Roosters vs Tigers - Foundation Cup.

[fletch]

Nate has a history of being suspended for dangerous throws, will be very lucky to escape a multi game suspension

[supermario]

Lets put this into perspective, in the first half of the game, we had a close to full strength side, and so did the tigers, the scores were close.

The second half is where the raft of changes came in, again for both sides, remembering though, mid way though the second half, players like Mini, Friend, Anasta and pearce were all taken off the field.

can we really expect any side to function well when 4 of the top players in the team are off the field.

it would have been great to win the cup again, but we didn;t, it that makes the tigers fans feel better about a certain semifinal, so be it.

Our boys will be better for the run.

[Guest]

I can't believe how much people get wound up about trial form.
Results in trials mean nothing - they are an extension of pre-season training, a chance for players to get some match fitness and a chance for coaching staff to look at different combos and blood some young blokes.
Let's see how we go in Rd 1 before putting on our Nostradamus hats eh?

[ism22]

They only scored 1 more try than us BTW... we just didn't convert.

This wasn't helped by the ref, who was rubbish at best...
Fulton clearly stepped over the dead ball line when he scored (which was REALLY dumb because he was over and just had to put it down.) We would have pushed him even further out if it wasn't clear that he was out... I think the Tigers fans were more surprised when the ref called it a try.

Later on Mose had a nice break... he dropped the ball and kicked it in-goal before it hit the ground. In an amazing display he then chased and tackled the Tigers defender in goal. Nobody was there... if the ref didn't snap and wrongly say he'd knocked the ball forward (he kicked it ffs!) he probably could have stripped the ball and scored. Either it's clear we had the momentum and could have scored.

It was just a trial and it's over... trials mean nothing, but FWIW I though we defended solidly (even with all our reserves on... did I count 9?) We also shifted the ball around really well, so should be proud of that.

On a positive note, I don't think anybody got hurt? That and Kheirallah seems to have a really long kick!!!! Probably best displayed when he kicked it out on the full from the kick-off. Okay so he stuffed up... but maybe we'll have him perfecting that one so that it lands in-goal from pretty well anywhere on the field, giving the defence headaches.

*SHIVERS* My first taste of footy for the year!!!!! I'm excited... I'm also a ticketed member now

[BUDDY]

My take on individual performances:

