After seven consecutive losses and seemingly endless pain for Knights fans, Newcastle have ended that horrid losing streak with a 16-6 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs.
That win wasn’t pretty and we blew other chances to seal it, but Adam Clune’s 75th-minute try was enough for Newcastle to win. The roar I saw from Adam O’Brien in the coaches box shows he has got the passion a coach needs to display for his team.
With our record now at three wins and seven losses, finals aren’t exactly out of reach and this win could start a turnaround. I can’t guarantee they will, as next week we’ve got Brisbane and they put Manly down 38-0, which is their biggest-ever win against the Sea Eagles.
O’Brien’s mission at the Knights is to turn them into a powerhouse team and a premiership force. In his first two seasons, he got us into finals and he’s the first coach to get us into back-to-back finals since Michael Hagan.
We all know the history of the Newcastle Knights’ struggles and rebuilding. I have written about it multiple times to the point it’s ancient history.
We aren’t rebuilding anymore. Nathan Brown’s mission was to rebuild the Knights and that’s what he did. Nathan Brown is a great coach, rebuilding specialist, great at recruiting talent and overall a nice guy but he’s not a premiership coach in the NRL. The team AOB has in Newcastle was mostly built by Nathan Brown.
I believe we got the coach for the job and I will say it again, sacking Adam O’Brien would be a massive error. One thing I believe is our juniors came through the system with the rebuilding mindset. With some ex-Knights players on staff like Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus, I believe they should teach the players what the Newcastle winning culture is all about.
Things like playing for the town, playing for the fans and turning Marathon into a fortress. It used to be the ground every opponent was scared shitless to attend. Back in our glory days, you weren’t playing a game of football against the Knights in Newcastle… you were in for a war.
The reality is for the Newcastle Knights we’re nowhere near premiership contenders and we have got a lot of work to do. I can’t put a timeframe on how long exactly it would take and the realistic factor needed to be put in place is this takes years, not weeks.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
No. They struggled to beat the Bulldogs and they are specials for the bottom 4
Christo
Roar Guru
From a perspective of watching that game live on Friday night, it was ugly. The Knights were barely convincing, however if they can knock off Brisbane this week then things may become partly brighter. However if they get beaten by a fair bit then anything that gave knights fans hope from that doggies game will be gone.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
That surprised me, didn’t think they’d be ready to win till Gagai, Frizelle and Milf. came back and the fact that the Dogs scalped the Roosters a fortnight ago. Hopefully they’re back next week. Will be extremely disappointing if they don’t make it meaningful by being competitive next week. Yeah, the coach’s personality stinks, but they all do.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
Stop analysing our mediocre victory against a bog average team in a putrid match. Nostalgia is all we got. So we are running with it.. till we drop it too and give away another set restart
Phil
Roar Rookie
KOTW, if you are happy with AOB then mediocrity is your yardstick for success. Newcastle beat a team which hasn't even scored 10 points per game and could only manage 16 points in the process while having conceded 25 per game thus far. It's all nice and nostalgic to romanticise about the glory days but we are living now. I doubt any team fears a visit to the ISC.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The Broncos are due for a loss so it might roll in the Knights favour. Bradman Best is a good example of why the Knights and teams like Manly aren't challenging for the crown yet. You need players like him to go from potential SOO player to actual SOO player because the rivals have players in the outside backs excelling and players like Best aren't keeping up.
Thilly Thothage
Guest
The Dogs aren't too bad on paper either .
peeeko
Roar Guru
relax its was the bulldogs "I believe they should teach the players what the Newcastle winning culture is all about" - you are imagining things no teams were scared shotless to play at marathon. sure its a tough ground but be real
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
The Knights aren't that bad . In fact with their top roster on the park it's a reasonable team for sure. Personally I don't like Mr ' do you know who I am' O Brian but I wish the Knights well. They have some unbelievable supporters who deserve their share of success.
Choppy Zezers
Roar Rookie
We really have an over supply of timber scoopers, thanks very much. The knights are fighting hard to finish in that crucial 11th spot. I think they have the team to do it.
Cam
Roar Rookie
If Vlandys can swing the draw so the Knights only play the Bulldogs and the bye over the next 15 rounds, I am confident they could win 5 or 6 more game this year. On the upside, the crowds are still turning up to Marathon Stadium.
Thilly Thothage
Guest
I'm not sure if to admire your unjustifiable optimism, or to slap you to snap you out of the false reality you appear to be in . Finals are a dream young fella and there's a fair chance AOB is going to add to the already impressive collection of wooden cutlery that Brownie left in the broom closet. Make the panthers ya second team.