injuries, I feel it's a bit of a step down in talent. I think Josh Kings game in the trial was not great. Brodie Jones, Sauaso Sue, etc aren't as good as the players we lost in Herman Esesee, Sione, Guerrra and Gladsby. And I'm not completely sold on Gehamat Shibasaki, or Enari Tuala. But's that's what you get with a salary cap, can't have stars in every position. I did like the look of Dom Young! Maybe he could be a surprise signing. From what I've seen I think Blake Green is the man for five-eighth when he comes back. But if Kurt Mann is playing well you could stick with him. I think he's done a good job. But Blake seems to work better with Mitch Peace all be it just two games. So fingers crossed we can field a relatively full-strength 17, then yeah I can't see why we couldn't give the 4 a nudge. Another fellow optimistic Knight Fan

Yeah...Ponga has been inconsistent. Dally M runner up 2018. Knights player of the year. Knights top try scorer 2019. Top 10 in NRL for line breaks and tackle breaks. Knights player of the year 2020 in what was the Knights best year since 2013. Rarely misses games and played with a calf injury in 2019 after Origin. Yep. He’s not consistent...

I think Pearce is a big problem for the knights. He’s failed to deliver for virtually his whole career. The Roosters moved him on after realising that he lacked , that something ,and he’s failed to consistently provide that something at The knights . The only something he seems to provide on a consistent basis is a headline. You can take the goose out of the muddy pond , but don’t let it walk on ya white carpet afterwards. Watson and Ponga also have failed to live up to the expectations of consistency placed on them . It’s a new season and with the new rules and with that will come a few surprises, but I don’t see any coming from this lot.

nope

The issue isn't whether the Knights are good enough to make the top 4 but which sides who finished above them last year, will drop back enough to allow that to happen. In a shortened season, the Knights finished with an 11-1-8 record, which doesn't suggest their a top 4 candidate. The Storm, Panthers, Roosters, Rabbitohs, Raiders and Eels would need to have serious problems go against them too. Your boys would also need to get the very best out of Pearce & Ponga for the entire season and the whole team would need to play consistently high quality football for 25 rounds. Again, that's a huge ask when the squad couldn't do that for 20 rounds in 2020. Anything's possible at this time of year but likely? I wouldn't be putting my house on it.

They look like getting beaten first up by the Dogs. The three quarters ( Lee Hunt Shibasaki Tuala) aren't consistently good enough for NRL standard, Crossland is too timid, a raw rookie at fullback and you can count the really good games Watson's played for the club on one hand and have a few fingers left over. Didn't see much venom in last weeks trial the effort areas of a few forwards and the halfs were below standard and as good as Bradman is with the ball he's as bad marking off in defence and his left side will be heavily targeted. Smashed out of the finals last year and last weeks pez poor game fan expectations are far higher.

Agreed andrew. Sure they could be top four. But if it happened this year I think it’d be to do with them getting close enough and other close teams messing up, no being good enough like my team the eels. They ain’t storm level, rosters, Penrith, Canberra. Not sure they even eels level. But it a new year, almost anything can happen.

I like your continued optimism and support for the Knight F18. I think they have the squad to finish top 4 but not just yet. If they have a reasonable injury free run this year I think they can finish in the bottom of the top 8. If they can maintain their squad for next year, and get rid of a couple of their weak links, anything is possible.

It's good to set the bar high Adrian. They made finals last season and should build on that, they definitely have the cattle. O'brien seems like a straight shooter hampered by injuries last season so I can see them above the average, playing finals, not sure about top 4 but I wish them well.