We'll need a new five-eighth.

[rcptn]

You didn’t see his kicks in the second half of that trial game Niccy mun? It was probably the highlight of the whole game.

Breeze assisted

[Schooner]

We definitely need some size in the halves. The last few years they have been speed bumps in defense and now they dont get much support from the edge forwards and outside backs (who have their own problems)

[kakaruk]

Billy smith will stiffen up the defence on one side but we still have the problem of the opposing attack getting on the outside of townshead and young sandon and when they do it’s try time down the sideline that’s what the knights did to us and Madge is no dill he would have seen it to robbo should move rarely back to lock imo and have him coming across in cover behind the backline a la Ron Coote who was the best cover defender i ever saw he invented it Maguire is going to send Walsh and co down the edge all night trying to get that extra man on us the forwards have got a kick up the backside this week so they might hopefully hold their own but the halves and inexperienced centres worry the shit outta me broncs by 15 for mine took the broncos in the tipping comp I’ll be cheering for the chooks though it’s a bonus stages is out

[shagger]

I would go Adam Dohuie as well. We need a big half he can also play in the centres. He can kick long, he can kick goals and he is a shit lot better than Townsend. We also need a big half forward which we don’t have. One that will get us up the field. Again something we don’t have.

[ARD]

Sandon wasn’t the problem in the trial. He is a good player, good skills - especially ball playing, but needs a lot of work on defence. He played his assigned role much better than Chad did, who should be leading by example and missed the boat badly on that particular day.

[Rooster_Mark]

Billy smith will stiffen up the defence on one side

For the 3 games he plays this season.

[Rooster_6]

Good point, most of our premiership winning sides or really strong sides of the past have been built largely off homegrown talent or players brought in on the cheap. Which is contrary to the popular narrative.

What we have done so well with recruitment, particularly under Robbo, is get that supplementary boost that is almost like the missing ingredient or finishing touch on a project. We spent big on Cronk because we had all the tools and lacked the organisational voice on the pitch. We gained Teddy to fill the void left by Mini but Teddy walked into a backline of homegrown stars like Tupou, Manu and Latrell.

SBW was an xfactor signing. We already had a strong young team coming through and that added presence did us the world of good as it turned out.

To me, signing a huge propsect like Galvin or an established name like Brown for huge money wouldn't be conducive to our usual strategy of the past decade. Tying up unproven players on long term big money deals almost with the expectation that they'll lift our team up and play their best footy with us is not a Roosters thing to do. We see so many other also-ran clubs do it and we shouldn't be sucked into it. Truth is, our window is slammed shut for the foreseeable future and we should grin and bear the results whilst the new crop of youngsters come through. I don't know if we have the right coach to get the best out of them but that remains to be seen. Buying big in the halves whilst there are obvious gaps everywhere in the squad would be a mistake.

Correct, build the foundations first and then add the missing pieces once you know what they are.

2018/19 was built on the back of three groups of players that came through the club as young players; Tupou, JWH, Friend, Aubusson & Cordner circa early 2010's, then Napa, Liu, Taukeiaho circa 2013-14 and then finally Manu, Latrell, Tupouniua, Radley, Matterson, Butcher, Verrils & Collins circa 2017-18

Everyone remembers the pieces that were added at the end in Teddy, Cronk, Keary & Brett Morris but it was some foundation to then go and add onto.

[Rooster_6]

I was adamant last season that the club should have signed Ben Hunt for 2 seasons, which would have given us a halve with a long kicking game and some experience needed to cope with the loss of Keary, whilst waiting for the younger halves to grow. I think both Brown and Galvin are massively overrated and don't want either at the club tbh. I find it truly bizarre that we gave Townsend $300K, when it looked to me that he was too slow for NRL and should have retired.

I also want Rodwell to have a future at the club, however I can't remember the Storm letting go a bunch of experienced players and replacing them with no one and hoping some kids can step up in the future. It is also clear to me that May was let go for salary cap reasons, as we decided to upgrade Spencer from $500K to $850K, based on a few hitups against the Dragons. I am pretty sure no one was looking to sign him from us, but it was more to make a statement that the club was behind Spence, after his long suspension at the start of the year. Making emotional decisions on contract signings, instead of pragmatic ones never works out.

The Ben Hunt signing would've made some sense and I was coming around to it at the end especially to cover 9 whilst Smith is out but there's not many halves at his level who would be happy to keep the seat warm for a couple of seasons.

As for the Storm they're the experts of letting experienced spine players leave and backing their youth to cover the loss. In fact its harder to think of a time when they've signed a replacement... Ben Roberts is the only one that springs to mind recently when he was signed to replace Widdop and even that must've been almost a decade ago?

[Bates]

The Ben Hunt signing would've made some sense and I was coming around to it at the end especially to cover 9 whilst Smith is out but there's not many halves at his level who would be happy to keep the seat warm for a couple of seasons.

As for the Storm they're the experts of letting experienced spine players leave and backing their youth to cover the loss. In fact its harder to think of a time when they've signed a replacement... Ben Roberts is the only one that springs to mind recently when he was signed to replace Widdop and even that must've been almost a decade ago?

Hunt only wanted 2 more seasons and at $550k a year he would've been a bargain. That's just $250k a year more than Townsend.

He could cover Cheese as you've mentioned then partnered Sammy in the halves. His experience at this point in time would have been priceless!

[bondi.boy]

If our forwards are not laying a decent platform our halves have no chance I didn’t watch the game against Newcastle but looking at the highlights our pack leaves a lot to be desired

I watched the game.
The only high performance I saw was from the Knights.
We have fitness/high performance dept/coaches?
Have our players all been told that there's a blitz on the play the ball, must tap it back with your foot, not step over it.
This trial game reminded me of that first round game at the SCG in about 2022 or 2021 when the Knights ran all over us.

[King Salvo]

Hunt was always going back to the Broncos though.

Some on here would sign the Magna Carta if it was a players - sign this player and sign that player and he's no good and not up to it etc etc etc.

Give the players a chance that will be playing and don't be so overly critical and negative waves like that they don't play like a NRL 200 gamer , SOO and International player from the get go as a new comer to NRL or with limited number of games.

It's only a game - The Sun still rises the next morning win lose or draw.