You were all told that Hutch is mire of a creator with the ball than Burton.....

Now you get to see it

Yeah Hutch did put Xerri over the sideline.

He  needs to straighten up and pass earlier. 

The tip on for the Fox try was good.

He didnt put Xerri over the sideline....he fed him early ball and Xerri decided to take on the defender who got him in a great tackle sideways and drove him out. 

Great win, best win for years.

Indeed.
So gritty.
So gritty.

Best part was the die hard Knights fans walking out before the end.

That game could have gone on another 40 mins and the Knights would not have scored a try,

Like the Dragons game, we totally demoralised the opposition by the end of the game,  with every passing minute we were growing more dominant 
.
2 in the bin and Foxy off injured we didn't miss a beat.

I have been saying that for years. Stop the comp half way through. Play the rep games. Even Aus vs NZ. A month off footy. It just works. 

It was a bad pass mate. A good playmaker runs themselves on a line to the sideline. 

We played a good game tonight. Finally got the bounce if the ball. Makes up for it bouncing against us verse Canberra. 

There are 9 teams with a positive f/a. We are are 3rd on that list and unlikely to be caught this weekend.+…  fuck me my maths… 115 on The Raiders who are 9th.

Add the two points v Bunnies which we should have won and we are top 4.

This is an absolutely stunning turnaround not only from last year but from the part decade.

Rest of the season we beat 75%ish everyone below us and we’re top 8, top 6 maybe top 4.

How are we doing this? Cirro and Gus know what they’re doing. And this season isn’t even in the plan.

2nd best defence in the comp. I really find it hard to believe - am I reading the table wrong?

By my reading there’s only two teams in the 100’s against, Panthers then us.

This is top 4 stuff, maybe not this yer but it is coming.

Young Hopoi dropped the ball when we raced in all excited in the trial. 

Didn't miss a beat this game, no errors that I noticed. Lots of work in attack and defence, looked solid and up to the pace of the game.

Yep I think second best in defence, lots of other teams are leaking a lot of points. 

Eels are back in form, they will be desperate, it will not be an easy game, but a win should have us climbing the table.

I think that we still have a lot of improvement in us, especially in attack.

Good.

Sexton very good in defence, better player in attack and defence than I expected. 

Hutch good play for the second Fox try. Good kicking from the halves + Reed.

On the contrary...
We are exactly where i expected us to be when CC came over and we had kikau and mahoney. 

Its just that last year was a huge disappointment.

What i will say however is that our defence and in particular the scrambling defence is top-2 like. 

We drop the ball in our own half, and i shrug my shoulders knowing we can defend the mistake. 

Thats the biggest turnaround. 

That was a great win .. did not see that coming . Flashback from the 80’s and 90’s team.  Defence has been great last  couple of weeks . Sexton has made a difference. Kiraz and Preston were the best out there IMO.. 

Turn it up Marki... you were about to turn away at the end of last season and you said you weren't going to follow the Dogs this year because you thought we were going to be shit and we got the wrong assistant.

You sure that was me ODF?
I know i stuck the boot in and questioned our halves alot but i dont think i was that dramatic unless one of my TVs was broken...

Results (so far) indicate we are a 50-50 team this year which is where i expected us to be. Still not attacking as well as we could, but with our defence being one of the best at stopping points, its keeping us in games and giving us a chance to win. 

Its a big step closer to where we want to be and we shall enjoy it for what it is this year. Come next year though, expectations will grow and the teams performance needs to go with it.

Yep, you were going to ditch the Dogs but that was last year. This year we are slowly returning to be the 'Dogs of War' once again. Gould knows our DNA, as he was once a part of it and I really believe he convinced Ciraldo to buy into it. Being a defensive master he brought his own style on board chose the players he needed to build the foundation and convinced them to 'get on the bus'. Those not willing or those not able to train up to the standard required were released. I may be way off the mark(i) but it's a good story and I'm sticking to it.

You are spot on with CC.

He had a choice last year of either structuring a gameplan that the players can play to, or make the season a trial process of players that can play to a structure he had in mind.

He went with option 2 and the result was last years debacle as many were found out and injuries took their toll.

After another off-season and clean up of roster, he has found a bunch of players who (though limited in their abilities compared to other stars of the game) are able to play to the defensive structures he was wishing to employ. 

