Ethan Strange, the one that got away

[GrubBER]

We don’t usually get these wrong but I honestly believe we will be regretting this for years to come, the exact type of 5/8 our team needs. I’m not just saying this because of how he has been playing recently it’s just reinsured it, I’ve always seen something in him.

[Rooster90]

We don’t usually get these wrong but I honestly believe we will be regretting this for years to come, the exact type of 5/8 our team needs. I’m not just saying this because of how he has been playing recently it’s just reinsured it, I’ve always seen something in him.

It's okay....because we re-signed Luke Keary

Pretty sure he came through the Central Coast juniors playing with Sandon Smith - now that would be a half pairing.

Speaking of promising juniors that were let go - I noticed that Cassius Tia carved up our NSW Cup team for the Dogs on the weekend

[dice]

IMO the best we played last year was with Keary and Sandon Smith. Walker too similar to Keary including weaknesses. I understand the hype of Walker and the reputation of Keary but fmd we are destined to spend two more years with players that can't kick further than 30m. Brandon Smith has joined them with his 30m kicks early in the tackle count from deep inside our own territory.

Who was that young half that kicked the 30/10 in the trial game?

[Kelby]

I dont know why we let him go and Jacob Preston?


2 big fark ups.

[DP1990]

IMO the best we played last year was with Keary and Sandon Smith. Walker too similar to Keary including weaknesses. I understand the hype of Walker and the reputation of Keary but fmd we are destined to spend two more years with players that can't kick further than 30m. Brandon Smith has joined them with his 30m kicks early in the tackle count from deep inside our own territory.

Who was that young half that kicked the 30/10 in the trial game?

Hugo Savala ?

[dice]

Hugo Savala ?

I found it. Coby Thomas at 2:25. 40/20 from 25 metres out. Given the angle it is 50 metres on the full.

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/202...-vs-rabbitohs/

[Rooster_6]

I dont know why we let him go and Jacob Preston?


2 big fark ups.

We didn’t let either of them go, we made offers for both. Bulldogs were willing to offer Preston a first team spot and Canberra a more direct path to first grade.

After balance of the first grade squad I think youth pathway development is the second biggest issue our club is struggling with at the moment. Since the class of Radley/Butcher/Tupouniua/Collins/Manu/Latrell/ Watson made their debuts around 2016-2017 we haven’t had a wave of good talent come through in a long time.

- Suaalii played in his first year after being bought from the Rabbitohs (significant contract)
- Walker played in his second year after being bough from the Broncos (significant contract)

I would consider those two more purchases than a reflection of our pathways and they’re our two most successful teenagers to come through since 2017.

Really outside of that it has been slim pickings, we’ve had to rely on recruiting senior players from the NSW Cup or on the fringes of first grade to cover injuries rather than being able to cover them internally with junior talent. Think Dale Copley, Matt Ikuvalu, Kevin Naiqama, Junior Pauga, Reece Robinson, Brad Abbey, Oliver Gildart etc. And I have nothing against that strategy but it needs to balanced with more juniors.

I would say the latest wave of junior talent coming through has been Whyte/Wong/Sandon Smith/Moriaty & Egan Butcher but all have had very slow and stunted development for mine and certainly don’t look like being in the same calibre of player mentioned before.

I wonder how much impact Peter O’Sullivan leaving our club in 2016 has had on our junior talent coming through and our talent identification.

There’s some serious talent coming through in the SG Ball squad this year which is exciting but that’s still talent that’s 2-3 years away and I appreciate the club has invested heavily into this area in recent times even funding their own NSW Cup side but we really need some results soon to help replenish a team that’s going to be turned over quite heavily in the next 6 months with the losses of Suaalii, Manu, Crichton & JWH.

It’s not great that this week when our first grade backline is decimated we don’t have even 1 exciting young player to turn to.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

IMO the best we played last year was with Keary and Sandon Smith. Walker too similar to Keary including weaknesses. I understand the hype of Walker and the reputation of Keary but fmd we are destined to spend two more years with players that can't kick further than 30m. Brandon Smith has joined them with his 30m kicks early in the tackle count from deep inside our own territory.

Who was that young half that kicked the 30/10 in the trial game?

Yes...we have really put the eggs in the basket with young Sam. I do have a personal bias for halves with quick feet, but did you see Sam chasing on the Kikau break? He looked like he his feet were in quicksand nezt to Kikau and Burton even. Admittedly it was Doms bad miss and a damp track, but didn't look good.

