How did it come to this ?

[NorfolkStreetKid]

Seriously . Are we in denial ?
Seems to me everybody who follows footy thinks we have serious problems.
We are too slow....Not fit?
We have no connection....... Internal dissent ??
From being premiership favourites pre season, to now being 30 to 1, and more likely to miss the finals.
And the signs were there from the first trial match..... how come??
Losing to the Dolphins in round one was always on the cards, not really a surprise.
What did we do in the off season ?? How did the game seem to get away from us?
Tedesco, Toops, Manu, B. Smith, Suaalii, Keary, Walker, Radley, Crighton, Touponua, JWH, Cheese, Collins, Lodge... that's 14 players who start in any NRL team's top 17 isn't it.??
So how come we are in such a dire situation?
It has to be players just not playing for each other as a team, they all have individual ability..... don't they?
So it has to come back to the message from the coaching staff getting lost somewhere,
I don't know the answer, but internal disharmony, mixed messages, confusion about selections and direction must be in there somewhere.
I think making Walker the scapegoat was wrong, that kid was trying things, and not getting support.
Obviously dropping him caused a disastrous domino effect which is still going on.
I'm sick of rubbishing Hutch, but seriously he shouldnt' be anywhere near the top 17.
Our big import.... the Cheese, has certainly not produced, in fact may have added to disharmony.
Radley has been a liability.
Someone has to stand up and bite the bullet.
The coach has said a few times recently.... this is on me...... but seems like it's just talk.
This week against Newcastle is a huge test, the one positive is that we go in with a proper albeit inexperienced halfback, a win won't solve all our problems, but ti would be a start.

[Rooster1908]

Seriously . Are we in denial ?
Seems to me everybody who follows footy thinks we have serious problems.
We are too slow....Not fit?
We have no connection....... Internal dissent ??
From being premiership favourites pre season, to now being 30 to 1, and more likely to miss the finals.
And the signs were there from the first trial match..... how come??
Losing to the Dolphins in round one was always on the cards, not really a surprise.
What did we do in the off season ?? How did the game seem to get away from us?
Tedesco, Toops, Manu, B. Smith, Suaalii, Keary, Walker, Radley, Crighton, Touponua, JWH, Cheese, Collins, Lodge... that's 14 players who start in any NRL team's top 17 isn't it.??
So how come we are in such a dire situation?
It has to be players just not playing for each other as a team, they all have individual ability..... don't they?
So it has to come back to the message from the coaching staff getting lost somewhere, I don't know the answer, but internal disharmony, mixed messages, confusion about selections and direction must be in there somewhere.
I think making Walker the scapegoat was wrong, that kid was trying things, and not getting support.
Obviously dropping him caused a disastrous domino effect which is still going on.
I'm sick of rubbishing Hutch, but seriously he shouldnt' be anywhere near the top 17.
Our big import.... the Cheese, has certainly not produced, in fact may have added to disharmony.
Radley has been a liability.
Someone has to stand up and bite the bullet.
The coach has said a few times recently.... this is on me...... but seems like it's just talk.
This week against Newcastle is a huge test, the one positive is that we go in with a proper albeit inexperienced halfback, a win won't solve all our problems, but ti would be a start.

Spot on. Not playing as a team and most forwards not doing the hard yards . Many more issues but you covered them

[Andrew Walker]

It’s all very exciting I can’t wait for us to go out and chase it this Saturday

[Lydon]

I must say it’s a tough time at the moment..

Not sure how a Club who demands success and has built a strong roster thanks to Uncle Nick is struggling so much this year..

So many players have regressed and the so called superstars seem like average footballers at the moment..

Just a shame that a potentially successful season is just being thrown away..

[Headless Chook]

I think there are a number of factors at play.

Firstly I think our squad has been seriously overestimated. One of the most amusing things I read on here is how bad the Butcher brothers are, how terrible Corey Allan is, how slow Hutch is. Then I read the same posters lamenting that we should be doing better with the roster we have!! Which is it guys?? Are we good or are we bad?? For what it's worth, we have some seriously good players (albeit out of form at the moment) but we have a number of players who are pretty plain and just first graders. The great players normally make them look better but at the moment these very guys are struggling

I think Teddy and Manu look slow and tired. Maybe the World Cup took a lot out of them. They are both terribly down on form and confidence and without Sammy W to spark the attack these two need to be at their best.

