After a disappointing loss for the Newcastle Knights to the Wests Tigers, I have seen a fair amount of bashing from some Knights fans about how players need to be dropped, sacked, take a pay cut or told to go back where he came from, which is downright racism.
As a Knights fan, I am proud we have won two from three with half our first choice spine missing plus a few others like Edrick Lee and Lachlan Fitzgibbon, but I am disappointed we lost to Wests. For a team who made 18 errors, we didn’t deserve to win and some errors which were pretty basic led to tries being conceded.
I would have loved to win but realistically, we blew it and this was a game we should have won. If anything, should our boys pick up drop the whole “easy win” attitude, this loss could be a blessing in disguise.
Dominic Young will only get better as the years go on and it was his debut. Guess who else lost their debuts? Andrew Johns, Kurt Gidley and Paul Harragon and those three legends had great careers for our team. Plus Andrew Johns is still the greatest of all time.
You’re not going to go through a whole entire career without a loss.
We were never going to be undefeated in the season and to all those who were thinking we would be, you really need to face reality, no team goes undefeated in a season these days. Want the Knights to be undefeated? Then do so on season mode in any of the NRL video games.
Lachlan Fitzgibbon of the Knights. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
We have got a long season to go and is fans are here to back our team through the wins and losses. Being a Knights fan is more than just watching our boys play, it’s about supporting them regardless of the result and making the “New-cas-tle” chant loud and proud as we know how to do at home and away.
To all the online “Knights fans” who like to talk about how some of our players are pathetic and not NRL standard, you have three choices.
1. Go to Adam O’Brien, tell him to drop those players then tell him you can do better. You then play and if you play like crap, then you cop all the online criticism.
2. Actually go to the players and criticise them to their face.
3. Shut the hell up!
I won’t name and shame anyone but it’s usually the same people who do it. They rarely have anything nice to say about them but love to be the couch coaching online bashers.
The players do find out who says these things and how do you think they feel knowing people who supposedly go for them bashes them online?
To the players, I for one am proud that despite the loss you never gave up. I would rather us lose with a fighting attitude then us lose while getting flogged. Think in Coach Carter when Richmond played St. Francis in the State Championship.
Richmond were down for most of the match, made a comeback but Ty Crane stole the game in the dying second to steal the win. The coach was proud and so were the fans.
As Knights fans, we need to have the same attitude to cheer on our boys rather than the online “experts” who think they could play better.
The season isn’t done yet and we got a long way to go. When we’re at full strength this year, we will come charging and the competition won’t know what hit them. Let’s get ready for the Knights to take on the Dragons and let’s hope we walk out of the stadium witnessing our Knights slay those Dragons.
Birdy
Roar Rookie
I've had this theory for years, if we had social media at the start of ww2 the allies would have surrendered in the first week. Time to get the how to get upset subjects out of our schools.
Big Daddy
Guest
Brendon, fair point about the journos . Trouble is they are getting paid to write their garbage. I would say 99% of the stuff on the ROAR is fairly light hearted and tongue in cheek with a couple of exceptions. Most guys and ladies can poke a bit of fun at each other without being taken too seriously.
Paul
Roar Guru
fair call sadly. They might be joined by a few politicians offsiders maybe?
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Can I just add on this, surely it's more realistic to say grubs like Paul Kent and his ongoing obsession with the Storm (Smith Nd now Bellamy) are a much bigger risk? If we want to point finger at hazards to player and coach health, grubby journalists like that who suffer no ramifications for ongoing character assassination attempts should be at the top of the list of those who should be ashamed of themselves?
The King of the World
Roar Guru
I don’t get upset by it but I do know the players don’t like it sir.
Chubbs Peterson
Guest
Spot on...and here lies the rub. Half the trolling would disappear if sports betting was outlawed.
The Courts have enough NRL players going thru them already!!!
Brendon
Roar Rookie
I honestly expected to come into this article and agree whole heartedly with what you've written, but I don't at all. Firstly let me say trolling and abuse of players is not acceptable. Anyone that attacks a player on a personal level is not right in the head and frankly shouldn't be allowed online. Whether you are attacking a 13 year old school girl or a grown man, trolling/cyber bullying is a dog act) What I see on this site isn't that. I know I am guilty of talking about the Storm players who are under performing (this week alone I have constantly spoken about how the Bromwich boys aren't delivering and are frankly well under par) and making my thoughts known about whether they should be dropped or not, but given the nature of this site as a sports site, its to be expected. We come to this site to share thoughts and opinions on this exact matter. Its no different from the criticisms made during Scotts talking points. Again, I'm not talking personal attacks (though who can really resist taking a shot at the tactics of JWH) as they are really uncool, but fair criticism and discussion is the purpose of this site. As much as I hate to say it, its hard to ignore that these are also profession athletes who are paid to perform publically at the highest level. Criticism of their performances (again we aren't talking personal attacks) is really part and parcel with the gig. If a public figure doesn't perform, there performance will be reviewed on a public level and this is the outcome. Again, reaffirming, personal attacks aren't right, criticism is though.
andrew
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
HENRIK
Guest
I Dont get why anyone would be upset by comments online from people they dont know. For me i like glancing at the comments (much like on the roar) to see what the idiots are saying.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
sticks and stones, that is the only mantra...
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Ahhhhhhh. I’m going to have that song in my head the rest of the day. Lol
The Sporacle
Roar Rookie
Thats the problem with social media, it provides a platform to thousands for a opinion that would usually of only been broadcast to a couple of people in a bar and if the person was drunk enough maybe he'd shout it and maybe someone would have told him to shut the hell up :thumbup:
Paul
Roar Guru
It sounds like we have our "love" of social media in common. Unlike you guys, I like the Bunker, just not a fan of a lot of the decisions it makes
souvalis
Roar Rookie
The stuff that happened to the Moz was plain nuts. But fans criticizing player performances is totally fair and acceptable and not dissimilar to any product review..as long as they know where the line is. Drop in here during any Manly game and watch their fans rip in, great entertainment. Is that hurting the players' feelings you think ? When your outside back's confidence is shattered so bad by failure under the high ball that he ultimately refuses to go near them, which directly lead to the game losing try in a celebratory Pearce event, fans have a right to vent for mine.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
You would think that people wouldn't say things to their faces, they do. They are trying to provoke them. Nothing the player can do about it Still cowards though
andrew
Roar Rookie
Hey Paul, the Roar is my only social media platform, that's enough for me. Also, like Tony, I'm not a fan of the bunker. Tony sings along to JPY's "I hate the Music( Bunker)
Paul
Roar Guru
Yep, the courts would be full of cases, where some coaching wannabe ended up get a player charged with assault because the player (rightly) took offence to everything the wannabe said or did.
The King of the World
Roar Guru
Paul, I love social media and I don’t use it to bash footy players online. They’re human just like us. Could you imagine if these online “expert” coaches were actually coaches? The players would either walk away from them or kick them daylights out of them.
The King of the World
Roar Guru
With all due respect, I’ve seen some Dragons fans say crap about their players.