'It's not the standard for a First Grade roster' - MG's scathing assessment of Knights

Published May 17, 2025, 5:57 AM

Rugby league legend and The Continuous Call Team's Mark Geyer has slammed the Newcastle Knights following their seventh loss of the season and has called on the players to lift their performances, rather than all the heat be on coach Adam O'Brien.

A couple of people on the email boys asking about the Newcastle coach, Adam O'Brien. Another loss last night and I mentioned he sounded fairly resigned to the situation they're in at the moment at the press conference. What do you think the future holds, boys? Do you think that they might part ways with their coach? No, no one likes to see people lose their job. It's the nature of the business. But do you think his time's up?

I hope not, I hope not. Look, the roster at the moment, I mean, that's kind of not a it's not the standard for a first grade roster. If you look at it. Um, their halves last night they had Gamble and Sharpe who kind of played similar. They didn't really have a half back to to set up play and kicking game was low. And um Kalyn Ponga has been very quiet at the back. So it all it all starts from their forwards obviously. But now I just haven't been impressed with them. And you can't just keep blaming the coach you know every time. Otherwise he's under the pump. Let's let's put that on the table. When you lose and you're on the bottom of the ladder, you've got to be under the pump. But I'm just sick of coaches being resold because of the players inactive on the rugby league field. It's it's been a blight this year for the Knights. But yeah. Look I um, if you had a if you had a, um, betting ring on who's the first coach to go, you'd have to say Adam. He'd be the favorite.

Yeah, there's there's a lot of, um, there's a lot of rumors swirling at the moment. Boy, just quickly, Darrell and Gao, what are your thoughts?

Yeah, I think he's under enormous pressure. He's got to be. They lost six of their last seven or something like that. The game they won was well, I don't want to take the rap for it, but I think I was up there chatting to them prior to it. Anyway, that's another issue. But but it was magic. I think they beat Souths and they beat them by a decent margin, but other than that they can't score points. No, they can't score. They can't score points. I never saw the press conference last night. I listened to you on the radio. So, um, look, I, I agree with I don't think they've got a great team, so I don't think he's got much to deal with anyway. But the fact is as a result driven business. And if they're not winning games. Yeah. Look, he's probably, uh, under the pump.

Well, we'll leave it in the hands of the, uh, the board. But, um, if they do decide to pull the trigger, uh, Adam O'Brien will will part ways with the club. But at this point, no one's saying anything out of Newcastle. It's just all the rumours at the moment. Either way, they've got to pick themselves up off the canvas and get going again, because we've still got plenty of time left in season 2025.