The dropping of Sam Walker has been a bust. I wonder if Robbo had his time over again if he would do things differently? None of us are privy to what is said behind closed doors so we don't know what the relationship between the coach and players are but I'm hoping Trent is playing the long game here. He's going through some short term pain to try and get a message across to Sam that will have long term advantages. Then there is the theory that a poster put forward that there might be some toxic elements in the squad which could be quite damaging to a young up and comer and Robbo is protecting Sam from this. Which ever way you paint it, it hasn't worked out well at all and we have missed his ability to unlock the opposition defence with something unexpected.

There are other things as well such as injuries, suspensions but every team gets these and we should be good enough to overcome them. I'm still crossing fingers that if we can get through the next couple of games and get some players back we might to start to see some real improvement, but that's the optimist in me rather then the football head

[The Corner Post]

I really wonder how much of an impact the Jason Ryles' exit has been.

Surely we must have been unhappy with his performance beyond the official line. After all, we let Fitzy see out his contract with us after he had signed with the Sharks. Maybe Robby and he didnt work well together, or they had different ideas about defence, Ryles was a coach at the Storm and we all know what there wrestle (defence) is like.

One things for sure, the Bondi wall wasn't seen while Ryles was at the club.

Thoughts?

[Headless Chook]

I really wonder how much of an impact the Jason Ryles' exit has been.

Surely we must have been unhappy with his performance beyond the official line. After all, we let Fitzy see out his contract with us after he had signed with the Sharks. Maybe Robby and he didnt work well together, or they had different ideas about defence, Ryles was a coach at the Storm and we all know what there wrestle (defence) is like.

One things for sure, the Bondi wall wasn't seen while Ryles was at the club.

Thoughts?

Two completely different sets of circumstances. Fitzy was always upfront and honest with us when negotiating with the Sharks and had previously knocked back approaches from other clubs. Ryles had been here 5 mins and after assuring us he would see out his contract, went behind our backs at the first opportunity to negotiate with the Dragons

[Steakface]

I think there are a number of factors at play.

Firstly I think our squad has been seriously overestimated. One of the most amusing things I read on here is how bad the Butcher brothers are, how terrible Corey Allan is, how slow Hutch is. Then I read the same posters lamenting that we should be doing better with the roster we have!! Which is it guys?? Are we good or are we bad?? For what it's worth, we have some seriously good players (albeit out of form at the moment) but we have a number of players who are pretty plain and just first graders. The great players normally make them look better but at the moment these very guys are struggling

I think Teddy and Manu look slow and tired. Maybe the World Cup took a lot out of them. They are both terribly down on form and confidence and without Sammy W to spark the attack these two need to be at their best.

The dropping of Sam Walker has been a bust. I wonder if Robbo had his time over again if he would do things differently? None of us are privy to what is said behind closed doors so we don't know what the relationship between the coach and players are but I'm hoping Trent is playing the long game here. He's going through some short term pain to try and get a message across to Sam that will have long term advantages. Then there is the theory that a poster put forward that there might be some toxic elements in the squad which could be quite damaging to a young up and comer and Robbo is protecting Sam from this. Which ever way you paint it, it hasn't worked out well at all and we have missed his ability to unlock the opposition defence with something unexpected.

There are other things as well such as injuries, suspensions but every team gets these and we should be good enough to overcome them. I'm still crossing fingers that if we can get through the next couple of games and get some players back we might to start to see some real improvement, but that's the optimist in me rather then the football head

That first paragraph is spot on.

We have a good squad, but we don't have an exceptional squad. Too many people here buy into the NRL media's bluster about things. We have the potential to win a comp, but it's far from set in stone. It is an incredible close competition. The cap is finite and you need average players to fill out the squad - thats the nature of the NRL. The stars aligned for us with a couple of incredible squads over the past decade, so i think some fans are spolit and have an entitlement complex.