Mini: No highlight moments, but apart from one dropped ball was very solid, especially in fielding kicks.
Perrett: Didn't get many opportunities but gave his usual wholehearted effort. Aside from some trademark dummy-half hit-ups, brilliantly defended a crossfield kick on our line. (Not always his forte).
Aubusson: Started in the centres and moved to second-row when SKiDs came on around the 20-30 minute mark. Had a quiet game, but he should benefit enormously from the chance to play a trial. Great to see him back much earlier than anticipated.
SKiDs: Has a real presence about him now. Didn't really stamp himself on the game: dropped one (difficult) pass and tried one of those long crossfield excursions that didn't come off; but he was hard to bring down most times he touched the ball. He's in for a massive season imho.
Linnett: Played well. Classic-style centre who reads the game nicely and makes the most of any opportunities. Looks like he could develop an excellent combo with Leilua if Smith chooses to go that way.
Leilua: Beginning to look like the model modern winger. Powerful and skillful and good in the air. Diffused one kick brilliantly with both hands overhead, under plenty of pressure. I wouldn't worry about defensive reads. He's young and has great instincts for the game; he will continue to improve in this area. The one concern is that he has a slow turning circle and has been shown to be vulnerable to kicks in behind him. Tigs almost exploited this successfully on one occasion, with Mini having to sweep desperately.
Kheirallah: Not bad. Looked zippy early, and wasn't afraid to take the line on. Might have been guilty of trying a tad too hard. Was a little quiet after the first 30 minutes. Don't think he played the first 15 min's of the second stanza (or else he was hiding in Masoe's hulking shadow!). Felt sorry for him when one of his kick-offs (just) went dead. At least he was bold enough not just to play it safe; his kick-off to start the game was a beauty.
Pearce: Very sharp for his first game of the year. Outshone by Lui who was undoubtedly MOM, but still oozed class. I'm confident he'll consolidate himself as a genuine elite halfback this year.
Myles: Same as always. All guts and efficiency. He's not exactly agile on his feet in attack, but man does he fight in a tackle. Might be in a little bother over a lifting tackle of his own.
FPN: Came off the bench and added immediate spark. Love the vigour with which he runs onto the ball. He also got one or two nice offloads away. Very impressive.
Braith: Quiet game. Best moments were in defence, shutting down a couple of dangerous passages out wide with one-on-one tackles. The two conversion attempts he missed were both from the touchline, and he really didn't strike them too badly at all.
Symonds: Looked more confident than when he returned from injury late last year. Didn't make any of the clean breaks we know he's capable of producing, but did make some good surges out wide and contributed some solid defence as well.
Ryles: Typical no-frills stuff from the veteran. Looks to be up for at least one more strong season. One thing I like about Ryles is the way he uses his height to fall forward onto his chest when he's tackled.
Kennedy: Immense in both attack and defence. Made one unforced error, but forced a couple on the opposition too. Great to see him intimidate in defence as well as being a powerhouse with his hit-ups. He made some absolutely tremendous charges and looks likely to kick on from last year and live right up to the hype.
JWH: Looked more enforcer than footballer last year, so it was good to see him get away a couple of offloads (another went to ground, but was a bit unlucky). Would be great if he can add some skill to his game because there's no doubting his toughness.
Masoe: Seems to be over the niggling injuries which (I am led to believe) contributed to his missing out on our finals campaign last year. Every one of his hit-ups had the defence struggling to bring him down. He could be anything, but it would be nice to see him develop at least some ability to offload.
Friend: Just keeps getting better. Had a cracking all round game. Good service from dummy-half and knew when to run himself. Also very impressive with his support and linking play; he threw the key cut-out pass for our first try and it was a corker.
Piggy: Played the final 30 minutes and was very impressive. Definitely trimmer than when he last played NRL. Showed his guile and experience, and went a number of times from dummy-half himself, making good yardage on each occasion.

Didn't really notice anyone standing out among the late-game cameos off the extended bench.

Great summation jf and welcome.

I was really worried with that kick that turned BJ around. He had a good 15m-20m on the closest tiger and they ran him down easily. I thought he was jogging and hoping Mini would get to the ball first. He had a good game but I can see teams try to expose his slow turning circle as you put it.

I thought Mini took a lot away from Kheirallah in the first half playing more of a 5/8 role in attack. It gave me shivers seeing it again and I hope they don't give Carney any suspension.

Get Kennedy in all your fantasy teams. Had a super game in attack and defense.

We finished the game without any regular playmakers with Mini, Pearce, Friend and Anasta off. I think our 1, 6, 7 and 9 for the last 15-20 minutes were Pritchard, Littlejohn, Kheirallah and Piggy. If that was Pritchard at fullback at the end, he went fairly well. The Tigers were more serious about winning the Foundation Cup than we were. Pretty much a full strength team throughout yet they scored 3 tries to 2. We play Carney and we would have smashed them. I left the game really happy and thought we would take a lot more out of the game than the Tigers. Great to see Symonds play more freely than last year (add Cordner in NYC as well). Masoe also had some good moments. The rest played well without any real highlights.

The most important thing to come out of last night is that we desperately need Carney in that team. Pearce was good but he needed his partner in crime. No pun intended.

[Guest]

Ever-present Lui's the halfback Tigers dream about Josh Rakic
February 27, 2011
.Roosters 8 Tigers 19

..ROBERT LUI, take a bow. You are the answer to the Wests Tigers' longstanding halfback woes.

The 21-year-old might have more important things on his mind, such as an April court appearance, but you wouldn't have known it last night as the stocky halfback set up two tries, scored another then booted a field goal in the Tigers' 19-8 win over the Roosters in the Foundation Cup.

