The Biggest Risk to our season (and possibly beyond)

[Steakface]

Teddy and Keary.

Two key spine players.
Two of our most experienced players.
Two of our leaders.

And both of them are in my opinion not too far away from retirement due to a significant amount of concussions.

The players are concerned. The Paul Green story, and others, have hit hard. It is in the media constantly, always in the players face. Medical advice within the NRL is becoming more conservative by the year.

Even if they evade further serious concussion, it will (and already is) impacting their performance.

You can see it in the hesitation, the performing at 90% instead of at 100% capability. In their mind, they are constantly bracing for it. Their form is not just age related - it is at least in equal part (if not more) psycological.

Think it can't or won't happen? Cords and Friendy.

I would personally like to see the following happen this season, as a crucial piece of personnel management:

1. Move Manu to fullback semi-permanently. Ensure he comes back to the club after his 6 month rugby stint - do whatever it takes. Only play Teddy every fortnight throughout the middle of the season, only bringing him back full time towards the business end.
2. Ensure Sandon Smith gets game time all the time. Even if that means other utility options are moved off the bench in favor of him. He needs as much time in first grade as possible.
3. It should be recommended to Teddy that he retire from rep football - no more Origin.
4. Either Collins or Nat Butcher needs to be named as a co-captain - the leadership succession plan needs to happen now.

[Ron Burgundy]

Don’t agree about teddy. He rips in 100% every week. No hesitation there. He’ll be fine.

[Waylander]

Deliberately changing our spine every second week is exactly what this team doesn’t need.

What we are lacking is continuity. If we can put the same 17 on the park for a month, it doesn’t even have to be our best 17, you’ll see a marked improvement.

[Mickie Lane]

Wasn’t Teddy MOTM again Brisbane & Souths?
The halves are the problem both Keary & Sammy are 5/8’s we don’t have an organising halfback.
Sandon Smith I believe is an organising halfback but the dilemma is who do you drop out of Walker & Keary.
Hopefully it all comes together today.

[Rooster90]

Don’t agree about teddy. He rips in 100% every week. No hesitation there. He’ll be fine.

There's a difference between effort and smart plays
Teddy has never been the latter, we just used to have Cronk to make up for the lack of brains in this squad
No one can question our teams effort, but that's only about 25% of a footy game

I don't think the issue is our coach it is the lack of a general - however the fact this hasn't been fixed in 4yrs might blow back on him
Keary ain't the leader Cronk & Robbo hope, that much is obvious

I honestly think the team would be in a much better position if we let Keary retire at the start of the year and even just signed a bargain basement half like Aidan Sezer - someone whos sole job is to organise and check the other players so they stop beating themselves

[Ron Burgundy]

There's a difference between effort and smart plays
Teddy has never been the latter, we just used to have Cronk to make up for the lack of brains in this squad
No one can question our teams effort, but that's only about 25% of a footy game

I don't think the issue is our coach it is the lack of a general - however the fact this hasn't been fixed in 4yrs might blow back on him
Keary ain't the leader Cronk & Robbo hope, that much is obvious

I honestly think the team would be in a much better position if we let Keary retire at the start of the year and even just signed a bargain basement half like Aidan Sezer - someone whos sole job is to organise and check the other players so they stop beating themselves

That’s not what the thread is about though. It’s about players supposedly being hesitant due to repeated concussions.

[The Godfather]

Wasn’t Teddy MOTM again Brisbane & Souths?
The halves are the problem both Keary & Sammy are 5/8’s we don’t have an organising halfback.
Sandon Smith I believe is an organising halfback but the dilemma is who do you drop out of Walker & Keary.
Hopefully it all comes together today.

