2025 alternate view

[Qld Chook]

You know it's a slow off season and our recruitment is glum when the chookpen feed looks like it does right now:

Ben Hunt
Josiah Karapani
Sua Faologo
Moses Mbye
Brandon Wakeham
Cobbo

None of the above excites me.

Anyway, enough of that, i have had a pretty bleak view of season 2025, but listening to Rads in this recent poddy built my hopes up a little so I thought I would share. Instead of being the so called 'glammer' club with all the artillery, next season we may just turn the script on its head and be toilers that outwork other teams. Either way, it's nice to dream.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0JN...SfGlAtORBrHi0w

it's also on YouTube if you can't listen through spotify

[Headless Chook]

Thanks mate, will give me something to listen to on the way home from work today

[Thirteen]

Next season we just have an excuse to be shit. Our roster is one of the worst. We have very little star power, no goal kicker, no depth. It would be a miracle if we made the 8.

[Qld Chook]

Next season we just have an excuse to be shit. Our roster is one of the worst. We have very little star power, no goal kicker, no depth. It would be a miracle if we made the 8.

Backs to the wall type of stuff

[OMR]

Next season we just have an excuse to be shit. Our roster is one of the worst. We have very little star power, no goal kicker, no depth. It would be a miracle if we made the 8.

Which will make getting into a prelim or the GF just a bit more sweeter

[ism22]

Next season we just have an excuse to be shit. Our roster is one of the worst. We have very little star power, no goal kicker, no depth. It would be a miracle if we made the 8.

Roster is one of the worst? We are still stacked IMO...

Star power = Teddy, Walker, Collins, Leniu, Crichton, Watson... arguably others (with some emerging)

Goal kicker = Townsend, Mark N, Walker

Depth = Will be tested but it's not as if naming guys like Steep, Va'a, Wong, Egan...etc involves scraping the barrel of 'NRL grade' players.

IMO peeps have gotta calm down. The injuries to Walker and Cheese are shyte but we're not suddenly a shyte team. We're a gun team that's been wounded. However, we're still a great team.

[Bates]

Roster is one of the worst? We are still stacked IMO...

Star power = Teddy, Walker, Collins, Leniu, Crichton, Watson... arguably others (with some emerging)

Goal kicker = Townsend, Mark N, Walker

Depth = Will be tested but it's not as if naming guys like Steep, Va'a, Wong, Egan...etc involves scraping the barrel of 'NRL grade' players.

IMO peeps have gotta calm down. The injuries to Walker and Cheese are shyte but we're not suddenly a shyte team. We're a gun team that's been wounded. However, we're still a great team.

Fair shout and a big test for Robbo and his coaching skills.

It's all on Robbo if we finish bottom 4.

[ChookMaster]

Roster is one of the worst? We are still stacked IMO...

Star power = Teddy, Walker, Collins, Leniu, Crichton, Watson... arguably others (with some emerging)

Goal kicker = Townsend, Mark N, Walker

Depth = Will be tested but it's not as if naming guys like Steep, Va'a, Wong, Egan...etc involves scraping the barrel of 'NRL grade' players.

IMO peeps have gotta calm down. The injuries to Walker and Cheese are shyte but we're not suddenly a shyte team. We're a gun team that's been wounded. However, we're still a great team.

Our spine is definitely one of the worst and that’s where it all come down to sadly.

Sandon has shown glimpses but still lacking in D and decision making.

Townsend? He was playing rubbish footy at the back end of the year guys. I’m hoping for a big off season for him he can change it around but he was never really known to be an X factor player though.

Our 9 is a huge question mark at the moment and again, a position we’ve lacked in since Friend has retired.

[milanja]

Fair shout and a big test for Robbo and his coaching skills.

It's all on Robbo if we finish bottom 4.

But no credit to Robbo if we finish top 4

[ism22]

Our spine is definitely one of the worst and that’s where it all come down to sadly.

Sandon has shown glimpses but still lacking in D and decision making.

Townsend? He was playing rubbish footy at the back end of the year guys. I’m hoping for a big off season for him he can change it around but he was never really known to be an X factor player though.

Our 9 is a huge question mark at the moment and again, a position we’ve lacked in since Friend has retired.

Our spine is...

1. Teddy
...
6. Townsend / Sandon
7. Walker
...
9. Smith / Watson

Yes Walker and Brandon are out for 1/2 the season (Cheese possibly for longer). However, the only member of our spine who we've lost is Keary.

