The NYC Newcastle Knights are eager to re-group and deliver an improved performance in Round 8 after the side’s 46-4 loss to the Parramatta Eels.
Coach Troy Pezet spoke to Knights TV in the sheds after the game and said the defeat was a case of the side failing to start the match strongly.
“We didn’t handle the first half well today and the disappointing thing about that was our focus was to start well and complete and we didn’t manage that,” Pezet said.
The Knights succumbed to a barrage of tries in the first half that saw the home side trail 24 points at the break.
“In the first half we gave away five errors to their one,” he said.
“The four extra sets they had, they turned into tries and we were well behind the eight ball.
“In the second half, I thought we were better, we tried harder, but we’d used too much energy in the first half tackling, and we had nothing left to try and score some tries."
While the blowout score line was disheartening, Pezet assured the match was not an indication of the NYC Knights’ potential.
“I think we’ve been win loss all year and I think that’s been part of having a young squad…and trying to find a level of consistency,” he added.
“They are a really good group of kids and they work really hard.
“They are probably bitterly disappointed and rightly so, but they get a six day turnaround and get another crack at the Cowboys next week.
“We will work again this week and will try to right the wrongs."
Bradie Smith was the Knights’ sole try-scorer, he actually opened the scoring by crossing the line in the eighth minute thanks to quality build up work by captain Luke Yates.
“It probably wasn’t them that was hard to handle, it was probably us,” Smith said.
“We really did it to ourselves with mistakes and not completing sets how we wanted to.
“We were still in it and were trying to keep our head up and wanted to go out there and work hard in the second half and do what we know we can do.”
The young winger said the side is now eager to address errors in the up-coming match against the North Queensland Cowboys at Hunter Stadium on ANZAC Day.
“We will go back to training this week and will re-group after a big game against the Cowboys next Saturday,” he concluded.
