Some sense from the Lurker....

[HEGtheROOSTER]

Wish some more non-Rooster NRL fans and media people would take heed of this: “@OrigSavageSav Can you explain why journos suck up to Politis with BS chook stories yet go hard on all other clubs? You can’t win the comp these days and get stronger! Lose Ferguson, Matterson get Crichton BMoz Hall maybe Taupau. Enough bias! NRL DYING”
The Lurker: “The Roosters are a big club and attract a lot of attention, especially in a year like this. Do you honestly think they have been cooking the books all these years and getting away with it? Seriously? I know the NRL’s salary cap policing has had its fair share of incompetent moments over the years but they have gone through the Roosters with a fine toothed comb. I’ve had little to do with Politis but he surrounds himself with smart people and oversees a professional outfit. Clubs should be using them as a benchmark.”


Amen to that.

[Easts75]

Wish some more non-Rooster NRL fans and media people would take heed of this: “@OrigSavageSav Can you explain why journos suck up to Politis with BS chook stories yet go hard on all other clubs? You can’t win the comp these days and get stronger! Lose Ferguson, Matterson get Crichton BMoz Hall maybe Taupau. Enough bias! NRL DYING”
The Lurker: “The Roosters are a big club and attract a lot of attention, especially in a year like this. Do you honestly think they have been cooking the books all these years and getting away with it? Seriously? I know the NRL’s salary cap policing has had its fair share of incompetent moments over the years but they have gone through the Roosters with a fine toothed comb. I’ve had little to do with Politis but he surrounds himself with smart people and oversees a professional outfit. Clubs should be using them as a benchmark.”


Amen to that.

Smart business men are involved with our club, not dumb ex footballers.
The end.

[easts4eva]

Said it before and I'll say it again, while dumb clubs waste money on shit, clubs like Easts keep their hands in their pockets, don't belive me watch the tigers and Panthers defy utter logic in the next few month's.

[Kelby]

Farking jealously makes me happy and frustrated.

[eddie]

They want us dragged down to their level..............................

[Frozen Chook]

If we look at our current first grade squad and grand final team (in bold) the success of the club is based on a long term succession planning process of players developed at the club, signing key players in the middle ground of the games playing stock, some who are at times on the outer at their club and a very small number of well-established players.

Even if we look at our Coach, Trent Robinson, he came to us as a relatively untested coach by NRL standards.

Many current sports journalists (the regurgitators) don’t want to do the research required for their jobs and to quote a former Prime Minister they are like a dog returning to its own vomit which has a vintage from the early 70’s.

The only continuum throughout the nearly fifty years of this tired old rerun of a story is the son of Greek migrants, Nick Politis, who built a very successful business and football club. Nick saw all of the potential models of how success could be achieved including the super mid 70’s team, the transit lounge era and the game’s Super League misadventure.

Now we have a model based on developing a core of young players supported by strategic signings of key players to compliment the maturing footballers and a number of signings of mid-range players.

Nick has always struck me as a fiercely independent person and it doesn’t surprise me that he has found himself at times at odds with the NRL establishment and the media sycophants and hanger ons.

Over the forty odd years I have followed Easts I have never spoken to Nick until this year when I was by myself in the stand at the Penrith trial and Nick passed by down the steps, when he turned and saw an Easts supporter he came back up said hello and shook by hand to check in on how we would go this year.

We both agreed on one thing that was to eventuate last week.

What do they say about football and the 1 percenters?

Developed at Easts SG BALL – under 20’s – etc. or debuted at Easts

Bernard Lewis
Billy Smith
Joseph Manu
Brendan Frei
Lachlan Lam
Latrell Mitchell
Sean O'Sullivan
Boyd Cordner
Brock Gray
Dylan Napa
Eloni Vunakece
Jake Friend
Joshua Curran
Lindsay Collins
Mitchell Aubusson
Matt Ikuvalu
Isaac Liu
Paul Momirovski
Poasa Faamausili
Reuben Porter
Sitili Tupouniua
Victor Radley

Players who were not wanted by their clubs or late-early stage of their careers

Blake Ferguson
Daniel Tupou
Reece Robinson
Frank-Paul Nuuausala
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Kurt Baptiste
Nat Butcher
Mitchell Cornish
Ryan Matterson
Siosiua Taukeiaho
Zane Tetevano

Major signing of established and successful NRL first graders-rep players

Cooper Cronk
James Tedesco
Luke Keary

[Tommy Smith]

If we look at our current first grade squad and grand final team (in bold) the success of the club is based on a long term succession planning process of players developed at the club, signing key players in the middle ground of the games playing stock, some who are at times on the outer at their club and a very small number of well-established players.

