Fresh is Best

[Tom Verlaine's Ghost]

I don't think it's any coincidence that our two best performances this year -- against Souths and against Gold Coast -- have been when we've gone into the match fresh, without having played the week before.

It really emphasises what Matt Elliott said earlier in the season, ie. that the Roosters will look good in patches, but that as the season wears on, their resilience and ability to absorb physical punishment, will be found out.

So far he has been proven pretty accurate. We looked like a very tired and depleted team heading into the bye, but last night we seemed fresh and revitalised after the two week break.

We're like a racehorse that needs to have its races spaced.

[elo]

Our scheduling was pretty rough tbh, lots of Sunday arvo matches in 30+ degree sunlight didn't help at the start of the season, and lately we have had 2 Monday night into Saturday night short turnarounds which are proven statistically as disastrous. If we were playing every Friday night like a certain St.Merger team we'd have another win or two off that alone.

[The Axe]

I also feel, looking at our pack last night that we have a more competitive and larger forward pack than earlier in the year.
This should help us cope week-to-week, i.e. we are not so often on the receiving end of opposition packs, rather we can now dish it out.

Your thoughts...

[Tom Verlaine's Ghost]

I also feel, looking at our pack last night that we have a more competitive and larger forward pack than earlier in the year.
This should help us cope week-to-week, i.e. we are not so often on the receiving end of opposition packs, rather we can now dish it out.

Your thoughts...

Yeah, that's definitely the upside. Brian Smith mentioned at the press conference that only now are Ryles and Weara-Hargreaves approaching full fitness.

[Guest]

I also feel, looking at our pack last night that we have a more competitive and larger forward pack than earlier in the year.
This should help us cope week-to-week, i.e. we are not so often on the receiving end of opposition packs, rather we can now dish it out.

Your thoughts...

Imagine that, we have a forward pack that makes all the other teams just a little skittish when they play us. Suddenly I remember '02!

[Guest]

Ryles and JWH injury free coming into the 2nd half of the comp will give us a big boost towards making the semi's...

[The Axe]

JWH and Masoe are F***ing huge. Ryles is on the large side. FPN is solid.

4 big boppers who can inflict some pain.

[Hawkeye]

I don't think it's any coincidence that our two best performances this year -- against Souths and against Gold Coast -- have been when we've gone into the match fresh, without having played the week before.

It really emphasises what Matt Elliott said earlier in the season, ie. that the Roosters will look good in patches, but that as the season wears on, their resilience and ability to absorb physical punishment, will be found out.

So far he has been proven pretty accurate. We looked like a very tired and depleted team heading into the bye, but last night we seemed fresh and revitalised after the two week break.

We're like a racehorse that needs to have its races spaced.

Any chance of bringing in the footy equivalent to the 35hr working week ?
That way the players could get a rostered day off every fortnight, we would only have to play a game every second week ....and we'd go through the comp undefeated !

[The Brain]

There's no mystery here
Brian Smith said publicly a few weeks ago, because of the way or lack of training in past years this team is not up to the riggers of week in week out football and that's what is working on, on getting there conditioning up.
The other thing as opposed to what Trewhella says that Brian Smith doesn't offer mate ship etc .Well I beg to differ in pre season Brian Smith said his main focus is to get the players to develop mate ship and play for each other to breed attitude which he believes will take him all season long .

[Guest]

JWH and Masoe are F***ing huge. Ryles is on the large side. FPN is solid.

4 big boppers who can inflict some pain.

I know for a fact the club has been waiting for Masoe for the last two years. The poor kid has had a horrendous run with injuries, but now finally he's back to full fitness. When we first signed Willie Mason over 2 years ago, he was asked by a reporter who HE thinks out of the Rooster younger brigade will be pushing for first grade selection. His answer, 2 years ago, was "Masoe ... the kid is a monster and REALLY hungry to play footy". The wait for Masoe, i hope, will be worth it imo.

[TheLoneRooster]

Masoe was good on Monday and I suspect that performance may be giving Lopini sleepless nights as Mose did not look out of place at all.

[Guest]

and again, we play best when fresh. 9 day turnaround and it makes all the difference.

[Cockadoodledoo]

I know for a fact the club has been waiting for Masoe for the last two years. The poor kid has had a horrendous run with injuries, but now finally he's back to full fitness. When we first signed Willie Mason over 2 years ago, he was asked by a reporter who HE thinks out of the Rooster younger brigade will be pushing for first grade selection. His answer, 2 years ago, was "Masoe ... the kid is a monster and REALLY hungry to play footy". The wait for Masoe, i hope, will be worth it imo.

I agree, this kid has something special, I saw it when he debuted against Souths in Round 1 in NYC, he was carrying defenders 20 metres late in the game and his strong runs set up our victory.. He has had a few major leg injuries but if he can stay on the paddock, his endurance and lateral movement will improve which are his main weaknesses atm... however you compare the way he hits the ball up compared to Lopini and I would think only injury will see him make way.

[Billy Gunn]

Masoe was good on Monday and I suspect that performance may be giving Lopini sleepless nights as Mose did not look out of place at all.

The only thing that worries me is when the going gets tough wll he stand up ? He was pedestrian at best against the Sharks, he looked tired running on the field. Then last night we was very good

[Tom Verlaine's Ghost]

Masoe and FPN - we haven't had two Poly's in the pack going so well at the same time since the halcyon days of Hermansen and Lowrie.