How far can Newcastle go in the finals?

You're right, but that was a while ago. Unless they put on something special over the next two weeks - and they have the chance to do it - do you really see them going anywhere in the semis? Maybe the 'leg up' for the MP is that they play #8? 2v3, 4v5,6v7. I go along with that.

One of two teams to beat Melbourne and only lost by 1 to the Panthers and they don't deserve a shot in September? I think a top 6 is much fairer but the MP need to have a significant leg up from there.

They have been pounded by the Roosters ( twice) Storm, Panthers, Eels, Rabbits & Tigers this season and only just got home against the Sharks, Broncs & Bulldogs in recent weeks. Out first week of the playoffs.

Yep ! On paper this looks a pretty red hot team ! But they have never produced anywhere near their promise despite having the softest draw of any team this season. Sure they had a few injuries, but in return they played just 9 matches against Top 8 sides and four of these were twice against the decimated Roosters & Sharks. One their day they might cause an upset if all that "paper promise" clicks, but I would be surprised if they get past week 2 of the finals.

And coaching a club to the wooden spoon?

Unfortunately Jimmmy, the cowboys paid the true value of the pre-shoulder injury Morgan & ended up with the MM with a chronic injury that not only ruined his defensive game but also his passing. Always classed Morgan as a top quality running 5/8 & he was wasted as an organiser but they had nobody else at the same level. Bit like the Val Holmes situation, best finishing winger in Qld but wants to be a fullback where he really doesn’t have the all round skills needed. Whoever decided Dearden was ahead of Clifford as a spine player needs shooting, Clifford can kick to advantage, is improving his ball running without the pressure to be the next JT, and is a quality goal kicker. Dearden lacks that bit of acceleration to be a line breaker, has an ordinary kicking game & seems to be drowning under the expectations of game management. Clifford did play halfback in that 2018 Qld U20 origin team that beat nsw 30-12 in a record scoring margin & he’s still young for a key member of the spine. Lachlan Lam was the reserve half that year. Maybe the pundits should have recognised that he gave Kyle Flanagan an absolute bath in that game, get on YouTube & check it out - some very good players have graduated from both sides. Fairly sure Cory Paix, Brayden Trindall & Tanah Boyd kept Dearden out in 2019.

Newcastle have proven once their best 17 are on the field they can trouble some of the others in the Top 8. Don't think they can beat the Storm & Panthers when it counts but certainly in with a chance against the others. I'd say they finish 7 and draw the Eels coming off consectutive losses to the Storm & Panthers is about the best they can hope for and you'd actually have to favour them.

If any of the teams above the Knights get their best 17 on the paddock it’s good night Knights mate. Knights best 17 are nowhere near the the best 17 of the teams above them. If Manly & Roosters hadn’t been ravaged by injury from the start of the year they could be higher also. Credit to the Knights but they’re fortunate to be where they are.

Top 4? Definitely 5th or 6th? At who's expense? You beat a full strength Manly outfit? Ummmm full strength without Foran, Schuster, Aloiai, Walker, Sironen? Knights at full strength would still be where they are now. Play a real full strength Manly side & they put 50 on the Knights as would Storm, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Roosters & Eels.

Key for the knights if that happens is not thinking it makes them the #2 team.

The fact is you can only play 17. If the Knights get there best 17 on the paddock and get on a run then they can match the top teams. Put Tedesco, Turbo, Murray and Cleary in the Blues team and they are a far different team to a Blues team without them also.

Well let's hope he changes things Rob. I'm not quick to judge. Getting rid of Marsters and Moose , big tick, Losing Molo, recruiting Hiku, recruiting Townsend I'm not so sure. Anyway , it was a long way from being his roster this year so I'll give him a fair go. Next year though it's getting closer to what he wants . If we finish below 10th he's gone and unfortunately I think we will. I really hope he proves me wrong.

Exactly. Clifford was an organiser coming in under and trying to play second fiddle to eyes up runners like Thurston and Morgan. Then he was having to play second fiddle to Drinkwater? It wasn’t until Clifford was allowed to organise ( McGuire got out the way) and given the first choice kicking job that he started to play his natural game. Drinkwater is a running half but somewhat worked with Clifford running the kicking. Payten would never have lost Clifford because he knows what Prince, Stuart kicking and Benji, Daley running game means to a football team. Not sure Payten would have signed Drinkwater, Deardon or Townsend ahead of Clifford. His hands were tied by Green and the long term view to have Morgan at 7.

Ponga left for opportunity and yes money after the Cowboys decided to give Thurston 1 more year extension to beat John’s points record? That was a stupid decision and 2017 proved it. Ponga left then Tuala, then Clifford because Green wasn’t interested in giving them the opportunity. Clifford was stuck behind Morgan and Drinkwater came in over the top because he was a Storm recruit ( must be good) according to Green logic. GGM, Ponga, Kikau, Smith, Clifford, Hughes, Hess, Taumalolo. Fact is Green had 5 or 10 kids that were always destined to be above average NRL standard players for potentially a decade but he either let them go or their careers went backwards under his coaching? Payten leaving the Cowboys at the end of 2017 says a lot IMO. He developed the young blokes and they either left or went nowhere when he left.

Love the optimism and the Knights are definitely on the up, but really can’t see much more than a first or second week loss this year. Also a bit weird to say they should maybe be top 4 and definitely 5th or 6th. Over who? You’re 6 points and an absolutely massive 252 worse off in for and against compared to the Eels in 6th, and closer to 350 behind Manly in 5th. The Roosters are a full 10 points ahead (assuming they keep this up against the Dragons) in 4th. All of these teams and the Roosters in particular have also had some terrible injury luck. That’s not a sleight on the Knights, but there is a pretty clear gap there at the moment and extrapolating off one or two good performances really doesn’t make any sense.

The comment about the Cowboys of 2017 may be fresh in the memory but the Cowboys also did a similar thing in 2004 coming from 7th? They went within some contrived officiating and a disallowed try to lose in the preliminary final to the minor premiers Roosters 19-16 after beating the Premiership winning Bulldogs and Broncos along the way. That season a special 21 year old fullback led the charge with Payne (21), Williams (23) and Hannay (24) rising to the challenge. This year the Knights have the services of a special 23 year old fullback and a few NQ bred juniors teammates in Clifford and Tuala. Throw in Best, Pearce, Siafti brothers, Watson, Barnett, Frizzel, Klemmer and Brailey they have the weapons size and ability to beat anyone if they play to their potential.

The lower the team ranking the higher the team learning disability

Interesting article Adrian. I’d love to see us make the GF, like ever year, but in all fairness it will be most likely be 1st or 2nd round of the finals. I don’t think we ever lost our soul, but we definitely lost our direction for a while. Injuries have definitely hurt us this year, but the Newcastle jersey is all about heart, grit and pride, and the whole team haven’t been showing that for a few years now. The whole squad must be on the same page. You are not crazy, we are not rebuilding- we can’t use that excuse anymore. As the school kid who who scraped together all of her pocket money to buy a ticket to the ‘97 GF, I bleed red and blue. And I agree with you that the winning culture is slowly coming back, and it’s fantastic to see. In answer to your last question, I think the top 8 is set, with the sharks making the 8 with us.

And we have the knights poaching Zamit to aggressively recruit the far north juniors . The only solution is contract and play them and bite the bullet for the good of the roster long term rather than keep buying mercenaries so we loose more talent. They also keep signing ageing players it's like a time warp back to the late 90s.

Exactly Walter. Storm could rebrand themselves as Tsunami at the moment.