We’ll be ok for next year for Top 4 spot.

[BTRD]

I don't believe Brandon Smith is a loss. If he is at the club in 2026, I would be very surprised.

Our coach needs to find an experienced ' middle ' to help out our youngsters for 12/24 months: Wong, Whyte, Spencer and May. Collins never pokes his head thru the line on his carries.

[weplayforprems]

Top 4 is lunacy, I’m sorry.

Our spine is cactus till mid-year. Backline has nothing.

We will do well to make the finals.

[HDTONE]

We need a goal kicker as well til Walker gets back.
We've got a heap of cash, wonder if we're looking at signing anybody ?

[Danish]

We will have Townsend, sandon, and Watson in our spine for the majority of the season. We will be lucky to make the 8.

[Bates]

We'll be lucky to make the 8 unless we can bolster the squad through the offseason.

It's a new dawn.

[MKCS]

I think we'll slip into the 8 next year but don't think we'll get the 4 unless we suddenly start signing big name players. My head says we'll finish around 6th or 7th next year.

Our line up for majority of 2025 will be vastly different to this year, Robbo probably goes with:

1. Tedesco (C) 2. Tupou 3. B. Smith 4. Mark N/Toia 5. Young 6. S. Smith 7. Chad Townsend 8. Leniu 9. Watson 10. Collins 11. Crichton 12. Radley 13. N. Butcher

14. Dockar-Clay 15. May 16. Whyte 17 E. Butcher

---

When Brandon Smith and Walker come back it becomes a slightly stronger side but still a spine of Teddy, Sandon, Walker and Smith aren't going to really ruffle any feathers, need a 6 and a speciality 9, Brandon Smith can play lock like he was at the Storm.

Few good hookers available for 2026, halves are pretty limited though.

[Bondicigar]

Won't make the 8 .
the Roosters need to go to market for a 5/8 , strike centre and another prop asap so it's only 1 season of rebuilding.

[Chook2]

Won't make the 8 .
the Roosters need to go to market for a 5/8 , strike centre and another prop asap so it's only 1 season of rebuilding.

We do need a 6 and maybe an actual 9
centre could be okay depending if Billy smith and toia stay fit
Jwh is a massive loss but no one will replace him and we are loaded with front rowers allready
between Collins, may, Leniu and Whyte that’s one of the best rotations in the comp plus Vaa x 2 progressing

[Mr Whippet]

Tyler Moriarty - watched plenty of his games from his time with the Central Coast in the Regional Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups to Central Coast /Sydney Roosters Junior Reps sides and onto grade - Not many rated Sandon Smith ether who came through the same pathways and onto NRL

Going to need a dummy half for half or more of the 2025 season with Brandon Smith in Rehab with the ACL injury and possibly beyond 2025 if Brandon Smith is not re-signed.

Important Pre-season coming up to fill the positions of players who have left and are on the injured list and in the 30 player squad -22 confirmed for 2025 so up to 8 spots to fill

Other Central Coast players making their way through the pathways to NRL include

• Blake Steep - 1 NRL game as a replacement
• Ethan King - 1 NRL game as a replacement
• Robert Toia
• Benaiah Ioelu
• Jake Elliot

Maybe a Panthers like dynasty coming through with those Central Coast pathways.

[Bondicigar]

We do need a 6 and maybe an actual 9
centre could be okay depending if Billy smith and toia stay fit
Jwh is a massive loss but no one will replace him and we are loaded with front rowers allready
between Collins, may, Leniu and Whyte that’s one of the best rotations in the comp plus Vaa x 2 progressing

That prop rotation had mixed results while JWH was absent. The potential is definitely there though...

[TumutChook]

People still getting moist for Billy Smith?

The bloke will be lucky to play 10 games next year.

Easts will fight it out for the bottom 4 spots in the top 8.

The pre-requisite for off season training is discipline, ball handling and game awareness.

Haha Billy Smith. You say 10 next season I’ll raise that & say he will be lucky to play another 10 in his career. The biggest myth to ever grace a footy field (gracing it is being generous are its rare). He has some skill, but he’s too injury prone & can’t see that changing. Surely next year is the year they finally cut their losses.
Hooker is an issue next year, the halves will be one of the worst halves combos in the comp & my big concern is FB. We have been so lucky that Teddy has been durable, but if he hoes down we are totally screwed after losing our next 2 back ups in Manu & JS. There is no one in that squad who’s even NSW cup capable at FB unless we move Marky M there which weakens our already very shallow outside back depth.

[TumutChook]

Ye I think a top 4 isn’t out of the question. I think the centres next year are going to impress in Toia, Mark and Billy. While Sandon Smith isn’t the best tackler he seems to be better than Keary at reading WHO to tackle which should help our defence a bit. I think it will come down to how bad will we be with most likely Chad at 7, who has been atrocious this year. I mean you kinda have to be if ur dropped by Jake Clifford

Again listing Billy in anything is ridiculous, he’s been there a handful of times in what 5/6 seasons?
More chance of Jenko coming out of retirement again & making more appearances at 45 yrs of age.
Toia has been around the system a few years & yes young but he’s never dominated Cup (I also realise injury).The best outside backs are playing NRL at 20, so now’s his time & I think he will get a few starts in 25 through us being very weak in that area, but I don’t see the massive hype yet.

[TumutChook]

We need a goal kicker as well til Walker gets back.
We've got a heap of cash, wonder if we're looking at signing anybody ?

Makes the decision to not even be in the mix for Lonsdale more baffling.
Collins may as well kick goals for us next year as we will only be going up in 4s, not 6s unless we score directly under the post.

[FlamingRooster]

Again listing Billy in anything is ridiculous, he’s been there a handful of times in what 5/6 seasons?
More chance of Jenko coming out of retirement again & making more appearances at 45 yrs of age.
Toia has been around the system a few years & yes young but he’s never dominated Cup (I also realise injury).The best outside backs are playing NRL at 20, so now’s his time & I think he will get a few starts in 25 through us being very weak in that area, but I don’t see the massive hype yet.

Ok, so I think Billy won’t be starter, I think that will be Marky and Toia. Toia hasn’t played because he’s had two consecutive ACL tears and was stuck behind Su and Manu. Idk how much cup you’ve watched but he most definitely has dominated cup… literally coming off an acl tear, both last year and this year. They couldnt tackle him one on one (2nd highest anberage tackle breaks) and his PCMs were ridiculous… again coming off an acl tear. You know how ridiculously strong you have to be to be that dominant in one on ones coming off an acl. Apparently he’s already p4p the strongest in the team, as I recall Jenko said he was.

[FlamingRooster]

We need a goal kicker as well til Walker gets back.
We've got a heap of cash, wonder if we're looking at signing anybody ?

Sandon is handy. Kicked 78% in NRlL this year and 72% in Reggies. Townsend and Jake Elliott (most like Chad) are also solid kickers