THE Knights' NRL trial against the Storm was a wake-up call early ('Reality check', Newcastle Herald 26/2).
There were a few of the old-guard players who didn't come up to scratch.
Personally I think one of those was Jackson Hastings, who I thought had a very ordinary game in both attack and defence.
I worry he might be wearing a reggies jumper for the early part of the season.
For the trial match it looked like coach Adam O'Brien has gone back to his safety-first play again now that he's got his three-year contract extension.
The last game of the 2023 season, against the Warriors in the semis, was a disaster; we were outplayed in all facets.
I can only hope for the die-hard Knights followers that O'Brien doesn't stick with this trial format as it doesn't work.
I believe this was proven last year when they had their 10-game winning streak where they played a very uptempo style, letting the ball do the work and putting points on the board.
Please don't take us back to the overly structured play, as it is boring and it will not win games. Oppositions can handle structured play, but they can't handle the unorthodox where they don't know what's coming.
Allen Small, East Maitland
Weed out unappealing neglect
I AM continually disgusted at the lack of weed maintenance in and around Newcastle streets.
Excessive weed growth on median strips, kerbs and footpaths is rampant wherever one drives within the Newcastle council area.
Everywhere I drive around Newcastle I see median strips with weed growth at shin and knee height, and even tall weeds growing up out of storm water drains.
With this letter I send a photograph I took on Sunday on the Mayfield side of the Tourle Street bridge.
The height of this particular weed is evidence of the length of time it must have been neglected and allowed to flourish.
Our council and other officials are constantly reminding us of the need to attract tourism and visitors to the city.
Surely our cityscape, such as it is, is a poor image to present.
Bill Snow, Stockton
Wins, losses in working from home
IT is not for all enterprises and not for everyone, but working from home (WFH) obviously has its advantages for the individual.
For people who WFH there is no need to buy work clothes, pay for transport to get to work, or buy lunches.
They have more work time with less travel time, and they can pick up kids from school. In essence, WFH is a pay rise.
There are obvious disadvantages of WFH, mainly a lack of work and time supervision, motivation and social networking to name a few.
But be careful what you wish for; working from home can mean you become an employment service number, perhaps creating more chance that your role can be done offshore with cheaper labour costs.
John Cooper, Charlestown
Affordability lurks past supply woe
SO there's a recommendation for rejection of the apartment development at the site of the Premier Hotel based on the developments height and mass ("Pub plans rejection seems a bellwether", Herald 22/2)?
That's odd, because no one seems too concerned about height and mass when it comes to high-rise developments in and around the Newcastle CBD.
Perhaps apartments in Broadmeadow could help with the housing crisis, but first the apartments would of course have to be affordable enough for those affected by the crisis.
All too often, many people are priced out of the market, just like the apartments in Newcastle that only appear to really cater to empty nesters and others who wish to downsize, regardless of whether or not they find city living suitable.
I just hope that, if apartments ever were approved on the Premier site with a pub on the ground floor, all potential residents would be well aware that there was indeed a pub on the ground floor.
That way they can decide whether or not living so close to a pub is suitable for them - well, with any luck they'd decide before moving anyway, for everyone's sake.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
Details matter in wind debate
AFTER following Carl Stevenson's advice and Googling the International Energy Organisation Mr Stevenson referred to in a recent submission ("Disagree with me? Tell me why", Letters 22/2) I'm surprised Mr Stevenson hasn't become a wind farm supporter himself.
The International Energy Organisation strongly endorses wind as a source of energy. But rather, he cherry picks one figure and I believe misinterprets its meaning.
Mr Stevenson asks whether wind farms are producing "productive" wind energy and states that wind farms have an overall productivity of 30 to 35 per cent.
But as I have explained in this paper previously, this means that wind farms on average produce 30 to 35 per cent of their theoretical maximum production.
This is because wind is not always blowing at an ideal level and there are times when a turbine has to be stopped for maintenance.
Turbines actually produce energy 70 to 85 per cent of the time but often it is not at maximum capacity.
So even though Sol might say "oils ain't oils'' there is no such thing as non-productive electricity.
Lloyd Davies, Stockton
Cricket's shift to paywall has me stumped
THANKS to Cricket Australia (CA) I am no longer a cricket tragic, in fact, not even a cricket fan. I believe CA has sold its soul to the devil, and a majority of matches are not available on free-to-air TV. Shame.
Stan Keifer, Arakoon
Cost is guiding market movements
PETER Devey (Letters 24/2), the CSIRO beg to differ with your claim about expense and energy. It is already happening and will get cheaper with economies of scale. Please refer to their 2018 and 2020 reports. Greg Parry (Letters 24/2): it is cheaper, faster and more efficient to have naval ships built overseas rather than reviving a dead industry.
David Jennings, Edgeworth
Let rosemary stay where it grows
So Newcastle council wants to remove rosemary growing along a nature strip because of a single complaint. Why not remove the complainant from the area for being so petty and yourselves for the same? Oh sorry, am I being politically incorrect?
Peter Robinson, Charlestown
Complaint lacked local knowledge
WHAT are the odds that a single complaint that the council received about a herb garden on the footpath in Wickham is from a blow-in and not a local? Privileged, entitled once again. Sad.
Tony Morley, Waratah
Investigations may shed light
REGARDING Sage Swinton's story ('Who wrote it? Dispute over rejected council notice of motion', Newcastle Herald 23/1): I think there is a whiff of the kettle calling the pot black here. Perhaps the best solution is to have a full investigation into both issues.
Peter Hay, Islington
A year of dazzling performances
PAUL McCartney and Pink were doubtlessly brilliant, but far and away the most amazing show this year has been our council's contortionist act in repeatedly turning itself inside out to avoid a fair dinkum probe into the letters affair. Breathtaking.
