Sam Verrills

[King Salvo]

Kamikamica and NAS both played prop when they came off the bench and Grant replaced the cheese at dummy half who then went to lock.
So it was two props, dummy half and utility back.
You have to have two props on the bench because they get gassed the most in the middle of the park and the dummy half gets worked over the most in defence and getting to the majority of the rucks.
No reason edge backrowers can't play 80 unless they are injured and with hia a utility back or forward who can play in the backline without disrupting it too much is essential.
We have been blessed in that department over the years with Chris Flannery and later Aubo who was as versatile as anyone to play the game.
I just can't see both verrills and Watson being on the bench together, it leaves us too light in the middle.

The smart teams are moving the ball to avoid the wrestle and thus are increasing fatigue as a result- Benches will need to be adjusted as a result of the increased speed of the game and the ball being in play longer - can't afford to have players who are gassed after 20 minutes of playing in your 17 anymore.

The two prop rotation takes up 4 interchanges as well- props need to play longer minutes

Need players on your bench who are versatile and can play a range of positions to cover a range of scenario's

Fittler banged on about how teams should have an outside back on the bench - if no outside back is injured or is having a barry crocker then highly likely that reserve will play any minutes or at best very limited minutes so a waste of a reserve.

You need a versatile players who play any back position not one who is solely an outside back cover

I can see Robbo possibly going with my bench suggestion - have to wait and see in 2023- maybe even trial it in 2022- Verrills starting with Benny Marschke second dummy half and Watson utility reserve covering a range of back and forward positions.

I don't think Robbo is seeing Watson as solely a second dummy half as many on here seem to do though which is why Verrills is a strong bench option still in 2023

[Kelby]

Blind freddy could see we were on the backfoot most of last year. Momentum and defence made us gassed and incapable of flowing attack when we had the pill. Yes injuries were a major factor, but so was fatigue.
Big boppers wont happy as the refs love to penalise us too much.


2022 Bench = Watson, Butcher, Butcher, SST
2023 Bench = Verrills, Watson, Tapuha, Egan / Nat Butcher

[Intercept]

The theories being put forward about smaller, more mobile players having an advantage in the modern game are at odds with our junior recruitment, where we seem to be signing some very big boppers. Either the club expects further rule changes to be introduced to suit those same big boppers or the club doesn't share those theories.

[Headless Chook]

The theories being put forward about smaller, more mobile players having an advantage in the modern game are at odds with our junior recruitment, where we seem to be signing some very big boppers. Either the club expects further rule changes to be introduced to suit those same big boppers or the club doesn't share those theories.

You still need the big guys to bend the line first, they just need to have good mobility to go with the size

[Mickie Lane]

I would be shocked if Sam is playing at the Chooks in 2023.
I mean who would blame him for leaving?
Yeah yeah I get that its the Roosters & all that but if I was playing NRL I would want to be in the starting 13 especially if I had won a comp playing in the starting 13 & scored a try which contributed to back to back titles. If Im not in the starting 13 after all that then Im off. He's already now won a comp so to go back to Manly & maybe win a comp with the club he grew up following & wanting to play for would be a great achievement.
I think it would be in both the Roosters & Sam interest if he was released to Manly or someone where he can be a top No 9 in the game playing every week from the start of the game & probably not being subbed.

[Tommy Smith]

I would be shocked if Sam is playing at the Chooks in 2023.
I mean who would blame him for leaving?
Yeah yeah I get that its the Roosters & all that but if I was playing NRL I would want to be in the starting 13 especially if I had won a comp playing in the starting 13 & scored a try which contributed to back to back titles. If Im not in the starting 13 after all that then Im off. He's already now won a comp so to go back to Manly & maybe win a comp with the club he grew up following & wanting to play for would be a great achievement.
I think it would be in both the Roosters & Sam interest if he was released to Manly or someone where he can be a top No 9 in the game playing every week from the start of the game & probably not being subbed.

Agreed.

With Connor Watson as the back up dummy half, I see no reason to retain Verrills for 2023 onwards. Given his salary it wouldn't make sense for both the Roosters or Sam who could seek a pay rise and starting spot and maybe half a dozen clubs.

[King Salvo]

Agreed.

With Connor Watson as the back up dummy half, I see no reason to retain Verrills for 2023 onwards. Given his salary it wouldn't make sense for both the Roosters or Sam who could seek a pay rise and starting spot and maybe half a dozen clubs.

I can see reasons in retaining Verrills myself

Watson wont only be a back up dummy half though as people seem to think he will be- he will be a utility back and forward - So there is a spot on the bench for Verrills on the basis of the wide range of positions Watson will be potentially playing in and covering for.

Smith plays big minutes- Watson too might be thinking how much game time will he get in 2023 if seen as a dummy half only which i assume he wont be as he left before because of lack of game time.

https://www.melbournestorm.com.au/te...brandon-smith/

[King Salvo]

You still need the big guys to bend the line first, they just need to have good mobility to go with the size

Be a different type of big guy though.

Your 120kg plus ones are on the way out and as you can see since the rule changes these previous dominant ones under the prior stop start game have really struggled these past 2 seasons to keep up with the speed and pace of the game- they have to drop weight and become more agile, mobile and fitter to compete and play the required longer minutes.