I’d go Sandon / Walker or Sandon / Keary but definitely Sandon at 7 if he keeps playing the way he has

i also don’t think Teddy is the problem but I liked what Pearce had to say about changing up Teddy and Manu and swapping them around during games

Keary and Walker too similar imo

[Steggles]

There's a difference between effort and smart plays
Teddy has never been the latter, we just used to have Cronk to make up for the lack of brains in this squad
No one can question our teams effort, but that's only about 25% of a footy game

I don't think the issue is our coach it is the lack of a general - however the fact this hasn't been fixed in 4yrs might blow back on him
Keary ain't the leader Cronk & Robbo hope, that much is obvious

I honestly think the team would be in a much better position if we let Keary retire at the start of the year and even just signed a bargain basement half like Aidan Sezer - someone whos sole job is to organise and check the other players so they stop beating themselves

Could have been a better option than what we have at the moment, but alas, it didn’t happen.
The long-term solution is Sandon at 7 and Walker at 6 and it will be interesting to see if that combination is in place by the end of the year. Maybe we would have seen more of it already if it weren’t for injuries? Keary’s performance and judgement is worsening with age, and unless somehow manages to get younger, he ain’t going to get any better. God help us next year if he’s still at 6.

[Chook2]

Seems when Teddy is playing well the team is. When rhe team is playing well Teddy is
when he doesn’t overplay his hand he is fine
I agree robbo needs to get Manu involved
at least as a roaming centre
if Teddy keeps going sideways and can’t link up with the backs agree put Manu at 1 and put Teddy to centre where he can also roam

Keary on the other hand has been bad for a while and loosing us games now

[A Country Member]

Keary and Tedesco both to get tries today

[The Godfather]

Deliberately changing our spine every second week is exactly what this team doesn’t need.

What we are lacking is continuity. If we can put the same 17 on the park for a month, it doesn’t even have to be our best 17, you’ll see a marked improvement.

Hasn’t Cleary been out for at least 3 weeks? What about Munster?
it hasn’t seemed to stop them from getting the job done.

imo we lack a system the players believe in and are able to execute

or you don’t think we are as good as those teams?

[Bates]

We're sitting 11th with Keary and Teddy in the team so what difference would it make if they weren't available for selection?

[King Salvo]

If the Roosters can have plus 50 % possession and plus 80% completion rates and low errors in games then they are a chance of winning any game as has been shown so far this season in their 4 wins.

The losses less than 50% possession and 80% or less completion rates and double figure error counts especially vs Manly and Bulldogs with 20 and 16 respectively.

The Wins

• Broncos - 52% possession - 82% completion rate - 8 errors - 20-10
• Souths - 53% possession - 86% completion rate - 10 errors - 48-6
• Knights - 51% possession - 85% completion rate - 7 errors - 22-20
• Dragons - 53% possession - 89% completion rate - 8 errors - 60-18

The Losses

• Manly - 42% possession - 72% completion rate - 20 errors - 14-21
• Penrith - 47% possession - 78% completion rate - 10 errors - 16-22
• Bulldogs - 48% possession - 69% completion rate - 16 errors - 26-30
• Storm - 48% possession - 80% completion rate - 12 errors - 12-18

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I think Kearys physicality is good for a little tacker. He rarely misses a mark. Theres a bit of confirmation bias with a few on here about him I think. I was more concerned with Ted going into this year because a lot of his game relies on power and physicality. He is doing ok for now. Just enjoy the ride...let the Coaches coach and be good little supporters. I have faith that the club won't ask our players to play if they are risking physical harm.

[Steggles]

If the Roosters can have plus 50 % possession and plus 80% completion rates and low errors in games then they are a chance of winning any game as has been shown so far this season in their 4 wins.

The losses less than 50% possession and 80% or less completion rates and double figure error counts especially vs Manly and Bulldogs with 20 and 16 respectively.

The Wins

• Broncos - 52% possession - 82% completion rate - 8 errors - 20-10
• Souths - 53% possession - 86% completion rate - 10 errors - 48-6
• Knights - 51% possession - 85% completion rate - 7 errors - 22-20
• Dragons - 53% possession - 89% completion rate - 8 errors - 60-18

The Losses

• Manly - 42% possession - 72% completion rate - 20 errors - 14-21
• Penrith - 47% possession - 78% completion rate - 10 errors - 16-22
• Bulldogs - 48% possession - 69% completion rate - 16 errors - 26-30
• Storm - 48% possession - 80% completion rate - 12 errors - 12-18

When you play poorly, you generally make lots of errors. No secret that completion rates have a very high correlation to the number of errors made, and high completion rates generally gives you better possession rates. All three stats are intrinsically interlinked.

So couldn’t we just simplify it to -

Win - play good
Lose - play bad