Sydney Roosters refuse to put a deadline on chase for Michael Jennings

[milanja]

Friends lack of leg speed is my main concern. We need him to make the occasional 15-20 metre dart from dummy half when it's on.
His efforts are always appreciated. If everyone tried as hard as him we'd be very hard to beat.

hopefully his weight loss and training with the guru can assist him with that.

[Guest]

Thats when saluini comes on

[Guest]

Friend has enough passing skill to create plenty for his halves. You watch the difference that James Maloney will make to his form. He definitely needs to have better awareness of when a pass from the ground is required. His attack gets criticised a lot because of his slow service and obsession with the short side (a lot to do with Anasta) but he is one of the best hookers in the league at throwing an outball, which is an extremely important skill for a good dummy half. When Carney was at 6 he used to run an in- to outside- shoulder line on the left side of the ruck and Friend's pass is what would make that run effective. Think of any Carney try from first receiver close to the line and I guarantee it was off the back of a beautiful outball from Friend. Last year Pearce was our only tight player with the speed and football brain to take advantage of that sort of passing skill but the problem was because Pearce was essentially the sole playmaker he could not afford to be tackled on the 4th or 5th tackle which is the most common time that you're going to try and run a play like that. With a running five-eighth for Friend to target on the left this play will come back as an option. And if you want a more recent example of Friend's creative passing game you only have to think about the amount of tries we scored off forwards running doubles off Friend close to the line. He is very good at hitting the right player when he has options and that shows through those tries. I'd mainly just like to see him given a greater reign in long kicking and improve his service to his halfback.

I really appreciate the thought you put in to your posts Yak! I believe that we has suffered from a terrible imbalance in our spine but Friend, Pearce, Maloney and RTS (when he gets there) can be amongs the best spines in the comp.

[Guest]

He's certainly something special, the sooner he gets a go at fullback the better.

I'm certain he's a great ball runner but I'm not so convinced he has the vision to ever be a good ball player.

He will definitely surprise you this season (2013), last year was his 1st year to learn the game but he managed to breakthroughs to the FG, I would rather wait and see how he cope this season than you r6 keep coming out and underestimated rts's ability....
from what I remember this is the 3rd times you underestimated rts and his ball playing ability. Don't forget, last year he was just sit on the win touched the ball 10% of the whole game, unlike SJ from the warriors he touched the ball 70% of the whole game.

[Rooster_6]

thats a massive statement about a 19yr old kid who has played 4 or 5 first grade games and played league for only one yr. hope u give him a chance to get to 24-25 before u really lose faith in him.

friend will look good if the forwards play good, i dont think he has a creative bone in his body but nobody will bag him if the forwards make him look good by just making yards.

Pearce (if jennings signs) should now have confidence to throw the ball out wide with skd,mj,rts and sbw lurking somewhere in the open instead of having to rely on inside short balls to mini.

this could be the one yr where pearce excels because we have never had as much speed and potency in a backline since maybe hodges,mini fletcher and mullins were around together? I think 2013s is more potent but there is no freddie to distribute it, so maloney should be able to chime in enough to help pearce compensate.

It's a myth that this is his first year in Rugby League, yes he was signed from Rugby Union but he had played league before that.

I haven't lost faith in him, I think he's one of the best youngsters in the game. Just having watched him play in the 20's I've noticed he doesn't have great vision. It's not really something you can learn, it's just a natural ability a player has or doesn't. He seems like a smart player to me so I have no doubt he could become a decent ball player but honestly it'd surprise me if he was any better than that.

As for Pearce, he's an organising halfback. His game should revolve around having a team who is disciplined and and can control field position, but in previous years under Smith it hasn't (when we played a lot of loose, low percentage footy). He'll benefit most from the change in game plans this year, his ball to the outside backs has always been good, if he can further develop that I reckon people will start to recognise him as on the best halves in the game.

[bondi paul]

whatever happens re jennings signing is meant to be.by chance if he doesnt sign something better may happen.i think their will be a unknown standout for the roosters this year who will have a exceptional season whether it be a centre or not.
as long as we compete, have structure and discipline and beat the vermin, broncos, sharks and the scum i will be a happy rooster.

[Rooster_6]

I wouldn't mind an Anzac day win....

