Official Match Day Thread: Roosters v Rabbits

[Davo]

How good was it seeing SST hit the line and offload a few times. We looked really good each time just execution which can be fixed.
We also only threw the ball out wide coming out from our line 1 or 2 times and made good metres. These rest of the time it was 1 out bashed and pushed backwards. No game plan.

[King Salvo]

Did Smith play?

Smith had 15 runs for 140 running metres only bettered by Tupou 15 runs 158 running metres and Tedesco 15 runs 168 running metres- SST was the only forward over 100 running metres- 12 runs 124 metres- but that didn't lose the game - 46 % of the ball and set completions of 67% - 25/37 was a very telling stat for the loss

[Rooster36]

Watch the presser… at the end he sort of calls out teddy, in a respectful way

[roostermcgregor]

"Originally posted by DP 1990


I've said this before and I'll say this again (I'm not attacking Fletcher Baker here but I have no choice), we need another big body, aggressive young forward who isn't afraid to take a line or players on. Daniel Suluka-Fifita should have been picked on the bench instead of Baker.

Our pack got absolutely pumped tonight, not a single player from our a pack stood up, SST appeared to be the only player having a go. We need big bodies, we need some young blood, some mongrel ... time to inject the likes of Tuku Hau Tapuha, Nafahu Whyte and Renouf Atoni. Make the current starting pack earn their way back.




I agree. The answer to all those low percentage passes out in our backline, that seem to find the sideline rather than our players all the time, is simply to hang onto the ball.
Then , next play you give it to a young bull who is willing to ruck it up, and make some metres , through the teeth of the opposition defence.
Not many in our side that did it against the Vermin.
Yet the Vermin did it all night against us.
Look for someone who will do it in your club . And if you can't find them , look elsewhere to someone else that can.

[Johnny Brass]

That was awful tonight and the bunnies should have scored another couple of tries.
They dominated us up front led by Cam Murray who gave Radley a bath. Rads has to get back to running the ball more instead of just passing it onto the halves because everyone is reading it.
I keep saying it that we haven't matched up to a dominant forward pack since we went back to back.
Collins is a good bench prop but doesn't stand up starting and JWH as much as I love him looks like he's on the decline.
Angus is a massive disappointment and lacks punch against good teams and Sitili whilst dangerous in attack is Swiss cheese in defence.
We need Haas badly to give us some momentum as Toups is playing a lone hand getting us out of our end.
Teddy had a shocker by overplaying his hand and Billy Smith isn't effective running off our line, I would be interested to know how Suaalii went on tackle 2 hit ups in the bears game.
Joey produced some magic and Walker was a threat, I'm still not sold on Keary as half-back and he hasn't been the running force ( understandably after an acl).
Thank God for buddy kicking his 1000th and Cummins leading us to a victory in Pakistan and oodles of grey goose to help dim the pain of that insipid performance.
Robbo has his hands full to get us back on track, we have to fix our discipline it's killing us as we don't have the resilience to defend penalties and 6 agains.

[roostermcgregor]

Did anyone think of how bad our effort would have been if Joey had no set up Teddy's try, and had not scored the try himself early in the second half?
Yes, the Roosters effort would have looked pretty miserable.
BTW, when Joey slammed the ball down after his try, and let Latrell know who's boss?
It was great to see. Shows passion for our jumper.

[King Salvo]

Chooks have played 5 ordinary halves of footy one has to say with only the first half vs Manly at a level which would make them a more than competitive side if they could replicate anywhere need that over 80 minutes week in week out.

As I said on another post they need to look at the roles that Keary/Walker and Tedesco play in attack - If as Robbo says it's Keary's team then he needs to step up as he had a quiet game and Tedesco take a back step from trying to do it all - pick his moments - Walker as well.

They certainly need to work on ball control and improving set completions as it's ridiculous to keep mentioning poor ball control/set completions after every loss.- Fix it

The losses can be more than attributed to the following stats- There is a correlation between low possession % / set completion % and high error rates (handling errors/missed tackles) and poor discipline.- The more defence you have to do the more errors you will make as fatigue sets in


Knights game- Lost 6-20

1st half - 0-10

42% possession - Set Completion- 14/22 - 63%- 24 missed tackles / 6 handling errors/ 4 penalties conceded/ 2 set restarts conceded

2nd half 6-10

49% possession - Set Completion - 12/18 - 66% - 17 missed tackles / 6 handling errors/ 3 penalties / 0 set restarts

Full match

46% possession - Set Completions - 26/40 - 65% - 41 missed tackles / 12 handling errors/ 7 penalties/ 2 set restarts conceded

Manly game- Won 26-12

1st Half - 22 -0

* 65% possession - Set Completions - 24/27 - 89% - 10 missed tackles/3 handling errors/ 1 penalty conceded / 1 set restart conceded

