Back to being a disinterested, demotivated team again...

[Guest]

I have bitten my lip for 24 hours, but I can remain silent no longer.

Yesterday, the week before, and close to a month before it again, the Roosters have looked and played like a disinterested, demotivated team... Just like recent seasons past.

The effort has not been there. The care has not been there. The great Bondi Junction wall of defence has crumbled and dissipated.

While words cannot describe how bad we were against Gold Coast, here are some I will use to try to paint a picture of where we are at... sluggish, lackadaisical, tired, soft, lazy, distracted, irritable, lethargic, nonchalant... the list goes on.

We need to be snapped out of this one way or other, soon, or we will be heading directly out the back door of the finals campaign.

My biggest worry is, that for some reason, the team has lost motivation and heart. It's not just a simple matter of "peaking too early" although I think there is some merit in that argument.

The real worry is that the team knows it has overachieved, and now the key players are prepared to rest on their laurels, slide into the finals and "hope for the best".

I don't see a team of 13 plus 4 players out there, doing their best to win games over the last month. I see them trying to do it the easy way. I don't see the effort that characterized the first three quarters of the premiership.

And nothing more exemplifies this, and this is the reason I have been prompted to write this post, than the players' reactions to the simplest of all the set-pieces and restarts in a game of Rugby League.

Drop the ball backwards in possession - few other Roosters are prepared to put their body on the line and dive on the loose ball to lock it up. Too often the opposing team's players dive on it with relish.

Pack the scrum quickly when it is our advantage to do so for timekeeping purposes - over the last month, we have been hopeless at this, with players not showing any urgency to pack a scrum when needed.

Kick-off restarts after opposing team tries - we have been terribly slow at this, even when behind. Against the Gold Coast when behind towards the end, the ref blew the restart whistle, and Maloney and other players were wandering around arguing about what to do. About 20 seconds wasted when we should have been showing purpose and urgency.

Taking the easy option - enough said. Quick and easy offloads (which end disastrously) are our preferred way to get out of trouble, instead of going back to basics and doing the hard yards up the middle.

The dreaded bomb - we still are massively over-reliant, moreso than any team in the comp, on the dreaded last tackle bomb. You'd think Mark Murray was still coaching us. Against the Gold Coast surely we could have come up with better last tackle set-pieces that the Pearce or Maloney bomb.

Going for the quick fix try rather than taking two points - in the first half we were gifted around three opportunities to get back within six points of the Coast, by taking the two. This game was a perfect semi-final rehearsal. Behind by 8 points after 20 mins or so, and playing unfamiliar catch-up football... why not practice for this likely semi-final scenario, by showing some patience, taking the two, chipping away at the Coast's lead. Then play to win in the second half. But NO... we were so over-confident that we could blitzkrieg our way over the line, that we got cocky, and started making stupid mistakes every time we had a great close-to-the-line opportunity.

Lastly (there are many more but this is all I have time for)... NO F*&^% REPEAT SETS... I mentioned semi-final football above. We all know what I am whining about when I talk about lack of repeat sets. It is our biggest weakness, and this is where Melbourne and souffs will tear us to pieces in the finals.

I won't even go on about slow and sluggish play the balls.

I know many of you won't like reading the above, and I know that there have been some mitigating circumstances in this long, arduous season... refereeing atrocities alone... But that facts are, someone has to speak the truth now before it is too late.

The Roosters are on course for a train wreck of a finals campaign unless the above specific issues, and the lack of enthusiasm and spark more generally, are quickly addressed.

I trust that the coach is working on it... He needs to be.

[bondi paul]

Pissed ?

[Johnny.]

Name names...pussy.

Three names to begin with.

Dare I say, round up the usual suspects.

[Guest]

The only thing that is long and arduous is this post.

I must admit, I didn't even read it all, just sort of glanced through it as I scrolled down on my phone.

As for the 'peaking too early' remark, I don't buy it for a second. In all honesty I've been of the belief that we still had a gear or two to go up.

IMO of course...

[Rooster_6]

I don't believe that the team or any individual just doesn't care anymore like you suggest, it's a weak premise often used when people watching the game can't explain why something is or isn't happening. These are professional players we're talking about.