Teddy - has been in red hot form for such a long time. Now he is finally going through a rough patch. He is still an exceptional player, however has lost a little pace. Over the remainder of the season, and into the off season, I'm hopping Robbo and team can offset this by developing his ball playing and removing the hog plays. The hog plays used to work all the time when he was really zippy and busted out of every tackle. Now he needs to evolve, like Slater had to when he lost a yard of pace.

Manu - is not a half, period. He is a centre or a fullback.

Hutch, Allen - I will not criticise these guys, as they are putting in. of course they aren't superstars, but what do you want them to do. Get selected and then say 'no, im not good enough..give the spot to someone else?'
The cap is finite and you need players like this to fill out the squad. However, Hutch is past his peak, and Allen I believe has some potential but hasnt shown much yet.

Walker - the move out of firsts was the correct one, he was out of form and not adhering repeatedly to the game plan, as well as being young/immature and struggling to work together with the team as a unit. The fact it went pear shaped with injury was unfortunate, but the rationale was correct.

Regarding the toxic elements: without a doubt, there are a couple there. I can only presume they will be gone quite soon, as Robbo doesnt tolerate that sort of thing. But hands are tied with contractural / management stuff. You can't just flick someone immediately, its trickier than that.

[milanja]

I think there are a number of factors at play.

Firstly I think our squad has been seriously overestimated. One of the most amusing things I read on here is how bad the Butcher brothers are, how terrible Corey Allan is, how slow Hutch is. Then I read the same posters lamenting that we should be doing better with the roster we have!! Which is it guys?? Are we good or are we bad?? For what it's worth, we have some seriously good players (albeit out of form at the moment) but we have a number of players who are pretty plain and just first graders. The great players normally make them look better but at the moment these very guys are struggling

I think Teddy and Manu look slow and tired. Maybe the World Cup took a lot out of them. They are both terribly down on form and confidence and without Sammy W to spark the attack these two need to be at their best.

The dropping of Sam Walker has been a bust. I wonder if Robbo had his time over again if he would do things differently? None of us are privy to what is said behind closed doors so we don't know what the relationship between the coach and players are but I'm hoping Trent is playing the long game here. He's going through some short term pain to try and get a message across to Sam that will have long term advantages. Then there is the theory that a poster put forward that there might be some toxic elements in the squad which could be quite damaging to a young up and comer and Robbo is protecting Sam from this. Which ever way you paint it, it hasn't worked out well at all and we have missed his ability to unlock the opposition defence with something unexpected.

There are other things as well such as injuries, suspensions but every team gets these and we should be good enough to overcome them. I'm still crossing fingers that if we can get through the next couple of games and get some players back we might to start to see some real improvement, but that's the optimist in me rather then the football head

Manu must have absolutely been killing it at training in the 5/8 role for the change to happen, because nobody has seen anything potentially positive in the move. Sam wasn’t going that bad that you’d put Manu in there in hope he would kill it.

not sure if this was Robbos worst gamble as coach, but it is turning out to be. The suaalii experiment is just as bad.

that’s the ups and downs of coaching though. A win would be nice this weekend, but still keeps us out of the 8, a loss starts to put us out of contention all together.

probably the biggest game of the season.

[Rooster89]

Look at every player and if you can name one that is playing tp 50% of their potential I would be amazed.

[top_joe]

It could get worse from here in the back 1/2 of the season.

The thought of 2009 gives me the shivers.

[oldrooster]

An interesting article on https://leagueinitiative.com

Sydney Roosters coach, Trent Robinson, is facing adversity for what may be the very first time in his career. As rugby league coaches go, Robinson has been lucky enough to achieve great success during his tenure at the top, including three premierships wins and storied success.

Despite the success he has achieved, the Sydney Roosters are currently languishing in 12th position on the ladder and have lost 4 out of their last 5 matches and Robinson is under immense pressure to turn it all around. If you thought that it couldn’t get worse for Robinson, it definitely can.

Notwithstanding the plethora of talent within their squad, the Sydney Roosters have the worst attacking record in the league and it is apparent to anyone with an iota of rugby league knowledge that Robinson has mismanaged the football department in a number of areas this year.