2nd Half - 4 -12

42% possession - Set Completions - 8/16 - 50% - 28 missed tackles / 8 handling errors / 6 penalties conceded/ 1 set restart conceded

Full Match

53% possession - Set Completions - 32/43 - 74 % - 38 missed tackles/ 11 handling errors/ 7 penalties conceded/ 2 set restarts conceded

Souths Game - Lost - 16-28

1st Half - 6-12

45% possession - Set Completion- 13/19 - 68%- 18 missed tackles / 8 handling errors/ 3 penalties conceded/ 2 set restarts conceded

2nd Half - 10-16

43% possession - Set Completions - 12/18 - 67% - 18 missed tackles / 5 handling errors / 4 penalties conceded/ 1 set restart conceded

Full Match

44 % possession - Set Completions - 25/37 - 67 % - 36 missed tackles/ 13 handling errors/ 7 penalties conceded/ 3 set restarts conceded

[Tommy Smith]

Basically, we should be renamed the Sydney Dick Fingers.

Has been the case for years.

The 2018 GF still stands out as an absolute miracle performance given how we didn't spend the whole game dropping the ball like we do every other week.

Unfortunately we no longer have the likes of Friend, Cords and Cronk at the Vanguard of the Bondi Wall to win games on the back of our defence.

[Bondicigar]

That was awful tonight and the bunnies should have scored another couple of tries.
They dominated us up front led by Cam Murray who gave Radley a bath. Rads has to get back to running the ball more instead of just passing it onto the halves because everyone is reading it.
I keep saying it that we haven't matched up to a dominant forward pack since we went back to back.
Collins is a good bench prop but doesn't stand up starting and JWH as much as I love him looks like he's on the decline.
Angus is a massive disappointment and lacks punch against good teams and Sitili whilst dangerous in attack is Swiss cheese in defence.
We need Haas badly to give us some momentum as Toups is playing a lone hand getting us out of our end.
Teddy had a shocker by overplaying his hand and Billy Smith isn't effective running off our line, I would be interested to know how Suaalii went on tackle 2 hit ups in the bears game.
Joey produced some magic and Walker was a threat, I'm still not sold on Keary as half-back and he hasn't been the running force ( understandably after an acl).
Thank God for buddy kicking his 1000th and Cummins leading us to a victory in Pakistan and oodles of grey goose to help dim the pain of that insipid performance.
Robbo has his hands full to get us back on track, we have to fix our discipline it's killing us as we don't have the resilience to defend penalties and 6 agains.

Summed up well
After a off season and a fully fit squad to pick from the roosters look the same as last season, good against the plodders and exposed against the top teams. That was a sound beating in every aspect of the game due to our pack being completely dominated .

[Thirteen]

Every game now is basically a trial for 2025.

Thrashed tonite...we need to get a new set of trialists for next week.
Teddy can sit out, Manu can play fullback.
Keighran can play right wing.
Or Keary can have a rest and Keighran can play 5/8.
Toups and Momo can play.
Radley can play right centre instead of Manu, Radley is too small for a lock so has to be in the backs somewhere...maybe right wing to tackle Johnston.
We need bigger forwards who can tackle, run onto short passes at pace and make metres and crash over for tries.

Our team tonite looked like it was past their bedtime and they couldn't wait to get home and put their heads on the pillow.

You are so funny.

[Mickie Lane]

Very disappointing & did I cope it with txt’s & phone calls.

[ism22]

How good was it seeing SST hit the line and offload a few times. We looked really good each time just execution which can be fixed.
We also only threw the ball out wide coming out from our line 1 or 2 times and made good metres. These rest of the time it was 1 out bashed and pushed backwards. No game plan.

Yeah the stats say he got 3 offloads. Tauks was on fire!!!

[Vasco]

Would be nice if Teddy chilled out and stopped playing like he did in the U8s.

I can understand that he had to last season with so many out injured. He is completely overplaying his hand and making a lot of errors as a result.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

Watch the presser… at the end he sort of calls out teddy, in a respectful way

His whole presser smacked of covert criticism of "them, not us" meaning he was blaming our senior players and not taking collective responsibility himself.

Unlike Robbo tbh, definitely was happy to put Teddy in an uncomfortable position. Not quite under the bus, but getting there.

Wish a journo had said..."Robbo, the last 4 games against Souths it seems Easts have been beaten tactically and mentally, why is that?".

[Mickie Lane]

The first tackle of the game by Souths had me thinking "Oh shit, Souths have turned up to play"
The Chooks were a massive chance at halftime even though behind but just couldnt get it together enough in the early to mid second half to dominate Souths.
I hate to say it but Cody, Murray, Latrell, Nichols & Kolomamatagi were tougher & grittier than any of the Chooks players.