DCE now linked

[Chook2]

Just like always we get linked to every player
DCE is the latest
I think he will re sign with manly but who knows
they are calling it a cooper Cronk buy again
Tbh we would have been better going all in for hunt for two years
it is hard to get the recruitment strategy at present! Move people on to allow youth to step up but then look to sign guys in their mid 30s

[Arties Pie]

Gawd no…Would have been good post Cronk but too old now.

[Horry]

It's the Mole reporting it. Nuff said.

[worldbe3]

Any report from the Mole can be instantly disregarded. As if we’re going to risk upsetting Sam Walker in order to sign a 38 year old

[Teddy]

Slow news day Harry Kane has a release clause with Bayern Munich for 2026 and has been linked with a sensational cross code switch to the Sydney Roosters, we can in no way afford him, but the beachside views, Lattes, brown paper bags a new BYD company vehicle and and 49% stake ownership of Sydney Roosters may just be enough to close the deal.

[Teddy]

He’s coming to play Prop and add valuable experience to the youngsters courtesy of the Mole.

[Bates]

lol

[MKCS]

Any report from the Mole can be instantly disregarded. As if we’re going to risk upsetting Sam Walker in order to sign a 38 year old

I think if DCE was actually being pursued by the Roosters (Which I doubt) it'd be to play with Sam Walker and not replace him. We'd be risking upsetting either Chad Townsend or Sandon Smith for a 38 year old Daly Cherry-Evans.

[ism22]

Clearly Manly's looking to lend us DCE for the first half of the season (possibly his last? He is 36...) because he's of no use to them and they care about the fact we're down on troops.

Honestly one reason I'm glad we beat the Riff is that it proves to the doubters on here that halves aren't our biggest problem. Yes if we make the finals and need somebody to steer the ship during clutch moments then they'll play a big part.

However, Penrith had none other than Nathan Cleary (playing GREAT footy - even on an off day he's farking good) on the weekend and we won. Why? Because we won the battle.

The Dragons had Ben Hunt for a few seasons as both a hooker and a half. Yes it's great having a crafty kicker who can boot you out of trouble. However all that does is delay the inevitable if you're unable to build a platform in the middle of the park.

Our current team is brimming with raw talent and has shown it can play good footy. Consistency is a separate question but I think people tend to over-rate how useful a top notch half is when the rest of your team's making stupid errors and missing tackles. Beating ~70% of teams basically requires Easts to roll our sleeves up, make our tackles and give Young/Toops/Toia/Marky/Teddy ball within ~30m of the tryline. Edging out Melbourne or Penrith in a tight game? Different story but IMO most teams can be beaten without needing to pull out a bag of fairy dust.

[caz]

do we need a thread about every bs rumour?

[Inflictor]

do we need a thread about every bs rumour?

Won't be long before it is hijacked and turned into a how good is May playing after 2 rounds thread. Why did we let him go.

FFS

[MKCS]

Clearly Manly's looking to lend us DCE for the first half of the season (possibly his last? He is 36...) because he's of no use to them and they care about the fact we're down on troops.

Honestly one reason I'm glad we beat the Riff is that it proves to the doubters on here that halves aren't our biggest problem. Yes if we make the finals and need somebody to steer the ship during clutch moments then they'll play a big part.

However, Penrith had none other than Nathan Cleary (playing GREAT footy - even on an off day he's farking good) on the weekend and we won. Why? Because we won the battle.

The Dragons had Ben Hunt for a few seasons as both a hooker and a half. Yes it's great having a crafty kicker who can boot you out of trouble. However all that does is delay the inevitable if you're unable to build a platform in the middle of the park.

Our current team is brimming with raw talent and has shown it can play good footy. Consistency is a separate question but I think people tend to over-rate how useful a top notch half is when the rest of your team's making stupid errors and missing tackles. Beating ~70% of teams basically requires Easts to roll our sleeves up, make our tackles and give Young/Toops/Toia/Marky/Teddy ball within ~30m of the tryline. Edging out Melbourne or Penrith in a tight game? Different story but IMO most teams can be beaten without needing to pull out a bag of fairy dust.

Haven't seen a team with a bad halves combination even get close to a grand final win in a very long time to be honest. I'd actually say that's the one thing the Roosters have lacked since 2019, last season for example if we had a star halves combination and hooker we probably go to the grand final and maybe even win the comp but unfortunately our spine was Teddy, Sandon, Keary and Watson.

[Bates]

Could you imagine a Kalyn Ponga, Sammy Walker halves pairing?

One hand on the trophy!

[HunchoRooster]

Would love to see but we will never see it.

Ridiculous though this is even being discussed. The Mole has no shame.

[Big Dog]

No. No no no. No!