Matty Johns column: Newcastle Knights, Sydney Roosters forge new rivalry

SOME rivalries are developed over decades of intense battles and general dislikes, others burst suddenly out of the blue, through circumstance, writes Matty Johns.

Mitchell Pearce gets his first crack at his old club the Roosters

SOME rivalries are developed over decades of intense battles and general dislikes, others burst suddenly out of the blue, through circumstance.

For the Roosters v Knights, it’s the latter.

This Sunday, both clubs take the field with a point to prove.

Actually, let me refine that. This Sunday, plenty of individuals take the field with a point to prove.

The Newcastle Knights hold absolutely no grudges against the Sydney Roosters, in fact I reckon they owe them a thank you letter.

Given the way his new life is turning out, maybe Mitchell Pearce feels obliged to pen a thank you as well?

Maybe not ... Not yet anyway.

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Mitchell Pearce gets his first crack at his old club the Roosters

All the former Roosters are contributing greatly to the Knights’ revival. All will say nice things about their former club in the lead-up to Sunday, but all will be burning to prove a point.

The best, most anticipated games are built around storylines, and the primary plot which runs through this match is Pearce and Cooper Cronk.

I have great respect for both these men having worked with them individually.

I’ve never worked with Mitchell “officially”, it’s always been a sneaky session down the park, an encouraging phone call, keeping tabs.

I worked extensively with Cronk for four years, marvelling at his work ethic, intelligence, desire to get better and his discipline in his day-to-day life.

He is a champion.

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Pearce goes head-to-head with the man who replaced him in Cooper Cronk.

A once utility player, Cronk has built his game, piece by piece. He wanted to be the best, he willed and worked himself to be the best.

Rarely have I met someone with such drive and single focus.

Back in the early days of working with Cronk, we would set up attacking drills which worked on communication with teammates, simple fundamentals, calling the play and which defender he was going to isolate.

These drills were long and monotonous but they developed understanding and combination.

All bodies plugged into the Number 7.

Cronk just called the play, identified the target defender and ran at him, his hole runner would arrive like a German train ... fast and on time.

These sessions are a core fundamental in building a relationship between a 7 and the men selected to compliment him. In games it became like clockwork.

Likewise Cronk and Cam Smith had a non-verbal understanding. Smith’s job was to get Cronk past the depth of the markers, so the stripping process could begin.

Matthew Johns has spent time mentoring Cronk over the years.

A marker is a security blanket for tight defenders, go past him and the middle defenders sense vulnerability and sit on the heels, allowing the playmaker to do as he likes.

The science of attack is built of subtleties such as this.

So you see, it takes a lot of work for things to look simple.

Hence why the Roosters will still look a little rusty for a while yet.

There was improvement in their win over Canterbury but the fluency isn’t quite there. Cronk calls the play but his runner arrives a fraction late or not exactly where he wants him.

Only time will fix this. Time on the training park doing monotonously boring drills, time on the field under pressure.

Pearce on the other hand is smiling like Donny Osmond.

Nathan Brown has built an attacking formation around Pearce’s strengths.

On the right, a deputy in Connor Watson who looks to play fast and tight drilling through the defence.

On the left, the gift to Newcastle from the rugby league Gods, Kalyn Ponga who ... can do anything.

All his runners need to do is give him room to breathe.

Pearce and Kalyn Ponga can make a huge statement against the Roosters on Sunday.

Against Manly, Lachlan Fitzgibbon cramped Kalyn by jamming in too acutely at the gap.

Last weekend Lachlan sat, relaxed and let Kalyn feel what the defender was doing, “Do I beat him inside or skip out?”

He has skipped out, passed short and Fitzgibbon strolled through unbothered.

The Knights got caught into the trap of doing too many set-up plays against Manly. Like a boxer being content to just jab.

However, against Canberra last Sunday, they loosened and threw punches in bunches.

“Attack the middle”, “attack the short sides”, “now attack the long side.”

The Knights are playing with a smile on their face.

The Roosters at the moment are trying to smile, but with all that expectation around, it stills looks more like a grimace.

This will be a beauty, very tight.

If the Knights improve as much as they did last week, they win this, and that would be, BETTER THAN LEGO!