B-Train
Kennel Immortal
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/...he-wounded-dogs/2009/09/07/1252201181924.html
September 8, 2009
Newcastle are quietly confident going into their semi against Canterbury, writes Will Swanton.
SMOKIES in the water. Plotting their ambush.
''We're pumped, we're ready to go, we're a show,'' Knights playmaker Jarrod Mullen told the Herald after a pool session in Newcastle yesterday. ''To keep a team like Penrith to nil on the weekend showed our defence is right. That showed the soul of this team, the attitude of our players and our club. We have pride in our try line. We are willing to defend.''
Two hard facts are behind the strut in Mullen and the smokies. They've beaten all six teams ahead of them on the premiership ladder and one of those chest-thumping victories was over their opponents on Saturday night, the second-placed Bulldogs, back when Brett Kimmorley's face was still in one piece and his best hope of playing again this year didn't include the use of some sort of reinforced Hannibal Lector mask.
If the smokies beat the Dogs when Kimmorley was fit and firing, they know they can do it again now Kimmorley is out.
Mullen drives around Newcastle in a black car with tinted windows. It's his only chance of anonymity. The Knights are the heartbeat of this town and as the sculptor of the smokies' fortunes, he's become as recognisable as Knights great Andrew Johns in his pomp.
In the Mullen household is a growing pile of notebooks filled with his scribble detailing the privileged advice and information Johns has given him over the past five years.
''I'm still doing the books,'' Mullen said.
''Joey is up here once a week helping me out with my game and I still write down whatever he says. It's exciting every time he comes to our sessions. We're lucky he still shows so much interest in the team.
'' I've got a couple of books full of notes now, it started off with one book but it filled up with different bits and pieces he's talked to me about. I've got to write everything down. When you're like I am, if I don't write them down, I'll probably forget them the next day. You write stuff down at the start of the year then see it again at the end of the year and it all comes back to you.''
Mullen feels like a 22-year-old veteran. ''I've only missed two games all season but I've been pretty injury-prone with the ankle and the shoulder,'' he said. ''I really feel like I'm still progressing as a footballer. I'm only 22 so in football years, I hope my best years are still ahead of me. I've been around for five years so I guess I'm one of the senior players in the side now. I want to play like that, I want to keep taking more ownership of the team, but I am still only 22. Hopefully I've got another eight years left in me.''
Smokies coach Rick Stone rates Mullen the equal of any playmaker left in the NRL.
''We're about being brave enough to take a big step forward and see if we can make a difference in this semi-final series,'' Stone said.
''We're confident in the footy we can play. We're keen to throw it into the biggest stage this Saturday night. I reckon there are a lot of games up for grabs this weekend. I think seventh has beaten second at least five times in the last 10 years or so. History says the seventh team can win even though the eighth team has only won once. History says it can happen and we think it can happen.
''We're looking forward to having a crack. Keeping Penrith to nil says a bit about the soul we have in this side, especially in defence … I just said to the boys … we'll have to step up because the semi-final Dogs we've known for a long time will be out there on Saturday.
''Mullos is as good a strike weapon as anyone in the finals,'' Stone said. ''His running game is probably his strength, his kicking game is great and he defended as well against Penrith as he ever has in the NRL. Pound for pound, he's strong as anyone.''
Meanwhile, injured Knights hooker Isaac de Gois is only a 50-50 chance of playing on Saturday night.
September 8, 2009
Newcastle are quietly confident going into their semi against Canterbury, writes Will Swanton.
SMOKIES in the water. Plotting their ambush.
''We're pumped, we're ready to go, we're a show,'' Knights playmaker Jarrod Mullen told the Herald after a pool session in Newcastle yesterday. ''To keep a team like Penrith to nil on the weekend showed our defence is right. That showed the soul of this team, the attitude of our players and our club. We have pride in our try line. We are willing to defend.''
Two hard facts are behind the strut in Mullen and the smokies. They've beaten all six teams ahead of them on the premiership ladder and one of those chest-thumping victories was over their opponents on Saturday night, the second-placed Bulldogs, back when Brett Kimmorley's face was still in one piece and his best hope of playing again this year didn't include the use of some sort of reinforced Hannibal Lector mask.
If the smokies beat the Dogs when Kimmorley was fit and firing, they know they can do it again now Kimmorley is out.
Mullen drives around Newcastle in a black car with tinted windows. It's his only chance of anonymity. The Knights are the heartbeat of this town and as the sculptor of the smokies' fortunes, he's become as recognisable as Knights great Andrew Johns in his pomp.
In the Mullen household is a growing pile of notebooks filled with his scribble detailing the privileged advice and information Johns has given him over the past five years.
''I'm still doing the books,'' Mullen said.
''Joey is up here once a week helping me out with my game and I still write down whatever he says. It's exciting every time he comes to our sessions. We're lucky he still shows so much interest in the team.
'' I've got a couple of books full of notes now, it started off with one book but it filled up with different bits and pieces he's talked to me about. I've got to write everything down. When you're like I am, if I don't write them down, I'll probably forget them the next day. You write stuff down at the start of the year then see it again at the end of the year and it all comes back to you.''
Mullen feels like a 22-year-old veteran. ''I've only missed two games all season but I've been pretty injury-prone with the ankle and the shoulder,'' he said. ''I really feel like I'm still progressing as a footballer. I'm only 22 so in football years, I hope my best years are still ahead of me. I've been around for five years so I guess I'm one of the senior players in the side now. I want to play like that, I want to keep taking more ownership of the team, but I am still only 22. Hopefully I've got another eight years left in me.''
Smokies coach Rick Stone rates Mullen the equal of any playmaker left in the NRL.
''We're about being brave enough to take a big step forward and see if we can make a difference in this semi-final series,'' Stone said.
''We're confident in the footy we can play. We're keen to throw it into the biggest stage this Saturday night. I reckon there are a lot of games up for grabs this weekend. I think seventh has beaten second at least five times in the last 10 years or so. History says the seventh team can win even though the eighth team has only won once. History says it can happen and we think it can happen.
''We're looking forward to having a crack. Keeping Penrith to nil says a bit about the soul we have in this side, especially in defence … I just said to the boys … we'll have to step up because the semi-final Dogs we've known for a long time will be out there on Saturday.
''Mullos is as good a strike weapon as anyone in the finals,'' Stone said. ''His running game is probably his strength, his kicking game is great and he defended as well against Penrith as he ever has in the NRL. Pound for pound, he's strong as anyone.''
Meanwhile, injured Knights hooker Isaac de Gois is only a 50-50 chance of playing on Saturday night.
