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Chad Townsend - One year deal Report

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  • Chad Townsend - One year deal Report

    One year deal apparantley - Chad Townsend is set to quit the Cowboys at season’s end with the premiership halfback on the verge of signing with NRL powerhouse Sydney Roosters. This masthead can reveal Townsend is talks to make a shock move to the Roosters and continue his glittering NRL career at the Bondi glamour club in 2025. Off-contract at season’s end, Townsend has attracted interest from a number of clubs, with the Bulldogs and Super League club Catalans Dragons making a play for the 33-year-old. But the Roosters are poised to win his signature as coach Trent Robinson looks to bolster his scrumbase stocks following the departure of veteran playmaker Luke Keary. The Roosters are keen for an experienced head to help mentor rising halves Sam Walker and Sandon Smith and Townsend, a seasoned professional who steered Cronulla to the 2016 premiership, ticks that box.


    Townsend has enjoyed a successful three-year stint at the Cowboys, playing a key role in the club’s resurgence and fairytale charge to the preliminary final in his first season in the tropics in 2022. But with the Cowboys battling salary-cap pressures, the club is keen to promote youth at the scrumbase, prompting Townsend to seek a return to Sydney with the Roosters. Cowboys football boss Micheal Luck confirmed Townsend is leaving the club and said the 257-game veteran would be a handy signing for any potential NRL suitor. “Chad is a champion bloke, he is so professional and he understands how this game works,” Luck said. “We told Chad last week that there would be nothing here for him unfortunately with the salary cap. “We brought him here for three years to do a job and he has a chance to finish on a really good note. “He has mentored our younger blokes and done a great job, Tom Duffy is shooting the lights out in the Queensland Cup. Jake Clifford is a more mature player since coming back and Tommy Dearden is now an Origin player, so we can’t have asked anymore of him. “The level of maturity and calmness he has brought to our team over his team here has been amazing. We are a much better club for having him as a part of it and we are a better team when he is on the park. “Chad has been a great leader, so we were very lucky to have him here.”



    It’s understood Townsend is keen for a role in the media in retirement and that was also a factor in his decision to return to Sydney. Townsend, who turns 34 in January, is prominent on social media and is expected to have a 12-month swan song at the Roosters before moving into a commentary role. While Walker and Smith are still priorities for the Roosters, Townsend is happy to play a mentoring role and is the perfect back-up option should an injury crisis strike at Bondi. Townsend hopes to finish with a premiership at the Cowboys and Luck paid tribute to the half-back’s team-first attitude. “Chad has been around a long time,” Luck said. “He has won a premiership, so he knows what successful clubs look like. “I have never come across a player as mentally resilient as Chad, regardless of how things are going on and off the field, his attitude never changes and he drives his teammates to be better every day. “There were a few factors with Chad (leaving). “Salary cap was one of them, but we are confident in our young halves, they have served an apprenticeship and we feel guys like Tom Duffy, Jake Clifford and Jaxon Purdue are ready to take the next step. “Tommy Dearden is one of the best young playmakers in the game. It will be sad to see Chad go, but we are grateful for his time here and hopefully he can finish on a good note here. “If you had 30 guys in the squad with Chad Townsend’s attitude, you wouldn’t lose many games.”

  • #2
    Backing this 1000%

    Just what we need. An old head in the halves.

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    • #3
      Yuck

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      • #4
        Get farrked. No way. If I’m Sandon, I’m asking for an immediate release.

