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Both sides showed up the best and worst in each other, and themselves, during the course of this contest.
On this performance the Knights are clearly a better team than the Roosters. They proved this for most of the game. However, they again showed us they are not an 80-minute football team.
This and this alone, kept the Roosters closer on the scoreboard than they deserved.
The first 25 minutes was one-sided as a game of football.
It looked like men against boys as the Newcastle Knights ran roughshod over the Roosters. From fullback through to front row, the Knights players ran harder and tackled harder than their opponents.
During this dominant period they exposed the lack of size and strength in the Roosters team. They also exposed obvious defensive weaknesses around the play-the-ball area and out wide on the edges of the field.
The Newcastle men gave us another example of their skill and brilliance with a high-energy opening to the contest. They really can excite the fans when they get on a roll. They bristled with speed, power and enthusiasm. Their ball movement was slick and purposeful.
In defence, the Knights players attacked the Roosters ball carriers with venom. Their aggression forced errors and totally disrupted the Roosters' attacking play. When the Knights are in this frame of mind I sometimes wonder how they ever lose football games.
Sure enough, at the 25 minute mark, and holding a 12-0 lead, the Knights tired noticeably; virtually inviting their opponents to get up off the canvas and back into the fight.
Gee, they do this a lot. Do they train hard enough?
Honestly, if the Knights were able to maintain their intensity for the full 80 minutes, I reckon they were a 40 point better side than the Roosters.
The Roosters appeared shell-shocked at the ferocity of the Knights' early onslaught. They fumbled and bumbled their way in attack. Their defence looked both submissive and frantic with seemingly no idea how to stop their opponents.
However, despite the fact they were being totally outplayed and out-muscled, there was no sign of them giving up.
The Roosters appear oblivious to the fact their football is poor; instead relying on their enthusiasm and determination to get them though the game.
In fact, by the back end of the first half I got the impression their superior fitness started to tell. They managed two converted tries in the final 12 minutes to draw level with the Knights and had everyone shaking their heads at how such a score line had been produced. They were never in the game until then but the game was about to start again.
Only a freak try to the Knights' Akuila Uate after he caught his own team's wobbly kick off and beat four would-be tacklers to score gave the Knights the half-time lead. If you missed it, don't worry; it will be on all the highlight reels for the rest of the season. The second half was virtually a replica of the first.
After a drink and a rest at the break the Knights emerged vibrant and full of action. They quickly fell back into their best attacking formations and posted a couple of well-worked tries in opposite corners of the field.
But as soon as they would produce points from good football, they would hand the ball back to their opponents with schoolboy errors allowing the Roosters to post a couple of untidy touchdowns of their own.
These errors come from a lack of concentration brought on by fatigue. The Roosters didn't trouble them. The Knights were their own worst enemies. If they can eliminate these moments from their game they will compete with the best teams in the NRL.
The Roosters really do look lost in attack. Their skill level is poor. When they attempt simple plays they regularly over-run the ball or their decoy runners will get in the way of ball-receivers.
When forwards start playing like half-backs trying to create something out of nothing, it's a sure sign the troops are in trouble.
The Roosters defence also lacks conviction. They don't have the size or confidence to move forward and attack opposition ball runners. They sit back in defence and hope the opposition tries to run around them and make the tackles easier. Such an attitude is a sure recipe for disaster in this competition.
The Knights deserved the victory. The Roosters deserved to be beaten by more.
On this performance the Knights are clearly a better team than the Roosters. They proved this for most of the game. However, they again showed us they are not an 80-minute football team.
This and this alone, kept the Roosters closer on the scoreboard than they deserved.
The first 25 minutes was one-sided as a game of football.
It looked like men against boys as the Newcastle Knights ran roughshod over the Roosters. From fullback through to front row, the Knights players ran harder and tackled harder than their opponents.
During this dominant period they exposed the lack of size and strength in the Roosters team. They also exposed obvious defensive weaknesses around the play-the-ball area and out wide on the edges of the field.
The Newcastle men gave us another example of their skill and brilliance with a high-energy opening to the contest. They really can excite the fans when they get on a roll. They bristled with speed, power and enthusiasm. Their ball movement was slick and purposeful.
In defence, the Knights players attacked the Roosters ball carriers with venom. Their aggression forced errors and totally disrupted the Roosters' attacking play. When the Knights are in this frame of mind I sometimes wonder how they ever lose football games.
Sure enough, at the 25 minute mark, and holding a 12-0 lead, the Knights tired noticeably; virtually inviting their opponents to get up off the canvas and back into the fight.
Gee, they do this a lot. Do they train hard enough?
Honestly, if the Knights were able to maintain their intensity for the full 80 minutes, I reckon they were a 40 point better side than the Roosters.
The Roosters appeared shell-shocked at the ferocity of the Knights' early onslaught. They fumbled and bumbled their way in attack. Their defence looked both submissive and frantic with seemingly no idea how to stop their opponents.
However, despite the fact they were being totally outplayed and out-muscled, there was no sign of them giving up.
The Roosters appear oblivious to the fact their football is poor; instead relying on their enthusiasm and determination to get them though the game.
In fact, by the back end of the first half I got the impression their superior fitness started to tell. They managed two converted tries in the final 12 minutes to draw level with the Knights and had everyone shaking their heads at how such a score line had been produced. They were never in the game until then but the game was about to start again.
Only a freak try to the Knights' Akuila Uate after he caught his own team's wobbly kick off and beat four would-be tacklers to score gave the Knights the half-time lead. If you missed it, don't worry; it will be on all the highlight reels for the rest of the season. The second half was virtually a replica of the first.
After a drink and a rest at the break the Knights emerged vibrant and full of action. They quickly fell back into their best attacking formations and posted a couple of well-worked tries in opposite corners of the field.
But as soon as they would produce points from good football, they would hand the ball back to their opponents with schoolboy errors allowing the Roosters to post a couple of untidy touchdowns of their own.
These errors come from a lack of concentration brought on by fatigue. The Roosters didn't trouble them. The Knights were their own worst enemies. If they can eliminate these moments from their game they will compete with the best teams in the NRL.
The Roosters really do look lost in attack. Their skill level is poor. When they attempt simple plays they regularly over-run the ball or their decoy runners will get in the way of ball-receivers.
When forwards start playing like half-backs trying to create something out of nothing, it's a sure sign the troops are in trouble.
The Roosters defence also lacks conviction. They don't have the size or confidence to move forward and attack opposition ball runners. They sit back in defence and hope the opposition tries to run around them and make the tackles easier. Such an attitude is a sure recipe for disaster in this competition.
The Knights deserved the victory. The Roosters deserved to be beaten by more.
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