The only part of that I found myself agreeing with is the following statement;

Taking the easy option - enough said. Quick and easy offloads (which end disastrously) are our preferred way to get out of trouble, instead of going back to basics and doing the hard yards up the middle.

This imo goes closer to nailing the biggest issue facing the side at the moment than anything I've read on here to date. We're taking too many shortcuts, we're not making the hard yards up the middle of the field and we're not getting into the grind. At our best our we're running hard up the middle of the field and allowing Friend to run on the back of that with short interchanges of passing in and around the ruck by our forwards. The stupid passes, offloads and lack of momentum in our sets & meters made because we were trying to get on the outside of the Titans from our own half just highlights this.

We've definitely hit a poor run of form over the last month and we've tried to play our way out of it by going away from what we do best, it's a relatively easy fix and I think we'll see a much more improved performance come Friday. I'm really not too worried, it's not like sides have figured out any key weakness of ours and are continually exploiting it, we've just been really poor and have gone away from what works for us.

Robbo just needs to get the team back on track, doing what we've done for the first 20 rounds of the comp and make sure that we don't carry any of those bad habits into the finals series.

[Salvatori Grubber]

I think that's a fairly well-considered post. I disagree with the repeat sets bit - that gets trotted-out too often without any statistical evidence supporting its value to a side like Easts - but in general I do think there's a severe lack of focus from the side.

Hopefully the 2nd week of having Mini back will help to steady the ship and that all of the leaders (inc the likes of Fitzy, etc) can play a role in bringing a sustained, strategic approach on game day.

[Thirteen]

I have bitten my lip for 24 hours, but I can remain silent no longer.

Yesterday, the week before, and close to a month before it again, the Roosters have looked and played like a disinterested, demotivated team... Just like recent seasons past.

The effort has not been there. The care has not been there. The great Bondi Junction wall of defence has crumbled and dissipated.

While words cannot describe how bad we were against Gold Coast, here are some I will use to try to paint a picture of where we are at... sluggish, lackadaisical, tired, soft, lazy, distracted, irritable, lethargic, nonchalant... the list goes on.

We need to be snapped out of this one way or other, soon, or we will be heading directly out the back door of the finals campaign.

My biggest worry is, that for some reason, the team has lost motivation and heart. It's not just a simple matter of "peaking too early" although I think there is some merit in that argument.

The real worry is that the team knows it has overachieved, and now the key players are prepared to rest on their laurels, slide into the finals and "hope for the best".

I don't see a team of 13 plus 4 players out there, doing their best to win games over the last month. I see them trying to do it the easy way. I don't see the effort that characterized the first three quarters of the premiership.

And nothing more exemplifies this, and this is the reason I have been prompted to write this post, than the players' reactions to the simplest of all the set-pieces and restarts in a game of Rugby League.

Drop the ball backwards in possession - few other Roosters are prepared to put their body on the line and dive on the loose ball to lock it up. Too often the opposing team's players dive on it with relish.

Pack the scrum quickly when it is our advantage to do so for timekeeping purposes - over the last month, we have been hopeless at this, with players not showing any urgency to pack a scrum when needed.

Kick-off restarts after opposing team tries - we have been terribly slow at this, even when behind. Against the Gold Coast when behind towards the end, the ref blew the restart whistle, and Maloney and other players were wandering around arguing about what to do. About 20 seconds wasted when we should have been showing purpose and urgency.

Taking the easy option - enough said. Quick and easy offloads (which end disastrously) are our preferred way to get out of trouble, instead of going back to basics and doing the hard yards up the middle.

The dreaded bomb - we still are massively over-reliant, moreso than any team in the comp, on the dreaded last tackle bomb. You'd think Mark Murray was still coaching us. Against the Gold Coast surely we could have come up with better last tackle set-pieces that the Pearce or Maloney bomb.

Going for the quick fix try rather than taking two points - in the first half we were gifted around three opportunities to get back within six points of the Coast, by taking the two. This game was a perfect semi-final rehearsal. Behind by 8 points after 20 mins or so, and playing unfamiliar catch-up football... why not practice for this likely semi-final scenario, by showing some patience, taking the two, chipping away at the Coast's lead. Then play to win in the second half. But NO... we were so over-confident that we could blitzkrieg our way over the line, that we got cocky, and started making stupid mistakes every time we had a great close-to-the-line opportunity.

