Senior Representative Teamlists - Billy Smith Returns

[King Salvo]

The Sydney Roosters Senior Representative sides have been announced for this weekend’s matches.

The NSW Cup team, chasing their fourth successive win, welcome back Billy Smith from injury. The classy centre has not played since injuring his ankle in the NSW Cup in March. Also returning from long term injuries for the Roosters are Fetalaiga 'Junior' Pauga (knee) and Lewis Murphy (hamstring), whilst Siua Wong returns from NRL duty.


https://www.roosters.com.au/news/202...ive-teamlists/

["gaz"]

Great to see Billy Smith back playing NSW cup alongside Robert Toia, Junior Pauga and Mark Nawaqanitawase - not a bad backline

[ism22]

Great to see Billy Smith back playing NSW cup alongside Robert Toia, Junior Pauga and Mark Nawaqanitawase - not a bad backline

Unfortunately there's only two rounds left and we're no hope of playing finals footy ay?

Sad as I reckon the following as a pretty solid NSW Cup team:

1. King
2. Toia / Murphy (who is back as a reserve FWIW)
3. Pauga
4. Jenko
5. Nawaqanitawase
6. Smiddy
7. Savala / Elliot (not up to speed on either of em)
8. De La Salle Va'a
9. Dockar-Clay
10. Big Pappy
11. Wongie
12. Steep
13. Whyte

Surely that team faaarkin carves up on its day. Could probably beat Souffs' 1st's (despite them being owned by various billionaires). Apparently they're not Agile TM enough?

[Serenader]

Good time of the year to be getting some backup cattle back.

[Chook2]

That’s a cracking backline
king
Marky n
toia
billy smith
pauga
not sure where Jennings fits if he comes back as well
and Whyte and docker clay also if Not needed in nrl

[Juggler]

Game day is a while away!

[Jacks Fur Coat]

The exciting thing is some nice depth in the backs going into the finals, which we have rarely had.

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

Welcome back Billy Smith!!!

[Billy Gunn]

If any player needed a little bit of good luck, it's Billy Smith. I'm sure a lot of people would have given up on football by now if they had a run of injuries that Billy has been through.

Imagine if the reserve grade side had stated a run like this a few weeks earlier, they might have been able to give the top teams something to worry about.

Hopefully some of these players can make the jump to first grade in 2025.

[fletch]

And the Roosters’ rugby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase is settling into the code switch nicely with the 23-year-old scoring a try, getting a linebreak, five tackle busts and running 213 metres in his side’s upset win over the Bears.

The Roosters won’t play finals, but their next generation of talent should get fans excited with the young side now winning four-straight games.

Central to those wins has been 19-year-old five-eighth Jake Elliott, who set up two tries on the weekend. He now has 16 try assists in 13 appearances this season.

Highly-rated centre Robert Toia hasn’t missed a beat since returning from an ACL injury in Round 20. He set up a try, got seven tackle busts and ran 147 metres in Sunday’s win.

Ethan King exploded in the centres, finishing with a try, 11 tackle busts, two linebreaks and 214 metres.

And Salesi Foketi is proving to be a serious weapon in the second row. The 20-year-old scored the matchwinning try, while also setting another up earlier in the game, running 100 metres and making 34 tackles with four misses.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...5bdeaa8159b786

[PLV012]

http://www.thechookpen.com.au/vb5/fo...64#post1067864

Would be a very strong side... respectfully Xavier Va'a in for Napa... hindsight is a wonderful thing but the young bull has had a strong finish to 2024 considering his injury run & on the up imo. Brought plenty of energy & directness in attack & defence off the bench. Napa has served his role of guiding this young pack & it appears his body is not holding up at tail end of the season, having not played the last few weeks.

Moriarty would be pushing ZDC very hard. imo the experiment of ZDC playing 13 for most of the season, failed. Much better at 9, his natural position.

Foketi & Wong 11 & 12

Steep 13

Elliot at 7. Had a great year in SGBall, NSW19s & now Cup. Plenty of potential moving forward.

Whyte i feel is NRL pty... rarely coming back down to Cup level.

Just my opinion.

See what unfolds into 2025.

E2W
RWB

[Rooster90]

http://www.thechookpen.com.au/vb5/fo...64#post1067864

Would be a very strong side... respectfully Xavier Va'a in for Napa... hindsight is a wonderful thing but the young bull has had a strong finish to 2024 considering his injury run & on the up imo. Brought plenty of energy & directness in attack & defence off the bench. Napa has served his role of guiding this young pack & it appears his body is not holding up at tail end of the season, having not played the last few weeks.

Moriarty would be pushing ZDC very hard. imo the experiment of ZDC playing 13 for most of the season, failed. Much better at 9, his natural position.

Foketi & Wong 11 & 12

Steep 13

Elliot at 7. Had a great year in SGBall, NSW19s & now Cup. Plenty of potential moving forward.

Whyte i feel is NRL pty... rarely coming back down to Cup level.

Just my opinion.

See what unfolds into 2025.

E2W
RWB

I feel like De La Salle Va'a has surpassed Xavier this year.
Xavier just needs to concentrate on stringing consecutive games together for now

[fletch]

In his presser today Robbo seemed to indicate Billy Smith would be playing NSW Cup this week.