SCG surface look crap

[zac]

Love your post. My 72 year old Dad who has attended hundreds of games with me hasn’t been to the SCG since the 70s. So I’m looking forward to going with him and my boys.

Three generations of Roosters fan wearing the mighty RWB ...

[Bruce 38-0]

I was there in the members stand in 1975 for the GF as a 12 year old and the following year for the game against St Helens. Yes I was sitting in the members then and I suppose it’s all we had back then. Looking forward to going back on Friday with my son.

[stephenj]

in union real contested scrums do tend to rip up grass that is not deeply rooted( like souffs) but looks like it will be patched for our game, the swans wont cop any crap about a dodgy surface so im sure every effort will be made to stabilise it

[bondi.boy]

Wonder what the surface will be like for league? Yawnion seemed to rip it up mainly due to scrums... but presumably due to rucks and mauls as well.

Teddy's pretty exicited about it being a 'fast' surface so I suspect it's gonna be better for league than it is for yawnion. AFL's played on it and they've never had issues. One could almost argue that league is closer to AFL in that it's more of a running game rather than a scrummaging game.

As a runner, IMO it's doubtful that a soft, sandy surface is gonna increase the liklihood of injuries as there will be more cushioning for knees...etc (I used to train on the sandy park outside the SCG rather than ES Marks during my pre-season for that reason). Not sure why sandy equals 'fast' either? Fast as in more sliding? A hard surface is always 'faster' for running. I presume Teddy means quicker lateral movements because you don't stick into the turf and it's easier on your knees so you can do lots of goosies and stuff without risking your knees.

I hope we don't start sounding like cricket players and blaming the turf every week. Gaaawd that gets boring!!! 'Oh India beat us because the pitch in India was sub-par'. FFS toughen up... they had the same conditions and adapted better than you softies!!!

Yes, pitch is the same...but, in India there seems to be some rose colouring in the air when we're batting and the ball hits our batsmen's pads anywhere.

[Woodsta]

Just hope the Roosters don't put up any advertising Signs saying " THIS IS OUR TURF!"

[Louis N]

Roosters Club should refuse to play on that surface. Our squillion dollar talent could well get injured.
Sandy Campbell broke/wrecked his leg when running flat out and being baulked.
Stepping in a pot hole at pace at the SCG could well see the same thing happen to any of our players.

That surface is ridiculous!

Games should be transferred to North Sydney oval, or Central Coast, or an ANZ double header, Henson Park, Kogarah, Shark Park, Panthers heaven...anywhere but the SCG.

I made my feelings known on another thread but I'm with you on that. although given the immense publicity that seems out of the question. Let's pray for no injuries hey. This shouldn't be like racing Winks at Bong Bong.

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Moving to the SCG certainly isn't going to help our chances this year. In fact I think it is a huge disadvantage. I was surprised to see that we haven't been training there, and that we were going there for the first time on Thursday for the captains run. Getting to know the surface and how it bounces and runs is a huge deal.

[zac]

Moving to the SCG certainly isn't going to help our chances this year. In fact I think it is a huge disadvantage. I was surprise to see that we haven't been training there, and that we wee going there for the first time on Thursday for the captains run. Getting to know the surface and how it bounces and runs is a huge deal.

Not getting a run on it until this week is not ideal, but just puts us in the same boat as Souths. Will the surface be dangerous? Doubt it.

Once we get to train on it and get used to it, I'd go the other way and say that it will give us a slight advantage. No one else plays on an oval and the angles take a bit of getting used to, so playing on it every second week will give us an edge.

[ism22]

It'll be fiiine. As Cronk said in his interview:
- The field looks fine except where the scrums were. That's the Tahs' problem, not ours.
- The white lines mark out the same area as any other footy field. We'll get a couple of things out of the training there, like identifying where wingers have to stand...etc. However, that's all pretty minor and we'll have lotsa opportunities to play there throughout the season.

[The Brain]

That ground is gonna take a beatting.SFS had a better technical turf system.

[ism22]

That ground is gonna take a beatting.SFS had a better technical turf system.

Wanna wager on that?

[The Lip]

Really looking forward to the SCG as our home for a few years myself. I love that place as it was where i saw my idols as young kid (both cricket and league) play a few times a year when we came to Sydney. For me the place has a real special feel - i hope it has the same for all of us by the end of this season.

That turf was terrible in the Union match but really that seemed to me to be only under the immense pressure those boys put it under in the scrums. Different beast those union scrums. They are replacing the turf today so hopefully that fixes any concerns - TBH though replacing turf monday to play on Friday is just as much of a concern - you would imagine it will shift a bit under foot as it hasn't had time to root. I suppose they will be making sure the new turf comes with a large layer of dirt attached.

Fingers crossed they know what they are doing and no turf related injuries.

Go Easts.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Easts are training on it tomorrow so we'll soon know how it is.

[bondi.boy]

New turf can take and be a good surface in 4 days?
Must have a magician laying it.

[The Brain]

Ground set on monday and tuesday.Has to be wstered constantly, gonna rain crap down. GONNA BE A slippert night and a lot of dropped ball.Im thinking and Im no supercoach
That best kicking game will get the edge in this game.Toups to svore 2 off kicks and Morris one