Even if we look at our Coach, Trent Robinson, he came to us as a relatively untested coach by NRL standards.

Many current sports journalists (the regurgitators) don’t want to do the research required for their jobs and to quote a former Prime Minister they are like a dog returning to its own vomit which has a vintage from the early 70’s.

The only continuum throughout the nearly fifty years of this tired old rerun of a story is the son of Greek migrants, Nick Politis, who built a very successful business and football club. Nick saw all of the potential models of how success could be achieved including the super mid 70’s team, the transit lounge era and the game’s Super League misadventure.

Now we have a model based on developing a core of young players supported by strategic signings of key players to compliment the maturing footballers and a number of signings of mid-range players.

Nick has always struck me as a fiercely independent person and it doesn’t surprise me that he has found himself at times at odds with the NRL establishment and the media sycophants and hanger ons.

Over the forty odd years I have followed Easts I have never spoken to Nick until this year when I was by myself in the stand at the Penrith trial and Nick passed by down the steps, when he turned and saw an Easts supporter he came back up said hello and shook by hand to check in on how we would go this year.

We both agreed on one thing that was to eventuate last week.

What do they say about football and the 1 percenters?

Developed at Easts SG BALL – under 20’s – etc. or debuted at Easts

Bernard Lewis
Billy Smith
Joseph Manu
Brendan Frei
Lachlan Lam
Latrell Mitchell
Sean O'Sullivan
Boyd Cordner
Brock Gray
Dylan Napa
Eloni Vunakece
Jake Friend
Joshua Curran
Lindsay Collins
Mitchell Aubusson
Matt Ikuvalu
Isaac Liu
Paul Momirovski
Poasa Faamausili
Reuben Porter
Sitili Tupouniua
Victor Radley

Players who were not wanted by their clubs or late-early stage of their careers

Blake Ferguson
Daniel Tupou
Reece Robinson
Frank-Paul Nuuausala
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Kurt Baptiste
Nat Butcher
Mitchell Cornish
Ryan Matterson
Siosiua Taukeiaho
Zane Tetevano

Major signing of established and successful NRL first graders-rep players

Cooper Cronk
James Tedesco
Luke Keary

Bravo. What an outstanding post and you nailed all the key points.

A simple way to explain it to the noobs is: let's say you need a dozen elite players to win a comp; well the salary cap dictates that you can't sign all of them because it'll be too expensive.

So what you need to do is accrue those players in roughly 3 ways:

1) established quality players that have come through at your club - and LOVE the club and have a sense of loyalty and belonging - and as a result have been willing to re-sign for under market value, e.g. Cordner, Friend, JWH, Aubusson, SST, Liu, Napa, Tupou...

2) the next batch of quality players that come through your club who are still on what you might call junior contracts - that is smaller deals signed before they became stars, e.g. Latrell, Manu, Radley, and RTS before them in 2013.

3) and finally, to fill out your roster with the missing pieces, the superstars you sign on big deals, e.g. Teddy and Cronk.

Then if you're smart you'll fill out your roster with quality to great players on reduced deals - the 2nd chancers - and boy have we nailed that category with Fergo and Tetevano. And failed too previously with Knight and Carter but hey, worth a crack.

And then if you're really lucky you might land a superstar like Keary on half his true value because Souffs were dumb enough to cut him loose. And we snapped him up thinking we're getting a very good player when it turns out we got a great player. And guess what, he loves the club and re-signed before his remarkable Prelim and GF performances which would have seen his price sky rocket.

Finally, you need to know when to cut loose with high priced stars who aren't cutting it anymore and can be easily replaced by the next batch of youngsters at cheaper cost (think SKD, Guerra and Evans going and being replaced by Manu, Radley and Collins). Or in Pearce case, a like for like contract value replacement with a better fit and leader in Cronk.

We have the model absolutely nailed atm. We understand what it takes. Meanwhile you have the likes of the Eels and Bulldogs who have failed miserably and frankly have followed the Easts 2005-2009 system of signing overpriced hacks past their prime.

That's still an abbreviated version of how we're doing it so well compared to the rest. But no one wants to hear it... they simply cry "rorters! Sombrero!".

[Insider]

If we look at our current first grade squad and grand final team (in bold) the success of the club is based on a long term succession planning process of players developed at the club, signing key players in the middle ground of the games playing stock, some who are at times on the outer at their club and a very small number of well-established players.

Even if we look at our Coach, Trent Robinson, he came to us as a relatively untested coach by NRL standards.