[Guest]

vision it's not something you can learn.... I totally disagreed with you on that one rooster6, vision is skills, you learn that from your training, like ball skills and awareness around the field, guys like shaun jonhson and benji marshall learned that from playing touch footy when they were young. Those guys play in the halves (6/7) their job is to distribute, rts came in trying to play like he was trying to prove himself he can handle the physical side of the game.
Lets give him that #6 or 7, and see what he can do.
He was only 16yrs old when he picked for the Auckland Rugby Union 7s, but he didn't allowed to play in the national 7s until he turn 18yrs old...and that was never happen before. A 16yrs old kid play 1st five for the Auckland 7s until the National 7s Tournament, he was not allow to play. His mentality, it's having a go, not to set up play, so if the coach give him his row to play in the team, then he might change how he play.

[kakaruk]

Shecks a 5/8 and thats the posisition he will excell at in years to come.Theres nothing wrong with his ball playing he just hasnt been given the chance to display it yet.Couple of times last year you got a glimpse of it when he hit his winger with a long bullet like pass.If we dont sign Jennings he will play center that will get the ball in his hands a bit more.As far as vision goes he kept the 20s in the comp with some pretty good well thought out plays give him a go hes only 19 years old.He will be a superstar thats why the club has him tied up for the next few years they know it.

[Guest]

vision it's not something you can learn.... I totally disagreed with you on that one rooster6, vision is skills, you learn that from your training, like ball skills and awareness around the field, guys like shaun jonhson and benji marshall learned that from playing touch footy when they were young. Those guys play in the halves (6/7) their job is to distribute, rts came in trying to play like he was trying to prove himself he can handle the physical side of the game.
Lets give him that #6 or 7, and see what he can do.
He was only 16yrs old when he picked for the Auckland Rugby Union 7s, but he didn't allowed to play in the national 7s until he turn 18yrs old...and that was never happen before. A 16yrs old kid play 1st five for the Auckland 7s until the National 7s Tournament, he was not allow to play. His mentality, it's having a go, not to set up play, so if the coach give him his row to play in the team, then he might change how he play.

I agree 100%

[Geohood]

So... When will the Jennings signing be announced Helpinghand?

[Rooster_6]

vision it's not something you can learn.... I totally disagreed with you on that one rooster6, vision is skills, you learn that from your training, like ball skills and awareness around the field, guys like shaun jonhson and benji marshall learned that from playing touch footy when they were young. Those guys play in the halves (6/7) their job is to distribute, rts came in trying to play like he was trying to prove himself he can handle the physical side of the game.
Lets give him that #6 or 7, and see what he can do.
He was only 16yrs old when he picked for the Auckland Rugby Union 7s, but he didn't allowed to play in the national 7s until he turn 18yrs old...and that was never happen before. A 16yrs old kid play 1st five for the Auckland 7s until the National 7s Tournament, he was not allow to play. His mentality, it's having a go, not to set up play, so if the coach give him his row to play in the team, then he might change how he play.

Vision is not skills, it's a mental attribute.

Application of vision improves with understanding of the game, but just because you keep saying he's never played league before doesn't make it true. Vision & creativity are two of the hardest things to teach a player, you're generally born with it or you're not.

I think Sheck has the potential to be a good 5/8 or fullback but I've never seen anything that suggests he'd be able to play halfback.

[Guest]

Vision is not skills, it's a mental attribute.

Application of vision improves with understanding of the game, but just because you keep saying he's never played league before doesn't make it true. Vision & creativity are two of the hardest things to teach a player, you're generally born with it or you're not.

I think Sheck has the potential to be a good 5/8 or fullback but I've never seen anything that suggests he'd be able to play halfback.

vision it's not skills haha. I would love to see what skills you have tho. No one born to be a rugby player, we have to love it, learn it and become part of it, rooster 6, you tell me vision it's not skills, I guess I can not keep going on about this because I am not a kind of person will just do the talking through the keyboard, I rather show you what I meant on the football field than sit behind the keyboard, btw we could become a good friends by let me teach you some more ball skills, and you teach me how to use the keyboard aye (jokes) once again, no one born to be a basketball player or whatever sports they decided to play.
Everyone need to work hard in order to achieve something.

[Guest]

vision it's not skills haha. I would love to see what skills you have tho. No one born to be a rugby player, we have to love it, learn it and become part of it, rooster 6, you tell me vision it's not skills, I guess I can not keep going on about this because I am not a kind of person will just do the talking through the keyboard, I rather show you what I meant on the football field than sit behind the keyboard, btw we could become a good friends by let me teach you some more ball skills, and you teach me how to use the keyboard aye (jokes) once again, no one born to be a basketball player or whatever sports they decided to play.
Everyone need to work hard in order to achieve something.

Do you also live in Toongabbie?

[Guest]

His league background is very limited. The only time he played league was when the union season finished early.