Official Match Day Thread: Roosters v Broncos

[Mickie Lane]

The Broncos are the real deal & will do what they did to the Chooks to at least another 6 clubs that have average teams.

[Vasco]

Holmes and Lomax wanted $$$ when we've got a surplus of quality outside backs.

Hunt's got ~1-2 seasons left in him and we went all out for Walker while backing Sandon. Going all in for Hunt woulda meant turfing long-term plans for Walker or Robson in favour of a guy with very little footy left in him.

NO THANKS!!!

Honestly all I'm sensing is impatience from people who'd prefer to see us rush into signing a heap of players as bandaid solutions rather than backing our current youth strategy.

Yes we s*cked on Thursday but faaarks sake, the stars were NOT aligned that night:
- We know Cheese and Walker are out. S*x but it's fact...
- Leniu was out due to suspension.
- We needed special permission to use two absolute random forwards because weird illnesses left Va'a and Butch out.
- Rads got an HIA when we actually had momentum in our favour against a team the pundits were all expecting to school us.
- It was wet against a team with two VERY experienced halves and Haas had his game of the century.
- The refs didn't help either... any chance of us holding on was killed by things like tries off forward passes and absolute BS penalties against us.

It was game 1. There's a lot of players returning over coming weeks and there's a lot of growth in our youngsters. Also, the Drongos are having a blazing start to the season (they may well be the team to beat in 2025).

Settle. There's a lot of footy to be played this season. Some weeks will be rough but we're backing our youth!!! IMO things will tighten up...

I agree.

[Chook2]

We should've pursued Holmes or Lomax as they are experienced representative centres, Tupou will struggle this year just due to age so Mark N could've gone to left wing, Val/Lomax to left Centre and Toia/Young on the other side. Takes a bit of pressure off of Teddy to have another representative back in our backline, Mark N doesn't have a year of wasted development in a position he won't play long term plus we fix our early kicking problems as both Holmes and Lomax are good goalkickers. Even if either player was expensive we're going to have to go to market this year and spend big money on a left centre anyway so why not one of those two?

As for Hunt, if we couldn't get Luai then I'd dare say 2 seasons with him would probably be greatly beneficial for the team. Current rep player, experienced, certainly someone to help Sam Walker become a better footy player plus a spine of Teddy, Hunt, Walker and Smith seems a lot more competitive than Tedesco, S. Smith, Walker, B. Smith and then when he retires we would've had enough time to properly develop someone OR a suitable player might have come onto the market.

Exactly the Ben hunt deal would have been like a cooper cronk deal - not long term but valuable for 1-2 seasons and help the younger guys
and our halves atm we need him

[MKCS]

Holmes and Lomax wanted $$$ when we've got a surplus of quality outside backs.

Hunt's got ~1-2 seasons left in him and we went all out for Walker while backing Sandon. Going all in for Hunt woulda meant turfing long-term plans for Walker or Robson in favour of a guy with very little footy left in him.

We should've pursued Holmes or Lomax as they are experienced representative centres, Tupou will struggle this year just due to age so Mark N could've gone to left wing, Val/Lomax to left Centre and Toia/Young on the other side. Takes a bit of pressure off of Teddy to have another representative back in our backline, Mark N doesn't have a year of wasted development in a position he won't play long term plus we fix our early kicking problems as both Holmes and Lomax are good goalkickers. Even if either player was expensive we're going to have to go to market this year and spend big money on a left centre anyway so why not one of those two?

As for Hunt, if we couldn't get Luai then I'd dare say 2 seasons with him would probably be greatly beneficial for the team. Current rep player, experienced, certainly someone to help Sam Walker become a better footy player plus a spine of Teddy, Hunt, Walker and Smith seems a lot more competitive than Tedesco, S. Smith, Walker, B. Smith and then when he retires we would've had enough time to properly develop someone OR a suitable player might have come onto the market.

[Chook2]

Holmes and Lomax wanted $$$ when we've got a surplus of quality outside backs.

Hunt's got ~1-2 seasons left in him and we went all out for Walker while backing Sandon. Going all in for Hunt woulda meant turfing long-term plans for Walker or Robson in favour of a guy with very little footy left in him.

NO THANKS!!!