Be leaner, agile , mobile and fitter big guys 115kg the max - Hass and Fisher-Harris are somewhat the prototype of the Big Guy as you call them going forward.

[Mickie Lane]

Be a different type of big guy though.

Your 120kg plus ones are on the way out and as you can see since the rule changes these previous dominant ones under the prior stop start game have really struggled these past 2 seasons to keep up with the speed and pace of the game- they have to drop weight and become more agile, mobile and fitter to compete and play the required longer minutes.

Be leaner, agile , mobile and fitter big guys 115kg the max - Hass and Fisher-Harris are somewhat the prototype of the Big Guy as you call them going forward.

Is Lindsey to big & cumbersome or is he also a prototype?

[Headless Chook]

Be a different type of big guy though.

Your 120kg plus ones are on the way out and as you can see since the rule changes these previous dominant ones under the prior stop start game have really struggled these past 2 seasons to keep up with the speed and pace of the game- they have to drop weight and become more agile, mobile and fitter to compete and play the required longer minutes.

Be leaner, agile , mobile and fitter big guys 115kg the max - Hass and Fisher-Harris are somewhat the prototype of the Big Guy as you call them going forward.

Isn't that what I said?

[King Salvo]

Isn't that what I said?

Not really -All players are mobile but some lack or have poor agility - i.e in defence when faced with a ball runner with footwork - less agile players look like they have lead in their boots when defending against such players.- slow and cumbersome movement.

Same as a player can be mobile and agile but not fit and vice versa

Need to be Agile , Mobile and Fit - may also mean losing weight to achieve peak results in these KPI areas

Interesting to see the weight of players listed below- Be up to Clubs to work out the ideal playing weight of their players based on the the current game - faster and ball in play longer etc- and to improve their agility, mobility , fitness and also durability

https://www.zerotackle.com/rugby-lea...ee-all-weight/

[ChookMaster]

Be a different type of big guy though.

Your 120kg plus ones are on the way out and as you can see since the rule changes these previous dominant ones under the prior stop start game have really struggled these past 2 seasons to keep up with the speed and pace of the game- they have to drop weight and become more agile, mobile and fitter to compete and play the required longer minutes.

Be leaner, agile , mobile and fitter big guys 115kg the max - Hass and Fisher-Harris are somewhat the prototype of the Big Guy as you call them going forward.

Agree with you on this about the topic on hand, gone are the big oversized fellas who can only pump out those 5 burstful runs and that’s it, agreed on that. The likes of the kasianos, or the George rose’s they are long gone.

But to simply wanna erase the option of having a bigger body on the bench and play a smaller guy simply because he’s a back up of a back up of a back of a back up utility is something I don’t agree with. Like I’ve mentioned earlier, you need those bigger blokes but what you really need nowadays is smarter coaching and in return you’ll get these skilful boys who can play but also have size about them. I think Tuku can develop some nice skill, I keep mentioning this kid because I have high hopes for him. Our game against Souths when we got thumped he was probably the only one or one of the only ones who didn’t get dominated on the ground, smaller blokes like Nat, Baker, Egan they can get dominated in the ruck and effectively slow the play the ball down. Souths tried with Tuku but he wasn’t giving them a inch and I loved that.

[King Salvo]

Is Lindsey to big & cumbersome or is he also a prototype?

Collins is the same height as Haas - 194 cm ( 6ft 4 inch) - Collins weighs 106 kg's Compared to Haas's 117 kg - do you think Collins is as agile, mobile and as fit as Haas - when playing of course - As Durable as well?

Haas plays 60 odd minutes each game

https://www.broncos.com.au/teams/tel...os/payne-haas/

Collins plays 40 odd minutes each game on average

https://www.roosters.com.au/teams/te...ndsay-collins/

I know it's a small sample for Collins but at this stage he wouldn't be a player to play 50 minutes plus game after game - in the 40 minute area would be his optimum game time.

Haas could and does play 60 minutes plus game after game.

So all in all Collins will need to improve his fitness and durability as well as his mobility and agility to play longer minutes which one may say he will have to do in 2022.

[Headless Chook]

Not really -All players are mobile but some lack or have poor agility - i.e in defence when faced with a ball runner with footwork - less agile players look like they have lead in their boots when defending against such players.- slow and cumbersome movement.

Same as a player can be mobile and agile but not fit and vice versa

Need to be Agile , Mobile and Fit - may also mean losing weight to achieve peak results in these KPI areas

Interesting to see the weight of players listed below- Be up to Clubs to work out the ideal playing weight of their players based on the the current game - faster and ball in play longer etc- and to improve their agility, mobility , fitness and also durability

https://www.zerotackle.com/rugby-lea...ee-all-weight/

Yeah whatever. If I said something was black you would write three paragraphs telling us that it wasn't really black but a combination of a number of factors leading it to be dark in colour.

[The Oracle]

Yeah whatever. If I said something was black you would write three paragraphs telling us that it wasn't really black but a combination of a number of factors leading it to be dark in colour.

What a quote! Remind me not to argue with you Mr Chook...