SYDNEY ROOSTERS v PENRITH PANTHERS

[Waylander]

ROOSTERS v PANTHERS

Finals Week 1 - 7:50pm, Friday 13th September
BlueBet Stadium, Penrith

A serious litmus test for the Roosters this week. Penrith at Penrith has always been problematic for us. But, forget our recent past record - it's irrelevant ... it's Friday night that matters. That said we need to improve in a couple of areas to win this one. As good as our attack has been this year, it still tends towards being frantic and undisciplined. That's not how you win finals. Our defense has to aim up big-time. Intensity for 80 minutes. No slacking off on the inside. No going to sleep at marker. Work hard for your mate and make that extra effort ... just in case. Lindsay sets a great example of this attitude. It needs to be across the paddock.

Penrith have looked disjointed of late. They've had their own injury issues, and combinations are not as settles as they have been in the last few years. If we knuckle down and play the long game, they can become vulnerable. Melbourne and Canberra have shown that in recent weeks. Do we have the steel to play like that for 80min? The jury is out, because IMO we haven't seen an 80 min performance from the Chooks this year. If ever there was a time to go up a gear, this is it. Cleary has been named to start. His presence will make a difference. We'll need to very good to win this. We have it in us, but we have to execute.

All the rested players return. It's as strong a side as we can name, given the long-term injuries. Collins, Toops, Young and Nat Butcher all return.

Toops try count = 162. Now clear 9th on the all-time list, and well within reach of Brett Stewart (163), Terry Lamb (164) & ET (166).

Unavailable: JWH, Sammy, Cheese, Rads & Egan.

The count goes ever on: 124

Roosters by 1.


GO EASTS !!

ROOSTERS:
1. Teddy
2. Tupou
3. Sua'ali'i
4. Manu
5. Young
6. Keary
7. Smith, Sandon
8. Leniu
9. Watson
10. Collins
11. Crichton
12. Tupouniua
13. Butcher

INTERCHANGE:
14. ZDC
15. Whyte
16. Wong
17. May

RESERVES:
18. Jennings
19. Steep
20. Nawaqanitawase
21. Elliott
22. Foketi

[PLV012]

This side can beat the Riff... but have to be at near their peak individually & as a cohesive unit... Radley is a very big loss for the finals series, & JWH has one more game to sit out... but this pack has the ability to lay that platform to unleash game breakers ...Teddy, Manu (due to finish the year with a bang), Suaalii, Tupou, & Young.

The pressure is really on the Riff... put it on them... we just have to turn up, get the 3D's right ... discipline, defence & determination!

C'mon Chooks. Fire up!

E2W
RWB

[caz]

what can you say - if we had walker, rads, smith and jwh i'd be pretty confident of the win. one game without those guys v a shit team isn't enough to know how we'll go but the panthers look ripe for the picking.
could go either way and if we get the rub of the green we'll win

[Bates]

Running is the key. Sandon needs to run and engage the line more and we need to isolate Cleary and run at him all night until he's busted and goes off.

I'll be proud as punch if we win this one!

Up the Chooks.

[Waylander]

Angus needs to make sure Cleary makes 30+ tackles. We should target him relentlessly. Let's find out just how fit he is.

[Billy Gunn]

Get summary W, we need to get the monkey off our back (not that monkey) to prove that when it is so or die it isn't mentioned every time we meet.

This is the best 17 except for JWH so no excuses. Keep the errors to a minimum and get Angus to test out Cleary's shoulder for 80 minutes.

Play through the middle and the big boys have to work harder on their goal line defense.

Roosters by 4

[Inflictor]

Great team considering our outs.
My only concern now is Whyte. The last month or so he looks like a deer in headlights sometimes when defending our line. Cleary and his handbag would see that in the videos.
I'd be more confident with Steep instead but hopefully Robbo wakes him up.

[King Salvo]

The Roosters need to be good at the basics for 80 minutes - high set completions , low errors (handling and missed tackles) , disciplined ( limit the numbers of penalties and set restarts conceded) plus their D has to work as a unit.

The kicking game will be important too against an expected boa constrictor defence. The Roosters must get to their kick no matter the metres they are making in each particular set.

Penrith ramp up their D to limit their oppositions set distance metres and often force them into "unforced" errors - i.e unnecessary offloads and passes and capitalise on these mistakes on the scoreboard.

The Roosters must stay in the grind and go with them over the 80.

Tries scored location

Roosters

46% Left Side - 15% Middle - 39% Right Side

Penrith

33% Left Side - 26% Middle - 41% Right Side


Tries conceded location

Roosters

39% Left Side - 16% Middle - 44% Right Side

Penrith

27% Left Side - 16% Middle - 57% Right Side

[QWERTY]

Slater made the point that we need to be patient and composed if we are able to stay afloat in the finals, especially with key troops out. Last week we had no patience and souffs kept up with us. What Slater pointed out is something that most Chooks fans want to see, probably along side a better effort in defence. I think we have a shot but we’ve got to put in a season high performance. It’s probably a must win game, I can’t see us making a GF if we lose this.

[BTRD]

I'm sure some saw last night on NRL 360 the very real visual graphic of the letter ' L ' when showing the Roosters record against the 2 big teams. It is damming. - Isn't our coach embarrassed by this.

JWH has let the team down badly this week. Spencer is a bench player.

It is hard to be confident. Fingers crossed. A week off would be so bloody good.

GO ROOSTERS.

[HunchoRooster]

Spencer should come off the bench and we should start May.

Sitili is always a defensive liability but he has that xfactor going forward so I can see why he's starting.

[gragra]

Great team considering our outs.
My only concern now is Whyte. The last month or so he looks like a deer in headlights sometimes when defending our line. Cleary and his handbag would see that in the videos.
I'd be more confident with Steep instead but hopefully Robbo wakes him up.

Our weakness is defence around sitili and whyte and the 2 Joeys. If sitili and whyte are near each other, sitili gets stepped and Whyte gets bad reads. The 2 Joey's need to get their D on and not rush out of the line. If these 4 get their D perfect , the rest can take care of itself. And Joey M needs to recapture the form that said he was the world's best centre. He's been a mile short of that this year.

[A Country Member]

Panthers team:

1. Dylan Edwards
2. Sunia Turuva
3. Izack Tago
4. Paul Alamoti
5. Brian To’o
6. Jarome Luai
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Moses Leota
9. Mitch Kenny
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. Scott Sorensen
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo

14. Trent Toelau
15. Lindsay Smith
16. Liam Henry
17. Luke Garner

18. Matt Eisenhuth
19. Brad Schneider 20. Casey McLean 21. Daine Laurie 22. Luke Sommerton

[player 1]

what can you say - if we had walker, rads, smith and jwh i'd be pretty confident of the win. one game without those guys v a shit team isn't enough to know how we'll go but the panthers look ripe for the picking.
could go either way and if we get the rub of the green we'll win

Klein is reffing. How likely is that?

[A Country Member]

If our middle can stick solid and the back 5 get a roll on, I reckon we are a chance on the edges.

Would love to see Tupou and Young dominate the opposite number. Could be the difference