Is 2025 Robinson's biggest test?

[Bates]

It all depends on who's playing halfback and hooker. We make the 8 if we sign Hunt imo. Anything is possible from there if the entire 30 man squad is fit and available for selection.

Toops and Billy Smith is a solid centre wing combo. Mark Mark and Young could potentially be deadly down the right side. Vic potentially on the right edge. Sandon needs a breakout season and will have the opportunity he has been waiting for.

Our spine with Hunt whilst Sammy is out injured.

1. Teddy
6. Sandon Smith
7. Hunt
9. Watson

Our spine when Sammy returns plus bench utility

1. Teddy
6. Sandon Smith
7. Sammy Walker
9. Hunt

14. Watson

I'm hoping The Cheese moves on. The Eels would be a perfect fit.

[Rooster_6]

Regardless of injuries and players leaving, at no stage should 10th be acceptable for this club

Crap organisations can play finals football with barely a 50/50 record

That is our reality IMO, we are a 6 - 10th placed squad based on the quality of other squads in the comp next year.

I would agree it shouldn't be our aspiration but it's the most significant turnover in our squad that we've ever had. This is the cyclical nature of a salary cap competition.

Acceptable is a very subjective term, by default we have no entitlement to any position on the ladder.

[Danish]

If we have a season similar to 2016 I fully expect him to get tapped on the shoulder.

His only saving grace will be if we actually somehow use all the salary cap room we have to drastically improve our squad for 2026, that may get him a 12 month reprieve. I just can’t see who is on tv e market to pick up

[Chook2]

Our expectations and others of the roosters squad have dropped
top 8 is still a must otherwise he will be under pressure
need a couple of big signings
we are going to need things going in our favour - win the close games, luck with injuries and some players to step up
if Marky N, Billy smiths run toia fire and stay fit we won’t loose anything in the centres
need the front row to step up to replace jwh

The two big ones for me are
1. are we going to nail out 1-2 big recruitment options like another Cronk / Teddy signing again or fail
2. retain, develop and keep this young crop of guns coming through like tait, king, toia, Elliot, Rodwell, Vaa x 2, steep, Roberts and even Wong and Whyte really dominating first grade

2021 was unlucky with injuries but after the last 3 seasons desperation will appear

[Billy Gunn]

Why is it not acceptable?

The Roosters play for premierships.

[Rooster_6]

The Roosters play for premierships.

So anything less than a premiership isn’t acceptable?

[milanja]

So anything less than a premiership isn’t acceptable?

Not making the finals, for a chance at a premiership is unacceptable for the roosters. That’s just how it is these days, and that’s a good thing.

[Billy Gunn]

So anything less than a premiership isn’t acceptable?

You're missing the point of the question, to me it looks like we're in a mini rebuild from the talent we are losing and key injuries but when asking about a rebuild Robbo says what I said, hence the question about pressure.

[Eggspert]

This rebuild is perfect timing for Robbo.

It will mask the decline in his coaching.

The general consensus is that the Roosters will struggle & poor results are ok & to be expected.

Its fallen into his lap for him to hang around for another 3-5 years for the team to supposedly come good under him.

We are just prentenders under Robbo these days.

[Rooster_6]

Not making the finals, for a chance at a premiership is unacceptable for the roosters. That’s just how it is these days, and that’s a good thing.

Trent Robinson has already missed the finals and it was accepted, I just think there's some longer term thinking and vision going into this year than simply the outcome of one season so I don't buy this argument that it won't be accepted.

The players and the coach will no doubt be aiming for finals footy and with Walker & Cheese back the hope that they can make a run for the title, if they thought any less I'd be disappointed because that's their job.

But I'm not a player or a coach and reality is our squad has the quality of a 6th-10th placed side.

[Rooster_6]

You're missing the point of the question, to me it looks like we're in a mini rebuild from the talent we are losing and key injuries but when asking about a rebuild Robbo says what I said, hence the question about pressure.

Robinson is the coach, it is his job to get his and players and support staff into the mindset of winning a premiership. Of course he is going to say that.

But we can talk in reality because our doubts & reservations have no impact on the teams psyche. The squad in terms of quality is a 6th-10th place squad, at least in my opinion. When you say that would be unacceptable I'm questioning you on why? It's not a lack of understanding your question but rather looking for clarification around your claim that it would be unacceptable. So do you believe the squad is better than that, do you believe we will sign players before then that will significant increase the squads quality, what is it that would make a finish that low unacceptable?

[Rooster_6]

This rebuild is perfect timing for Robbo.

It will mask the decline in his coaching.

The general consensus is that the Roosters will struggle & poor results are ok & to be expected.

Its fallen into his lap for him to hang around for another 3-5 years for the team to supposedly come good under him.

We are just prentenders under Robbo these days.

Surely having a stacked team would be more advantageous if a coach was trying to hide their lack of ability than a rebuild?

[roosterchook]

With just over a hundred days until round one I cannot remember feeling so underwhelmed at our prospects for the upcoming season.
I am sure there will be some recruitment in the coming weeks or months but with the injuries to Smith and Walker added to the mass exodus of players it is easy to see why we will start the season at the longest price with the bookies since he started.

Is it acceptable to miss the 8?

Could Robinson be under pressure to keep his job or is another 2016 just one of those things that just happens?

Can we expect the record of losses against the Panthers and the Storm to grow?

I hope like all of us that the next generation stand up and surprise me, but my expectations are pretty low at the moment.

With so many top players leaving I think the management won’t have high expectations so the pressure will be off him completely and even in the media. I think no one expects us to make the 8 so no pressure at all. Only our playing style if we continue undisciplined will be harshly criticised.

[theGman]

He's under scrutiny for sure but given the number of experienced players gone, he scores the sympathy card and therefore survives imo.
However, it gets one thinking......
What IF he decided to pull the plug after 12 seasons at the club because he chooses to get away from it all. Who replaces him?

There's not many quality coaches available at the moment.

[Bansai Pipeline]

Our squad is nowhere near balanced enough to threaten in 2025.

They could sign Nathan Cleary and it wouldn’t make a difference.

Hooker, centre, halves, forwards are all suspect.

As are the coaching staff.