Official Match Day Thread: Roosters v Knights

[Lydon]

I'm perfectly fine with the coach building a team for the future.

But that means he has to blood players now.

Townsend is not the future, infact he's not even the present.

Surely we could partner Sandon Smith with Hugo Savala or Jake Elliot or Reece Foley or even Toby Rodwell.

If we play Townsend at 7 until Sam has recovered then IMHO we have wasted a season.

Well said Red!

[Rooster_6]

I'm perfectly fine with the coach building a team for the future.

But that means he has to blood players now.

Townsend is not the future, infact he's not even the present.

Surely we could partner Sandon Smith with Hugo Savala or Jake Elliot or Reece Foley or even Toby Rodwell.

If we play Townsend at 7 until Sam has recovered then IMHO we have wasted a season.

This is where I think Robinson deserves scrutiny, admittedly just a pre-season but if you're trying to sell me on building something from within then my questions would be;

- Why are trying to convert Radley into a second rower and Wong into a lock when surely long term if both are in the 13 then neither are in their best position currently.
- Why not give Foketi, McCathie & Steep more minutes in the meaningless trials if these are some of the kids we're going to build our future around? I'd much rather lose badly with these kids getting their licks and learning some lessons than what we saw today.
- Why not give Savala a run in the halves in the trials if he is the next halfback up should something happen to Townsend or he continues to shit the bed
- Why not take a gamble and invest into some of these kids now, start a Foketi or Steep at lock forward or a McCathie or Wong on the edge back row instead of the bandaid solutions we currently have with Nat Butcher and Radley trying to be edge forwards.

I know these kids will get opportunities through injury and suspensions throughout the year but I was hoping we would see a gamble or two on some of them.

[ChookMaster]

I'm perfectly fine with the coach building a team for the future.

But that means he has to blood players now.

Townsend is not the future, infact he's not even the present.

Surely we could partner Sandon Smith with Hugo Savala or Jake Elliot or Reece Foley or even Toby Rodwell.

If we play Townsend at 7 until Sam has recovered then IMHO we have wasted a season.

Agreed.

[Lydon]

How did he get gifted a gun side when we were crap in 2011 and 2012? 6 of the 17 "won" the spoon with us in 2009 and Martin Kennedy was a regular throughout the year who was also part of the spoon team and 3/4 of the 2013 premiership were part of the under performing years in 2011 and 2012.

Sorry that’s just my opinion..

Most Coach’s would kill for the squads we had in 2013,2018 and 2019!

They were all gun sides!

[Rocky Rhodes]

Trobbo has got us focused on defense...74 points (average 37) in two games against two of the weaker sides too...lol

Hope he don't focus on our attack...we will be scoring a duck egg every game.

Buckle up for a horror yr...instead of playing for premierships we will be playing to avoid the spoon...the arrogant empire has fallen. .

[King Salvo]

Oh my the Storm lost both trial games - 36-10 (Warriors( and 36-24 (Cowboys) so their season is done as neither Warriors/Cowboys expected to make the 8.

Time for Bellamy to go as he has lost the dressing room - they haven't the players so they need to go on a spending spree. Oh they need a new 5/8 too as Munster won't help them win a comp.

[King Salvo]

Trobbo has got us focused on defense...74 points (average 37) in two games against two of the weaker sides too...lol

Hope he don't focus on our attack...we will be scoring a duck egg every game.

Buckle up for a horror yr...instead of playing for premierships we will be playing to avoid the spoon...the arrogant empire has fallen. .

Did they boot you from the Souffs Burrow site

[bondi.boy]

I'm sticking by my spoon prediction.

Not based on trial form, but based on roster, our last few seasons, and general pessimism about the management of the club.

The Club has never been in better shape.
The management is better than any other club's.
Jersey sponsorship now worth $5.5million per season.
*
Storm thrashed us in Melb in the finals, their home game, they were fresh.
Bellamy was Coach of the Year...but Storm couldn't beat Panthers.
Robbo's team finished 3rd.
Who knows what could've been if Walker hadn't been injured.

[bondi.boy]

This is where I think Robinson deserves scrutiny, admittedly just a pre-season but if you're trying to sell me on building something from within then my questions would be;

- Why are trying to convert Radley into a second rower and Wong into a lock when surely long term if both are in the 13 then neither are in their best position currently.
- Why not give Foketi, McCathie & Steep more minutes in the meaningless trials if these are some of the kids we're going to build our future around? I'd much rather lose badly with these kids getting their licks and learning some lessons than what we saw today.
- Why not give Savala a run in the halves in the trials if he is the next halfback up should something happen to Townsend or he continues to shit the bed
- Why not take a gamble and invest into some of these kids now, start a Foketi or Steep at lock forward or a McCathie or Wong on the edge back row instead of the bandaid solutions we currently have with Nat Butcher and Radley trying to be edge forwards.