But i also think he knows our attack is below where he would like to see it -especially given he saw first hand at Penrith what a good attack looks like.

Im interested as to how he thinks our attack should elevate. Is it same players getting better (i dont) or is new players taking us to the next level.

In any case, im just glad we are in and around top 8 and hopefully play finals this year.

Marki is the BDP equivalent of a "hostile witness". For a team who could attack better we haven't done too bad and yet here is doofus diminishing the team with snide comments such as "limited in ability". I feel that the makeup of the Dogs' team is somewhat unique but in the best way possible. I really like Jaemon Salmon both in attack and especially defence. A big turnaround from jumper grabbers Okunbur and Waddell. Only a dolt would call our players "limited in ability". Attack is on the back of the defence. When the Bulldogs' players were binned it gave Newcastle the ball ON THE DOG'S LINE.....but on both occasions the Dogs repelled the Knights and scored soon after. Both sinbins were a tad dodgy...ref Atkins has shown a home ground favouritism on more than one occasion this year. Players are allowed to shoulder each other when competing for the ball and was Tracey doing any more than that? Sexton should have been penalised but he didn't participate in the play. The Newcastle lug ran into him.

The top on for the Foxx try hit the ground... That was lucky... (Not a figure of speech)..
The first Fox try his pass was cos he shit the bed on the kick and forced a lucky pass... (Not a figure of speech)...

The two things that speak volumes to me about his game was getting tackled on the 4th when 7exy was in the bin, and the kick allowing a 20m restart when we also had 12 on the field .  

Great win indeed... Didn't get to see it live.. just finished watching replay without knowing the score.....

Lou was magnificent....

We take that level of discipline and effort into next week there'll be no flat track...

I think I read we are the only team not to have conceded 30 points in a game this year ..
The turn around is enormous... Plenty of egg on the faces of the CC and Gus doubters....

Kiraz is week in week out one of our best... We look great across the park on both side of the ball...
Lou Reed led from the front with our Origin players out... 

Mockstradamus' predictions are fluid... 

By Rd 20 we will be hearing about how there was no prediction TTAAFFEE and Crutch would be out most important players... They'll certainly help us win the reserve grade comp though...

I am glad that we get a slightly longer turn around into the flat trackers.

More chance that our SOO players can play. If Critter can't back up, I hope Skelton gets a chance.
They are great at home when they get the 50/50s, so far for about 2-3 games per year.

However  they were a much easier proposition 2-3 weeks ago.

Reed gets to paint another sinbinned and suspended prop on his wall. Will he get Junior and/or Reg? He must be great at the verbal.

We want this one,  might end the Lemons season, especially with 2 suspended props :)

We still have lots of middles out and due back in the next few weeks.  Todd, Knight, Sutton, Patolo, Fifita. 

The big boy Issac MB has progressed to starting prop in Massey Cup now, not a prospect for NRL this season, may progress to reserve grade.

If we have the King, Hughes, Patolo, Hopoi, Todd and Isaac in our middles rotation next season,  we will not have a small pack.

I hoping for good things for Issac as it takes grit and determination to come back from a bad leg injury, especially for a really big lad.

As good as Mann, Hutch and Salmon have been, our best full strength attacking team may only have room for one of those guys off the bench with another 18th man. 

I can make a case for all 3.

Hutch- another good kicking option. 
Salmon- great defender can play edge middle, or fill in at centre. 
Mann - when in form far more dangerous in attack than the other 2 and does his share in defence. 

This is on the assumption that Hayward stays in form and is hard to shift. 

I think Hopoi,  Todd,  Patolo or Sutton might edge out Morrin at least until we get back to dry tracks.

We always get a shift every game from these 4 guys, they leave nothing in the tank. But if we want to step up the attack, they will need to show a bit more to keep their spots, IMO. 

Hughes only played 14 minutes, didn't play a second stint.

Mann filled in at prop with Curran playing second row for Salmon who was playing centre.

Hopoi played 2 stints.

Most likely injury  / illness or just needed a rest.

I didn't notice anything, perhaps 50/50  for Parra but should be back after the bye. 

Farmer has been pretty good,  there must be something about his defence that CC doesn't like.

OK Gus said just giving Hughes a rest.

The  bad news is Foxy 8-10 weeks.