Many current sports journalists (the regurgitators) don’t want to do the research required for their jobs and to quote a former Prime Minister they are like a dog returning to its own vomit which has a vintage from the early 70’s.

The only continuum throughout the nearly fifty years of this tired old rerun of a story is the son of Greek migrants, Nick Politis, who built a very successful business and football club. Nick saw all of the potential models of how success could be achieved including the super mid 70’s team, the transit lounge era and the game’s Super League misadventure.

Now we have a model based on developing a core of young players supported by strategic signings of key players to compliment the maturing footballers and a number of signings of mid-range players.

Nick has always struck me as a fiercely independent person and it doesn’t surprise me that he has found himself at times at odds with the NRL establishment and the media sycophants and hanger ons.

Over the forty odd years I have followed Easts I have never spoken to Nick until this year when I was by myself in the stand at the Penrith trial and Nick passed by down the steps, when he turned and saw an Easts supporter he came back up said hello and shook by hand to check in on how we would go this year.

We both agreed on one thing that was to eventuate last week.

What do they say about football and the 1 percenters?

Developed at Easts SG BALL – under 20’s – etc. or debuted at Easts

Bernard Lewis
Billy Smith
Joseph Manu
Brendan Frei
Lachlan Lam
Latrell Mitchell
Sean O'Sullivan
Boyd Cordner
Brock Gray
Dylan Napa
Eloni Vunakece
Jake Friend
Joshua Curran
Lindsay Collins
Mitchell Aubusson
Matt Ikuvalu
Isaac Liu
Paul Momirovski
Poasa Faamausili
Reuben Porter
Sitili Tupouniua
Victor Radley

Players who were not wanted by their clubs or late-early stage of their careers

Blake Ferguson
Daniel Tupou
Reece Robinson
Frank-Paul Nuuausala
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
Kurt Baptiste
Nat Butcher
Mitchell Cornish
Ryan Matterson
Siosiua Taukeiaho
Zane Tetevano

Major signing of established and successful NRL first graders-rep players

Cooper Cronk
James Tedesco
Luke Keary

Toops,Matto,Butcher and Frankie all debuted with us as well.We have managed and timed the salary cap cycles brilliantly.2013 was the start of a new 5 year cycle where the cap increased significantly over 2012,same as 2018 was the start of a new cycle where the cap increased significantly from 2017.So 2013 we were able to bring in the likes of SBW,Maloney,and Jennings on the back of that big cap increase and this year we were able to add Tedesco and Cronk on the back of the latest increase. Its just ignorant jealous fools who fail to recognise this and acknowledge as well the players who have moved on over the past 5 seasons.

[Hawkeye]

I would've put Keary in amongst the unwanted. After his run in with Phone Chukka, that year he struggled for first grade selection

[Frozen Chook]

Bravo. What an outstanding post and you nailed all the key points.

A simple way to explain it to the noobs is: let's say you need a dozen elite players to win a comp; well the salary cap dictates that you can't sign all of them because it'll be too expensive.

So what you need to do is accrue those players in roughly 3 ways:

1) established quality players that have come through at your club - and LOVE the club and have a sense of loyalty and belonging - and as a result have been willing to re-sign for under market value, e.g. Cordner, Friend, JWH, Aubusson, SST, Liu, Napa, Tupou...

2) the next batch of quality players that come through your club who are still on what you might call junior contracts - that is smaller deals signed before they became stars, e.g. Latrell, Manu, Radley, and RTS before them in 2013.

3) and finally, to fill out your roster with the missing pieces, the superstars you sign on big deals, e.g. Teddy and Cronk.

Then if you're smart you'll fill out your roster with quality to great players on reduced deals - the 2nd chancers - and boy have we nailed that category with Fergo and Tetevano. And failed too previously with Knight and Carter but hey, worth a crack.

And then if you're really lucky you might land a superstar like Keary on half his true value because Souffs were dumb enough to cut him loose. And we snapped him up thinking we're getting a very good player when it turns out we got a great player. And guess what, he loves the club and re-signed before his remarkable Prelim and GF performances which would have seen his price sky rocket.

Finally, you need to know when to cut loose with high priced stars who aren't cutting it anymore and can be easily replaced by the next batch of youngsters at cheaper cost (think SKD, Guerra and Evans going and being replaced by Manu, Radley and Collins). Or in Pearce case, a like for like contract value replacement with a better fit and leader in Cronk.

We have the model absolutely nailed atm. We understand what it takes. Meanwhile you have the likes of the Eels and Bulldogs who have failed miserably and frankly have followed the Easts 2005-2009 system of signing overpriced hacks past their prime.

