Round 3 Team v Raiders

[melon....]

Hopefully just hiding him from the media and will be a late inclusion.

He will come in instead of SKD.

[chook 56]

Arona can piss off hes a light weight.

Im thinking Anasta can take his place on teh bench. Mortein shoul be styarting with Pearce. It cant get worse that Anasta/Pearce.

Well, dropping the Captain just ain't gonna happen
Agree with Morts & Pearce.
If we have to have Anasta there, throw him in at lock.

[melon....]

Id like to see Moga and Tagive replace BJ and Carney.

That would give us some strikepower to work with.

Here's hoping.

It gives us nothing if they donty get ball.

We need meters from forwards in the ruck and depth in teh line from halves that throw early passes. We have neither.

[Ray Stehr]

Just more shit from you as usual. You constantly come on here and bag the players and the club but never offer any ideas or solutions. I'll ask you again if your going to drop Mini, Carney, Perrett, Anasta and Pearce who are you going to replace them with.

Does it matter? The fact is they are all crap, replace them with anyone for all I care. The team needs better players, even someone as stupid as you should be able to see that.

[Ray Stehr]

The bold guys should be in first grade

Agree with this, you could probably throw Henry and Kheirallah in there as well. They couldn't do any worse.

[Guest]

Newtown

1. Alofa Alofa
2. Daniel Tupou
3. Peni Tagive
4. Tom Symonds
5. Adam Henry
6. Jack Littlejohn
7. Mark Kheirallah
8. Isaac Liu
9. Glenn Dumbrell
10. Khalid Deeb (C)
11. Brad Takairangi
12. Jack Bosden
13. Ahmad Ellaz
15. Kurt Kara
17. Ryan Verlinden
19. Nick Eshman
21. Andrew Pearn
22. Francis Vaiotu
23. Blake Williamson
25. Isaac Maliota

COACH: Greg Matterson

Strong team. Ailaomai is out but he was a bench regular. If Arona and Mortimer get the cut, do you think they would play for the Jets? Or be reserves for the first grade team?

Remember, Ellaz, Deeb, Verlinden, Kara and most of the extended bench are not Roosters-contracted players.

[roosterproud]

well finally i found henry. it weill be good to see if newtown get the fox game televised this week. jets should win this one quiet easily

[stsae]

Sorry mate, I don't see any logic behind this "tactic."

In a truly successful team, fringe players (Carneys, Aronas etc) can slot into to a team's style seamlessly. It was the case with the QLD Reds last year - a player went down, but the team's gameplan stayed the same. If Smith is banking on the fitness of one or two key players in order to play effective football, and then packing it in and instructing predictable and impotent footy when they are out, he is kidding himself.

We have had a whole off season to introduce an effective and structured attacking game to the squad as a whole, yet we see absolutely nothing of any imagination or effect (it is even worse than last year, when at least for one round, against Souffs, we looked like we knew what we were doing).

Instead, we have a garbage tactic that scares no team, and I do not take injuries or lack of speed as an excuse. If Smith wanted speed, he could name players that he is leaving in Newtown, and if he is going to crawl into a shell due to injuries he should not be coaching the week to week grind of the NRL.

If we put 50 on someone out of dummy half, then I'll apologise to you too!

The bolded bit is probably what sums up my point mate, even in 2010 we weren't successful. We had a squad that peaked at the right time that's all. IMO it's way to early in the season to expect success or us to peak, if we ever do this season.

I don't believe in one tactic footy in a season or even in a game. I'd like to hope we could change our tactics depending on conditions, fitness, the opposition and our strengths and weaknesses. Whether we have the spine to do that is another thing.

I guess I really meant that at this stage Smiffs gone with the KISS system, keep it simple stoopid. As I said I don't 100% agree but can see why.

The coaches are with these blokes almost 24/7, I guess they'd know what works and doesn't. Wed all do it different if we had the opportunity, but the reality is we just don't.

As for putting 50 on a team from dummy 1/2 runs, maybe in 2005 but it won't happen now. And I don't think Smiffy would be aiming for it now either. I guess he'd be more hoping we don't get 50 put on us.

We can agree to disagree, it's all good. I guess we both agree some improvement would be nice.

[Guest]

I hate Anasta in the forwards. He spits the dummy as soon as loses the 6 jersey and puts the tuxedo on. We end up with a 5 man forward pack. At least he will have a go at 6.

Like last week, didn't even know he was on the field! I'm hoping it was because it was his first game back, I think it was his first game since September 2011 wasn't it?

[Bansai Pipeline]

I predict slaughter.

Just like the Somme.

Once more into the breach, you ****z.

[chook 56]

If Morts plays at 6 it will be different.
If he warms the bench to watch Braith clog the middle, again, it won't be pretty.

[Guest]

Even though Brian Smith is incompetent, and taking into account that Brian Smith is incompetent, and, of course, keeping in mind that Brian Smith is incompetent, and adding to that the information that Brian Smith is incompetent then Morts will be getting a big arse from all the sitting he'll be doing this year while Braith clogs up the middle again.

[Guest]

Strong team. Ailaomai is out but he was a bench regular. If Arona and Mortimer get the cut, do you think they would play for the Jets? Or be reserves for the first grade team?

Remember, Ellaz, Deeb, Verlinden, Kara and most of the extended bench are not Roosters-contracted players.

Question for you Mack - are the guys you mentioned not eligible for Roosters selection? I'm not sure how it works.

[novice chook]

MRHK, those blokes Mack has mentioned are Newtown contracted players, so Newtown pays their wages and the players are registered as a player of the NSWRL (NSW Cup). If the Roosters want to play them my understanding is the players have to also sign a contract with the Roosters which has to be registered with the NRL. So we have to ensure we have salary cap space to fit them in whatever we agree to pay them.

But Mack can probably explain it a lot more clearer than I have.

NC

[Guest]

I assume those wanting Mortimer in the team didn't see the first round match.

Anasta is no Carney but it was his first game back. He played poorly, but moving him to the backrow is not the answer.

Hopefully Mortimer pushes his way into the team but he too needs to improve before that can happen.