I know these kids will get opportunities through injury and suspensions throughout the year but I was hoping we would see a gamble or two on some of them.

They all had a run last week.
The coach/selectors now have to pick a team for round one.
What is Radley's best position?
Decide, then pick him there.
Ditto Nat Butcher.
And Wong, and Whyte, Spencer and others.
Knights pack was big, strong, mobile...ran hard, ran all over us.
The answer, build ourselves a pack like that.
Seems to me Watson is wasted at hooker.

["gaz"]

Yes, a horrible day at the office, obviously none of that was planned
Lack of discipline, defensive exposures and poor kicking which led to gifting the Knights the ball on a platter.
More questions than answers out of that trial for sure.
Trying to find some positives from the trials

• Will get better odds backing the Roosters
• Opposition may under estimate us
• Identified areas of concern prior to R1
• Lots of pathways players got game time exposure against first grade opponents

A tough start to the season was already on the cards, however if we can maintain a 50/50 win/loss ratio for the first 10 games or so, by then the side will be settled and the draw will be more favourable. There certainly are opportunities for players to cement a position if they can show they deserve it.

I will hold my evaluation until the real footy starts and I will back them to ambush the Broncos in R1

[bondi.boy]

Yes, a horrible day at the office, obviously none of that was planned
Lack of discipline, defensive exposures and poor kicking which led to gifting the Knights the ball on a platter.
More questions than answers out of that trial for sure.
Trying to find some positives from the trials

• Will get better odds backing the Roosters
• Opposition may under estimate us
• Identified areas of concern prior to R1
• Lots of pathways players got game time exposure against first grade opponents

A tough start to the season was already on the cards, however if we can maintain a 50/50 win/loss ratio for the first 10 games or so, by then the side will be settled and the draw will be more favourable. There certainly are opportunities for players to cement a position if they can show they deserve it.

I will hold my evaluation until the real footy starts and I will back them to ambush the Broncos in R1

Yes, and we're still doing idiotic short kick restarts.
Still can't play the ball properly. Gotta tap it with your foot.
We looked very amateurish in this game.

[Rooster1908]

The Club has never been in better shape.
The management is better than any other club's.
Jersey sponsorship now worth $5.5million per season.
*
Storm thrashed us in Melb in the finals, their home game, they were fresh.
Bellamy was Coach of the Year...but Storm couldn't beat Panthers.
Robbo's team finished 3rd.
Who knows what could've been if Walker hadn't been injured.

Rather win the premiership race than the sponsorship race thanks BB

[Chook2]

JWH, Sitili and May should still be in the team Imo. Our pack was embarrassing today! Our depth is also abysmal so what happens when we're hit by injuries and suspensions?

The planning that has gone into this years squad is an absolute joke!

Agee with this
loose 6 players worth $4m of talent and sign Chad Townsend
this doesn’t stack up at all
either we have front loaded or back loaded contracts and that has put us where we are today
loose JWH. Let may go somehow and have a shortage of props. No hooker and our halfback injured who is the only player who can create a try

[Lydon]

Agee with this
loose 6 players worth $4m of talent and sign Chad Townsend
this doesn’t stack up at all
either we have front loaded or back loaded contracts and that has put us where we are today
loose JWH. Let may go somehow and have a shortage of props. No hooker and our halfback injured who is the only player who can create a try

Many supporters were questioning this last year,why we were losing so many players with no replacements..

Fast forward to 2025 and it’s looking like a complete mess!

Robbo keeps saying we have full confidence in the current squad,yet we dish up 2 stinkers against lower ranked teams..

We have no choice but to trust management on this one,but gee it’s becoming concerning..

[HunchoRooster]

Or he's delivered Nick 3 times as many premierships as any other coach he's ever hired.

Lets stay classy and not tarnish Nick's legacy by thinking he's being tricked or fooled, the great man deserves more respect than that. A true club legend.

I don't think he's being tricked at all I think he's softened in his age and is showing loyalty to Robinson and prioritising that legacy and relationship over immediate success. Thats his call and you are right in the sense TR has delivered 3 premierships and turned the culture around from the mid 2000s. That will always have my respect and admiration.

But for me, enough is enough. I feel like Robbo should be involved in the club in some capacity, perhaps upstairs or as a consultant but his attitude for day to day coaching is not the same.

He seems less focused on winning games and more focused on what he says to the media or how he analyses the game in general. Almost like he is content with what he's achieved (he has a right to be) and is happy to just be in the role now. I genuinely think someone like Bellamy wins a comp, then moves on. Doesn't look back, focuses on winning the next one. Robbo seems to be at the stage of wanting to write a book on how he did the back to back, as opposed to actively trying to win another one.