[dice]

Yes...we have really put the eggs in the basket with young Sam. I do have a personal bias for halves with quick feet, but did you see Sam chasing on the Kikau break? He looked like he his feet were in quicksand nezt to Kikau and Burton even. Admittedly it was Doms bad miss and a damp track, but didn't look good.

They were getting bogged down. Walker has run players down running back in defence. Recall the last-minute vs Titans in the final a couple years ago.

You have reminded me of Hastings. Now there was a slug. To think that we got rid of Maloney based on the hype of the slowest player in the NRL. I wonder if that is still playing on Robbo's mind?

[RoosterBooster]

Great insight, a lot of those fringe players we picked up where terrible, surely a junior would have done no worse.

I was just thinking today we really have not solved a lot of key players over the last few years

Cronk retires 2019- have we really found a suitable solution since. There are even question marks over Walker being a 5/8th not a HB , still unresolved
Cordner retiree 2020- Left edge has been very unsettled since he retired, still unresolved
Friend retires early 2021 Still to find the right hooker IMO

I think Watson is the best we have done in replacing Aubo

This will get worse next season with Manu, JWH leaving. I do feel May has the ability to replace JWH skill wise but not leadership wise. The following year Keary will probably retire

We also don’t know if B Smith will take up his option next year at hooker which makes Morriartys injury worse for his development

All adds up to being very unsettled and new combinations need to form

We didn’t let either of them go, we made offers for both. Bulldogs were willing to offer Preston a first team spot and Canberra a more direct path to first grade.

After balance of the first grade squad I think youth pathway development is the second biggest issue our club is struggling with at the moment. Since the class of Radley/Butcher/Tupouniua/Collins/Manu/Latrell/ Watson made their debuts around 2016-2017 we haven’t had a wave of good talent come through in a long time.

- Suaalii played in his first year after being bought from the Rabbitohs (significant contract)
- Walker played in his second year after being bough from the Broncos (significant contract)

I would consider those two more purchases than a reflection of our pathways and they’re our two most successful teenagers to come through since 2017.

Really outside of that it has been slim pickings, we’ve had to rely on recruiting senior players from the NSW Cup or on the fringes of first grade to cover injuries rather than being able to cover them internally with junior talent. Think Dale Copley, Matt Ikuvalu, Kevin Naiqama, Junior Pauga, Reece Robinson, Brad Abbey, Oliver Gildart etc. And I have nothing against that strategy but it needs to balanced with more juniors.

I would say the latest wave of junior talent coming through has been Whyte/Wong/Sandon Smith/Moriaty & Egan Butcher but all have had very slow and stunted development for mine and certainly don’t look like being in the same calibre of player mentioned before.

I wonder how much impact Peter O’Sullivan leaving our club in 2016 has had on our junior talent coming through and our talent identification.

There’s some serious talent coming through in the SG Ball squad this year which is exciting but that’s still talent that’s 2-3 years away and I appreciate the club has invested heavily into this area in recent times even funding their own NSW Cup side but we really need some results soon to help replenish a team that’s going to be turned over quite heavily in the next 6 months with the losses of Suaalii, Manu, Crichton & JWH.

It’s not great that this week when our first grade backline is decimated we don’t have even 1 exciting young player to turn to.

[zac]

with a salary cap it's very hard to get it right. you can't stockpile players. decisions need to be made and i guess the best you can hope for is you keep the number of wrong ones to a minimum

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

They were getting bogged down. Walker has run players down running back in defence. Recall the last-minute vs Titans in the final a couple years ago.

You have reminded me of Hastings. Now there was a slug. To think that we got rid of Maloney based on the hype of the slowest player in the NRL. I wonder if that is still playing on Robbo's mind?

Probably not.

[SamKerrSimp]

You're right Grubber this squad is definitely lacking in the 5/8 department

[King Salvo]

You never know as daughter Jasmine Strange came back to the Roosters NRLW side - signing for 2 years (2024/25) - Maybe Coach Strange can pull a few more strings and get his son Ethan back as well

[zac]

You never know as daughter Jasmine Strange came back to the Roosters NRLW side - signing for 2 years (2024/25) - Maybe Coach Strange can pull a few more strings and get his son Ethan back as well

the first brother/sister/father combo to win comps at the same club in the same year?