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24 MAN SQUAD v WARRIORS
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sunday 17 April
Twenty years ago, on 6 October 2002, our Mighty Roosters, led by Freddy Fittler, defeated the Warriors in a hard fought Grand Final to bring home the shield for the first time in 27 years. Freddy was enormous that day, as was Fitzy (who won the Clive Churchill medal) and Moz (Adrian Morley) was also a standout. I'm not ashamed to say that I had a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat that day, as I had been waiting (read suffering through) each of those intervening years, and believe me, some of those seasons were horrendous.
We were pretty banged up by the time we won through to the big dance, with a very physical brand of football under coach Ricky Stuart taking it's toll towards the end, but we hung in there and, ultimately, created Roosters history. Luke Phillips epitomized our toughness that day, as he usually did - tackling hard and running harder on every kick return, despite a VERY busted shoulder.
We celebrate that sweet GF victory this week with a revisit to the SCG against our foe that day, the New Zealand Warriors.
We'll be donning our "winning white" strip that we wore that day - legend has it the strip was adopted after a mistake by the support team that accidently took the white "home" shorts to an away game late in the season (I don't remember which), which we subsequently won handsomely. We then stuck with that strip through the finals for good luck, and it worked a treat. I understand the Warriors are aslo wearing a 2002 replica strip for the game, so that will add to the spectacle for those of us who lived that game at the time. I believe our entire 2002 GF team will be present, including Moz who is flying out from England for the occasion - it will be huge.
I encourage any of you that have not seen that game to give it a watch ... it was a magnificent occasion. There's a highlights package currently on the Home page of the Roosters website:
https://www.roosters.com.au/news/202...al-highlights/
Changes from last week include Verrills return to the starting 9 with Watson in 14. Suaalii remains on the extended bench.
I'm expecting a big performance from our boys this week in front of our 2002 legends.
GO EASTS !!
ROOSTERS:
1. Teddy
2. Tupou
3. Momirovski
4. Manu
5. Naiqama
6. Walker
7. Keary
8. JWH
9. Verrills
10. Collins
11. Butcher
12. Tupouniua
13. Radley
INTERCHANGE:
14. Watson
15. Baker
16. Crichton
17. SST
RESERVES:
18. Lam
19. Whyte
20. Keighran
21. Atoni
22. DSF
23. Suaalii
24. Hutchison
NZ WARRIORS:
1. Walsh
2. Watene-Zelezniak
3. Arthars
4. Pompey
5. Kosi
6. Harris-Tavita
7. Johnson
8. Fonua-Blake
9. Egan
10. Lodge
11. Aitken
12. Sironen
13. Curran
INTERCHANGE:
14. Nikorima
15. Afoa
16. Pene
17. Katoa
RESERVES:
18. Otukolo
20. Vailea
21. Petterson-Robati
22. Berry
23. Kepu, O
24. Ratuva
25. Kepu, V
Match Officials:
Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Touch Judge: Dave Munro
Touch Judge: Casey Badger
Senior Review Official: Alan Shortall
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sunday 17 April
Twenty years ago, on 6 October 2002, our Mighty Roosters, led by Freddy Fittler, defeated the Warriors in a hard fought Grand Final to bring home the shield for the first time in 27 years. Freddy was enormous that day, as was Fitzy (who won the Clive Churchill medal) and Moz (Adrian Morley) was also a standout. I'm not ashamed to say that I had a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat that day, as I had been waiting (read suffering through) each of those intervening years, and believe me, some of those seasons were horrendous.
We were pretty banged up by the time we won through to the big dance, with a very physical brand of football under coach Ricky Stuart taking it's toll towards the end, but we hung in there and, ultimately, created Roosters history. Luke Phillips epitomized our toughness that day, as he usually did - tackling hard and running harder on every kick return, despite a VERY busted shoulder.
We celebrate that sweet GF victory this week with a revisit to the SCG against our foe that day, the New Zealand Warriors.
We'll be donning our "winning white" strip that we wore that day - legend has it the strip was adopted after a mistake by the support team that accidently took the white "home" shorts to an away game late in the season (I don't remember which), which we subsequently won handsomely. We then stuck with that strip through the finals for good luck, and it worked a treat. I understand the Warriors are aslo wearing a 2002 replica strip for the game, so that will add to the spectacle for those of us who lived that game at the time. I believe our entire 2002 GF team will be present, including Moz who is flying out from England for the occasion - it will be huge.
I encourage any of you that have not seen that game to give it a watch ... it was a magnificent occasion. There's a highlights package currently on the Home page of the Roosters website:
https://www.roosters.com.au/news/202...al-highlights/
Changes from last week include Verrills return to the starting 9 with Watson in 14. Suaalii remains on the extended bench.
I'm expecting a big performance from our boys this week in front of our 2002 legends.
GO EASTS !!
ROOSTERS:
1. Teddy
2. Tupou
3. Momirovski
4. Manu
5. Naiqama
6. Walker
7. Keary
8. JWH
9. Verrills
10. Collins
11. Butcher
12. Tupouniua
13. Radley
INTERCHANGE:
14. Watson
15. Baker
16. Crichton
17. SST
RESERVES:
18. Lam
19. Whyte
20. Keighran
21. Atoni
22. DSF
23. Suaalii
24. Hutchison
NZ WARRIORS:
1. Walsh
2. Watene-Zelezniak
3. Arthars
4. Pompey
5. Kosi
6. Harris-Tavita
7. Johnson
8. Fonua-Blake
9. Egan
10. Lodge
11. Aitken
12. Sironen
13. Curran
INTERCHANGE:
14. Nikorima
15. Afoa
16. Pene
17. Katoa
RESERVES:
18. Otukolo
20. Vailea
21. Petterson-Robati
22. Berry
23. Kepu, O
24. Ratuva
25. Kepu, V
Match Officials:
Referee: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski
Touch Judge: Dave Munro
Touch Judge: Casey Badger
Senior Review Official: Alan Shortall
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