Firstly, Robinson’s decision to drop Sam Walker was entirely misguided.

If Robinson was hoping that the enigmatic centre three-quarter, Joseph Manu, would be the player to turn around their jilted attack – he has clearly been proven wrong.

In fact, this decision itself, could squarely be blamed for much of the Roosters‘ struggles over the last few weeks. Robinson’s overzealousness in dropping young Sam Walker, instead of assisting and encouraging the young half to improve his craft in the top grade, could single handedly be the reason that the Roosters will go on to miss this year’s final series.

Much to the dismay of the fans and the remainder of the club, while in exile, Sam Walker was injured and is currently unavailable to step in and assist the team.

Robinson, who is often meticulously calculated, may have shown that on this occasion he has was meticulously miscalculated as the club will now need to rely upon an untested and unproven Sandon Smith to assist them out of this rut.

Sandon Smith will be facing this task with a certain level of apprehension as the issue remains that Robinson has not successfully developed a first grade halfback during his career in the NRL.

Secondly, Robinson’s handling of the the Greek tragedy that is Joseph Suaalii‘s rugby league career, is another factor that may contribute to his undoing.

When the South Sydney Rabbitohs were not willing to entertain release provisions in Suaalii’s contract of employment, along came Trent Robinson and his band of merry men to sign the young prodigy, while meeting his (and his father’s) every demand.

The Roosters are usually a club that backs themselves to close deals of this nature, however, the question begs to be asked.

Did anyone, especially Robinson, consider the detrimental effects that the Suaalii circus would have upon their season?

Perhaps, the recruitment of Suaalii for the Roosters was the first misguided determination made by Robinson. The young prodigy does not feature in the top 20 for any attacking statistic across the competition. The young prodigy has yet to feature as a game breaker in any match he has played over his short career. The young prodigy may not be a prodigy at all.

Surely, a coach the calibre of Robinson, wouldn’t have hinged so much faith in potential as opposed to proven ability?

Thirdly, Brandon Smith was brought to the club to fix a problem identified in the hooker position. Sam Verrills was moved on to the Gold Coast Titans as he was simply not the answer Robinson was looking for.

After being wined and dined by Robinson with a fancy French feast, Smith confirmed with much fanfare that he opted to take unders to join the Bondi club.

Craig Bellamy, a man many consider to be the most successful and influential coach in rugby league history, had some other ideas about Smith that were overlooked by the Roosters. Bellamy never believed Smith was an 80 minute hooker, nor did Bellamy ever confirm a view that hooker was Smith’s best position at all. Bellamy would routinely opt to play Smith in the forwards and rotate him with Queensland Maroons representative Harry Grant when he was given the hooking duties.

It is certainly clear as day that Robinson disagrees with Bellamy, or at the very least, simply failed to implement a mitigation plan to alleviate any performance concerns he may (or may not) have identified.

Finally, Robinson and the club have publicly criticised Jason Ryles for exploring employment opportunities to further his career. For a club self professed to be a club of choice among playing and coaching talent, it doesn’t appear, at least in 2023, to be upholding these virtuous principles.

In fact, Ryles was chastised for simply reviewing his options elsewhere – how can this be an environment for any employee to thrive?

As a result of Ryles’ treachery, he was directed to move on so the club could look to the future. It appears Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend have been elevated to perform the functions left vacant by Ryles.

In the weeks ahead, Robinson will be experiencing coaching pressure like never before. He will be tested like never before.

Robinson has time and an opportunity to right his wrongs, however, if Robinson doesn’t fix these mounting issues quickly, he will need to start reviewing his own future very soon.

[Bates]

One of those terrible seasons where nothing makes sense.

More frustration than joy!

[Thirteen]

We have 4 regulars in our pack who have little to no impact. Gus, Lodge and Butchers.

[GrubBER]

For what i’ve been told, the players feel entitled ever since moving into the new stadium / facilities, there isn’t any stand out leader driving that Rooster culture Ala Cordner Friend Aubo styles. Also Teddy struggles to communicate with the younger boys he only knows how to lead by actions. Finally Brandon Smith!!! You guys can work out the rest