The Roosters, while trying in attack, missed their star five-eighth Todd Carney, and were unable to convert several promising opportunities.

Advertisement: Story continues below Apart from Roosters fullback Anthony Minichiello, Lui contributed more in attack than any other player on the field, having a hand in all of the Tigers' attacking phases and setting up first-try halves for skipper Robbie Farah and forward Liam Fulton.

It might have only been a trial but on first impressions there's little reason that the Roosters or Wests Tigers won't make the NRL finals, their probing attack and shifting defence setting both apart from most others in trials so far. Halfback Mitchell Pearce was dangerous for the Roosters and Benji Marshall looked every bit the team leader for the Tigers. Their first-round opponents, the Bulldogs and the Rabbitohs, have something to worry about.

Fiery Roosters prop Jared Warea-Hargreaves may also have something to worry about, after Lote Tuqiri complained of hair-pulling in a second-half tackle.

The Roosters made an early play for try-of-the-season at the 10th minute through winger Joseph Leilua after the ball went through seven pairs of hands and the entire span of the field off a Mitchell Pearce bomb inside the Tigers' half.

It was the ball-starved Tigers who scored next when Farah latched on to a sneaky off-load from Lui inside the attacking 10 and crossed under the posts. Marshall converted the extras to give the Tigers a 6-4 lead at the 24th.

And Lui was it again on the ensuing set of six after Roosters No.6 Mark Kheirallah put the ball over the deadball line from the re-start.

Lui broke the line in the Roosters' attacking zone before getting a sneaky ball for Liam Fulton to cross on the right. Leilua made it a double after the break when he crossed again out wide to keep the scores at 12-8 with 29 minutes left in front of 6893 fans.

And with 10 minutes remaining it was Lui who bamboozled two defenders to cross under the posts.

Roosters lock Nate Myles may find himself in some trouble with the NRL judiciary and is in doubt for round a lifting tackle on Tigers fullback Wade McKinnon.

A penalty wasn't blown and the Roosters retrieved the ball, resulting in a try to the 2010 grand finalists soon after.

''We're not sure of the interpretation any more,'' Tigers assistant coach Peter Gentle said.

''It looked like it was above the horizontal - we actually paused it in our video box and he was like that [signalled spear motion] with his head on the ground


Looks to me like the Herald is a little more optimistic than most on this forum.

[Guest]

We lost by a try in a trial.

Last year we had a history of close escapes against the Tigers. They are a quality team across the park.

Nothing to worry about. Doomsday is averted for another day.

[ism22]

We lost by a try in a trial.

Last year we had a history of close escapes against the Tigers. They are a quality team across the park.

Nothing to worry about. Doomsday is averted for another day.

Mmm in a way it's good to break the streak...

[Guest]

You make it sound like we won by 40 .

lol... well, if Carney plays, Lui doesn't, Tigers take off half their team for the last bit... we might have won by a margin. Scores in trials mean nothing. Performances do mean something, but have to be put in context. If it were a premiership game, some of our senior players would have been disappointing. Maubs and SKD looked like they were just having a run, but we know what they can do. Would have been nice to see better from Braith and Mini I suppose, given that neither were consistently outstanding last year.
Anyone after an assurance that we're so good that Carney doesn't make a huge difference, or that we can beat quality opposition without our big guns firing would have been disillusioned. The upbeat news is that the most impressive performances were from fringe players and rising stars, including Friend, Kennedy, Leilua, FPN and to a lesser degree Linnett, Piggy and Symonds.

Thanks for the in depth descriptions.

Cheers. Glad to report.

[Guest]

Aubusson v Ellis (just)

lol.

Carney v Marshall = even

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahaha!!!!

[Rocky Rhodes]

I'd glad we got our arses beat in this one. We need to get ego's in check and to get sobber if we are to challenge Souffs.

Trials mean jack shiit, i have been saying that for the last 10 yrs. But our attitude is disturbing, there is a smell of 2009 coming back.