That's still an abbreviated version of how we're doing it so well compared to the rest. But no one wants to hear it... they simply cry "rorters! Sombrero!".

You make good points re those once young guys who are now the senior players being offered better money along the way to leave who have stayed. These guys are at the centre of the player culture at the club now and the success that brings.

Yes it is a risk with the older or unwanted players we will not get what we need from them, however, many times we have hit the target - Luke O'Donnell and Sam Moa in the 2013 squad.

How players leave the club, who largely want to stay is a tough one - particularly the guys you mention above SKD. Guerra and Pearce.

We are fortunate we haven't had the issues with backended contracts like Manly and Canterbury

[Frozen Chook]

I would've put Keary in amongst the unwanted. After his run in with Phone Chukka, that year he struggled for first grade selection

yes a fair call - shows why you need good people managers at the top. Keary obviously had the potential. create the right environment and he realises it.

[Frozen Chook]

Toops,Matto,Butcher and Frankie all debuted with us as well.We have managed and timed the salary cap cycles brilliantly.2013 was the start of a new 5 year cycle where the cap increased significantly over 2012,same as 2018 was the start of a new cycle where the cap increased significantly from 2017.So 2013 we were able to bring in the likes of SBW,Maloney,and Jennings on the back of that big cap increase and this year we were able to add Tedesco and Cronk on the back of the latest increase. Its just ignorant jealous fools who fail to recognise this and acknowledge as well the players who have moved on over the past 5 seasons.

Agreed again good succession planning at play

[Insider]

Bravo. What an outstanding post and you nailed all the key points.

A simple way to explain it to the noobs is: let's say you need a dozen elite players to win a comp; well the salary cap dictates that you can't sign all of them because it'll be too expensive.

So what you need to do is accrue those players in roughly 3 ways:

1) established quality players that have come through at your club - and LOVE the club and have a sense of loyalty and belonging - and as a result have been willing to re-sign for under market value, e.g. Cordner, Friend, JWH, Aubusson, SST, Liu, Napa, Tupou...

2) the next batch of quality players that come through your club who are still on what you might call junior contracts - that is smaller deals signed before they became stars, e.g. Latrell, Manu, Radley, and RTS before them in 2013.

3) and finally, to fill out your roster with the missing pieces, the superstars you sign on big deals, e.g. Teddy and Cronk.

Then if you're smart you'll fill out your roster with quality to great players on reduced deals - the 2nd chancers - and boy have we nailed that category with Fergo and Tetevano. And failed too previously with Knight and Carter but hey, worth a crack.

And then if you're really lucky you might land a superstar like Keary on half his true value because Souffs were dumb enough to cut him loose. And we snapped him up thinking we're getting a very good player when it turns out we got a great player. And guess what, he loves the club and re-signed before his remarkable Prelim and GF performances which would have seen his price sky rocket.

Finally, you need to know when to cut loose with high priced stars who aren't cutting it anymore and can be easily replaced by the next batch of youngsters at cheaper cost (think SKD, Guerra and Evans going and being replaced by Manu, Radley and Collins). Or in Pearce case, a like for like contract value replacement with a better fit and leader in Cronk.

We have the model absolutely nailed atm. We understand what it takes. Meanwhile you have the likes of the Eels and Bulldogs who have failed miserably and frankly have followed the Easts 2005-2009 system of signing overpriced hacks past their prime.

That's still an abbreviated version of how we're doing it so well compared to the rest. But no one wants to hear it... they simply cry "rorters! Sombrero!".

Remember a few years ago Aubbo knocked back an offer from saints and resigned with us for over 100k less a year. Same sort of thing when Keary rejected a much bigger offer from saints to sign with us.We are not a club that has to pay overs that's for sure. Look at the likes of Tamou 750 at Penrith or 700 for Reynolds at the tigers.Fark me,we wouldn't even touch these guys let alone pay money like that for them.

[Frozen Chook]

Whilst i am happy to rubbish some of the Rugby League writers and commentators, there are many i enjoy reading their work. I though this article was a interesting insight into Nick Politis and the roosters.

[Random Rooster]

yes a fair call - shows why you need good people managers at the top. Keary obviously had the potential. create the right environment and he realises it.

He came to the Roosters as a premiership winning 5/8 so I think he showed more than just potential. He just matured as a player mentally at the Roosters. Let’s not forget he was the Roosters best player in 2017. Keary rubbed it in to Crowe with his achievements on the field - and never had a dig at Russell before or after the GF with his mouth. Luke Keary has too much class for all that. The Clive Churchill medal has made him a deserved Roosters legend