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        • #5
          I read a lot here and post seldom... HOWEVER this is a big FAT NO from me

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          • #6
            Yep I’d do that. Was watching our game the other night & had this exact thought about Townsend or another experienced option but realised Sezer was so average. Walker is still a kid & Sandon is unproven, so to throw them together over a full season I think we’re asking for trouble. Plus there are injuries or what happens if Cheese goes? If he goes we need Watson either in that role, another Hooker, or Watson as bench fill in Hooker. We have 0 back up halves options as Sandon is that now, so we need someone either way.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by HunchoRooster View Post
              Get farrked. No way. If I’m Sandon, I’m asking for an immediate release.
              Well if he’s a sooky child he can piss right off, leave & go to a spud club like Knights, Tigers & never realise his potential. I mean Townsend experienced, Sandon has played a couple of games, who says he lasts a whole season under the pump. Also we need someone for depth anyway as Sandon is the depth now, so if he starts we need backup which we simply lack at the club. Also don’t forget we are losing mass experience next year & 1 issue we have now is not being able to slow games or change momentum, so less experience exasperates that,
              Last edited by TumutChook; 07-02-2024, 06:18 PM.

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              • #8
                I initially had my stomach turn in reaciton to this, but realistically, as long as he is essentially a depth signing (providing Sangon goes decently) then it's probably not too bad. He doesn't have the worst mentality and can probably teach some of our young players a few things, and we certainly will have a lot of experience to replace. It's not exciting, but we probably do need some cover in the halves.

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                • #9
                  I don't get this signing ? If Robbo and the club is backing Sandon to take over from Keary then why are we chasing Chad for one year ?


                  At some point you have got to pull the trigger and allow the young halves to do their own thing and figure it out. Penrith did that when Maloney moved on and look what both Cleary and Luai have achieved together !? Walker has been playing for us since 2021 - Yes, he is young and yes he will take time to become even better (same for Sandon) but you cannot continue to label Sam as a "rookie" ... he's shown enough times in the past year that he can control the spine, call the shots and steer the team across/around the park.


                  Stop c*ck-blocking Walker and Sandon FFS !


                  I thought our priority would be looking at outside backs not chasing Chad or someone like him (Shaun Johnson). I'm really starting to question the bloody recruitment team at the Roosters !
                  Last edited by DP1990; 07-02-2024, 02:14 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Robbo, what the f*ck.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by TumutChook View Post

                      Well if he’s a silky child he can piss right off, leave & go to a spud club like Knights, Tigers & never realise his potential. I mean Townsend experienced, Sandon has played a couple of games, who says he lasts a whole season under the pump. Also we need someone for depth anyway as Sandon is the depth now, so if he starts we need backup which we simply lack at the club. Also don’t forget we are losing mass experience next year & 1 issue we have now is not being able to slow games or change momentum, so less experience exasperates that,
                      He won’t come to play reserve grade. It effectively shifts him down the pecking order for a very very average journeyman halfback. It’ll be 9yrs next year from when he won a comp and he didn’t have a huge hand in winning that comp anyway.

                      Sandon has shown glimpses of great quality when given the chance and he’s been patiently waiting for a couple years.

                      For all the flack that he’s copped, I’d take an underdone over the hill Luke Keary next year over Townsend
                      Last edited by HunchoRooster; 07-02-2024, 12:14 PM.

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                      • #12
                        Good signing. He will help Walker and Smith immensely.

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                        • #13
                          I read this and threw up in my mouth This guy is the living embodiment of a plodder, there is a reason that the Cowboys are not re-signing him, because he is garbage (He is an Elvis looking version of Handbrake Hutch). I want Sandon and Sam for 2025, we have a halves coach for the young guys (his name is Cooper Cronk, he went alright in his day). Lets hope the mail is wrong and that he heads to bought not bred club or overseas.

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                          • #14
                            Ok I think the initial reaction is No and wtf is Robbo doing etc…..

                            But…. It’s actually a very intelligent signing. If Sandon and Sam are going to be our halves moving forward, going with youth, they have to prove themselves in more than one or two games. During an entire season we have to cover injuries or even a drop in form. An experienced player is better than an even younger fill in. It’s a smart move.

                            i really don’t think Sandon will leave the club if Robbo lets him know where he is in our plans. I’m hoping Sandon can continue to show us what he is capable of.

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                            • #15
                              Looking forward to NRL360 tonight. Might have to tune in for the first 10 minutes.

                              FFS

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