Opinion
After another heavy defeat on home soil again in which we saw Kalyn Ponga ruled out with a HIA, Newcastle’s season is over. Unfortunately, we won’t have a finals three-peat.
I have a lot of questions I’ll ask and answer.
1. Is Kalyn Ponga taking the rest of the season off the right choice?
KP has been told to take the final six weeks off as a precaution. He has had to come off the field for HIA three times in six weeks and considering what happened with James McManus, I agree. I may not be a doctor but those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
2. Is Adam O’Brien the right coach?
I have defended him this season. Losing Mitchell Pearce was always going to be a setback with no experienced halfback or up-and-coming player to back him up. Jayden Brailey being injured was crucial.
I’m actually not at liberty to say if AOB is the right coach. I’m not qualified to make a call, I don’t work for the Knights, I am not on the coaching staff or the team. I know in the past I have praised him but reality is, my opinion won’t determine whether or not he is.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
3. What needs to change?
The culture is a massive part that needs to change, not just in the team but also with the fans. This isn’t just for Knights but for all teams who have online experts who love to bash their teams when things to turn to disaster.
I love using social media and I am a massive fan of the right to free speech but abusing that right is messed up. There’s a massive difference between constructive criticism and bullying. Unless you work for your team and you’re on the board, you have no right to bash the team.
After our loss on Friday, we are now the worst defensive team of the competition and for the first time in our history, we’ve conceded 40-plus points in three consecutive games. That sucks.
4. How should things change?
All us Knights fans want to see us win the grand final. Unfortunately, as harsh as it sounds, we’re not premiership contenders and I don’t know how how long it’s going to take. How long is a piece of string? We need to focus on some mini goals, such as the following.
– The culture: The team culture needs to be shifted from rebuilding into winning. Maybe asking the old boys like the Johns brothers, the Gidleys, Danny Buderus, Billy Peden and Paul Harragan to say a few words could educate our juniors and team about winning for the town, the fans and each other.
– Blood the juniors: To add on to the winning culture, we can build that towards our juniors, work on our pathways and not just work on our current generation but future generations. When our next long-term halfback is set to retire, we have one in waiting and ready to go.
– The fans: Our role as fans is to support the team and encourage them to win. We buy tickets, we attend games and we buy merchandise.
As a fan, this is what I believe is needed for our team in the long run. With that being said, this article won’t dictate what happens with the team and neither should any of the online “experts” who talk about which player needs to be dropped or sacked.
Our team is in for the long haul and that’s how it’s got to be. We can’t just go for quick solutions. I don’t like seeing us lose, it sucks, but the reality is, we have to stick for the long run.
Newcastle the town, and the Knights are the same DNA. You can’t talk about this town without talking about the team.
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