Lastly (there are many more but this is all I have time for)... NO F*&^% REPEAT SETS... I mentioned semi-final football above. We all know what I am whining about when I talk about lack of repeat sets. It is our biggest weakness, and this is where Melbourne and souffs will tear us to pieces in the finals.

I won't even go on about slow and sluggish play the balls.

I know many of you won't like reading the above, and I know that there have been some mitigating circumstances in this long, arduous season... refereeing atrocities alone... But that facts are, someone has to speak the truth now before it is too late.

The Roosters are on course for a train wreck of a finals campaign unless the above specific issues, and the lack of enthusiasm and spark more generally, are quickly addressed.

I trust that the coach is working on it... He needs to be.

Of course the players aren't disinterested. They want it as much as we do!
It's an attitude thing. Robbo needs to sort it out quick smart.
ATTITUDE!

[Arties Pie]

Sorry Thirteen but I don't agree with the " Robbo needs to sort it out" he has done a great job all year ,these guys are supposed to be professionals, they are supposed to be able to look at a game and be able to critique their own performance and make the adjustments necessary, it is up to the players to bring the right mental attitude towards winning the game not to be wet nursed and coddled like infants.

[BUDDY]

Robbo has done well but his honeymoon period over.

It looks like he has lost the dressing room.

Who's next in line? Henry, Furner, Sheens, Gus? Maybe we should give Freddie another go.

[RoosterRooster]

Robbo has done well but his honeymoon period over.

It looks like he has lost the dressing room.

Who's next in line? Henry, Furner, Sheens, Gus? Maybe we should give Freddie another go.

Don't know about about another coach just yet.
Its no secret and it concerned me greatly that since origin, the 1st team we played within the top 5-6 was the sharks and we failed in the forwards.
last week we played tits with 6 players missing and they also dominated our forwards, no excuses, beaten fair and square, just like the previous week.
The last 2 games were the real test for us since origin and was hopeful of more than that from us, but twas he reality of what happened was disappointing.
Now we face a full strength souths after a five day turnaround.
If we are the real deal, this is where we show it, win, lose or draw.
Sick of reading all the posts about the refs calls, the conspiracies against us etc, etc, etc.

[chook 56]

Robbo has done well but his honeymoon period over.

It looks like he has lost the dressing room.

Who's next in line? Henry, Furner, Sheens, Gus? Maybe we should give Freddie another go.

BWWWHHHAAAAAA!

Well played, Buddy.

[player 1]

Don't know about about another coach just yet.
Its no secret and it concerned me greatly that since origin, the 1st team we played within the top 5-6 was the sharks and we failed in the forwards.
last week we played tits with 6 players missing and they also dominated our forwards, no excuses, beaten fair and square, just like the previous week.
The last 2 games were the real test for us since origin and was hopeful of more than that from us, but twas he reality of what happened was disappointing.
Now we face a full strength souths after a five day turnaround.
If we are the real deal, this is where we show it, win, lose or draw.
Sick of reading all the posts about the refs calls, the conspiracies against us etc, etc, etc.

Do you really think anyone, I mean even a single person, on this forum doesn't realize you're a pathetic $ouff$ troll here to stir shit?

You're not pulling off a clever trick, you're just a turd. And you know if I did the same thing on your methadone fuelled burrow forum I'd be kicked off.

So by all means hang around and stir shit, but kindly understand you're not fooling anyone.

And oh, your guys haven't won anything yet. And if they don't this year, could be another long 41 years.

[morley101]

The last couple of weeks we have not given the opposition enough respect. Too often we tried to score off nearly every play.
Hopefully when we are given penalties within kicking distance we take the 2 points early in each half. The last couple weeks the other
side have gained confidence in their defence holding us out early for sets of six, but if keep the scoreboard ticking over..

[Guest]

I like the position we're in as it allows us to focus on getting the basics right, plus all the focus is on south's (and the other two) to give it to easts, man i hope we pull out a QLD type origin ambush, yeahh buddy can't wait for friday night

[Guest]

Melb souths & manly all have gone through this at some point in the season its perfectly normal geeez relax we will bounce back

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