I agree that we're gonna have to work hard without Walker and Brandon available. But all the same... we have all offseason to sort out some kind of a plan there.

Push come to shove we could probably pull off some weird stuff too, like...

1. Mark N
...
6. Watson
7. Teddy
...
9. Radley

I'm not saying that's a good idea, but I think we have good players across the park. IMO if we do shyte it'll be because of poor coaching and poor attitude... not because of having a shyte roster.

[Bates]

But no credit to Robbo if we finish top 4

Actually credit where credit is due. I like Robbo and think his time at the Roosters has been a huge success.

Next season is a new dawn and a big challenge for him so it'll be interesting to see how he performs.

[Steggles]

But no credit to Robbo if we finish top 4

If Robbo can get this team into the top 4 in 2025, I’d say he’s the best coach in the comp. If he can win the GF, I’ll proclaim him as the 2nd coming of JC.

[Thirteen]

Roster is one of the worst? We are still stacked IMO...

Star power = Teddy, Walker, Collins, Leniu, Crichton, Watson... arguably others (with some emerging)

Goal kicker = Townsend, Mark N, Walker

Depth = Will be tested but it's not as if naming guys like Steep, Va'a, Wong, Egan...etc involves scraping the barrel of 'NRL grade' players.

IMO peeps have gotta calm down. The injuries to Walker and Cheese are shyte but we're not suddenly a shyte team. We're a gun team that's been wounded. However, we're still a great team.

Yes Walker is star power but we won’t see that power until about two-thirds into the season when due to our weak roster, it will be too late.

Collins does the little things well but he’s a rag doll. He gets thrown around like my teenage boys throw around my 8 year old. Leniu showed this season that he’s great impact off the bench. He has little impact as a starter. Hopefully this changes.

Goal kicker you have listed three. Walker I’ve not considered as mentioned above. The other two are very make shift kickers.

It’s not just the injuries to the spine players that I think have weakened us. We don’t have a specialist first grade centre (and please don’t tell me Billy Smith!), we have little depth at prop. It will be the Butcher Boys at origin time. We also can’t replace the mongrel of Jarred. Plus we don’t have a specialist 9 until Smith is back. And until Walker returns, we have rubbish halves, one who should have retired and one who is too small for first grade. I was all for Townsend as a back up but as a regular it’s a no no.

I hate to be negative about the team and regardless of my feelings I’ll still be attending majority of games and supporting to the best of my ability but reality is, we aren’t making the 8 next season with the team we have.

[Bates]

Yes Walker is star power but we won’t see that power until about two-thirds into the season when due to our weak roster, it will be too late.

Collins does the little things well but he’s a rag doll. He gets thrown around like my teenage boys throw around my 8 year old. Leniu showed this season that he’s great impact off the bench. He has little impact as a starter. Hopefully this changes.

Goal kicker you have listed three. Walker I’ve not considered as mentioned above. The other two are very make shift kickers.

It’s not just the injuries to the spine players that I think have weakened us. We don’t have a specialist first grade centre (and please don’t tell me Billy Smith!), we have little depth at prop. It will be the Butcher Boys at origin time. We also can’t replace the mongrel of Jarred. Plus we don’t have a specialist 9 until Smith is back. And until Walker returns, we have rubbish halves, one who should have retired and one who is too small for first grade. I was all for Townsend as a back up but as a regular it’s a no no.

I hate to be negative about the team and regardless of my feelings I’ll still be attending majority of games and supporting to the best of my ability but reality is, we aren’t making the 8 next season with the team we have.

Careful mate. Collins Police are currently doing a blitz around here.

[4 the all in brawl]

We have lost a shitload of experience and our spine will decimated for at least half of the season...

Townsend and Smith gives me a sense of dread....I hope I am wrong.

The positive is that Towsend is very calm, mature and experienced, the negative is he was not NRL standard at the Cowboys this year, looked like he had played for 1 season too long.

I am hoping for a 2021 season but that year was an outlier on most fronts due to the touch football nature of V'landys ball that year which suited Sam being introduced to the NRL....

I am hoping it is not another 2016. In where we also lost a lot of experience and coupled with the suspension to Pearce. Plus the pre season injuries to Cordner and Jared, led to a complete clusterfcuk of a start to that season with 2 rookie halves and many talented rookies but rookies nonetheless. (eg Manu, Latrell, etc). But it looks somewhat similar.

I will be amazed if we make the 8 but of course I am hoping......