Honestly all I'm sensing is impatience from people who'd prefer to see us rush into signing a heap of players as bandaid solutions rather than backing our current youth strategy.

Yes we s*cked on Thursday but faaarks sake, the stars were NOT aligned that night:
- We know Cheese and Walker are out. S*x but it's fact...
- Leniu was out due to suspension.
- We needed special permission to use two absolute random forwards because weird illnesses left Va'a and Butch out.
- Rads got an HIA when we actually had momentum in our favour against a team the pundits were all expecting to school us.
- It was wet against a team with two VERY experienced halves and Haas had his game of the century.
- The refs didn't help either... any chance of us holding on was killed by things like tries off forward passes and absolute BS penalties against us.

It was game 1. There's a lot of players returning over coming weeks and there's a lot of growth in our youngsters. Also, the Drongos are having a blazing start to the season (they may well be the team to beat in 2025).

Settle. There's a lot of footy to be played this season. Some weeks will be rough but we're backing our youth!!! IMO things will tighten up...

No holmes and Lomax settled for less coin then they were on at their current clubs $600k
we don’t have a surplus of outside backs we had a rookie centre and one with 1 game
sandon smith isn’t up to it hence the hunt requirement. And also we need hunt while walker and b smith are out
we have lost 1/3 of our cap and signed no one so that’s maybe why the questions are getting asked
and the results after 2 trials and a game are being asked

[ism22]

Big misses from us not going for Holmes and Lomax despite as loosing our centres
...
and Ben hunt we should have gone all in for

Holmes and Lomax wanted $$$ when we've got a surplus of quality outside backs.

Hunt's got ~1-2 seasons left in him and we went all out for Walker while backing Sandon. Going all in for Hunt woulda meant turfing long-term plans for Walker or Robson in favour of a guy with very little footy left in him.

NO THANKS!!!

Honestly all I'm sensing is impatience from people who'd prefer to see us rush into signing a heap of players as bandaid solutions rather than backing our current youth strategy.

Yes we s*cked on Thursday but faaarks sake, the stars were NOT aligned that night:
- We know Cheese and Walker are out. S*x but it's fact...
- Leniu was out due to suspension.
- We needed special permission to use two absolute random forwards because weird illnesses left Va'a and Butch out.
- Rads got an HIA when we actually had momentum in our favour against a team the pundits were all expecting to school us.
- It was wet against a team with two VERY experienced halves and Haas had his game of the century.
- The refs didn't help either... any chance of us holding on was killed by things like tries off forward passes and absolute BS penalties against us.

It was game 1. There's a lot of players returning over coming weeks and there's a lot of growth in our youngsters. Also, the Drongos are having a blazing start to the season (they may well be the team to beat in 2025).

Settle. There's a lot of footy to be played this season. Some weeks will be rough but we're backing our youth!!! IMO things will tighten up...

[ism22]

I think it also shows a lack of cohesion in the coaches planning. To dabble at these random players shows a lack of faith in the current squad and young players. E.g. look at the Fifita saga. Basically turfed Angus and then when it fell through all of a sudden it meant we resigned him and said he was always part of the plans. Everything around our club recruitment wise has been baffling the last 3 or 4 years.

Okay look at the Fifita saga... Gus was under-performing so we told him to look elsewhere. Instead he hit a purple patch and Fifita reneged on us so we kept Gus.

Neeext?

[Bates]

Welsby looks decent from what I have seen, but I'd still prefer Galvin, he is still so young and I'd prefer a bigger body, especially with Sammy being so small.

Galvin has bulked up and is looking sharp.

[HunchoRooster]

Big misses from us not going for Holmes and Lomax despite as loosing our centres
also goal kickers
and Ben hunt we should have gone all in for our 6 for 2 seasons on top of b smith and walker being out half a year
We dabbled at Johnson and Gagai

we have seemed to lost our recruitment aura either not going for guys at all or just dabbling at offers and missing out on key players

I think it also shows a lack of cohesion in the coaches planning. To dabble at these random players shows a lack of faith in the current squad and young players. E.g. look at the Fifita saga. Basically turfed Angus and then when it fell through all of a sudden it meant we resigned him and said he was always part of the plans. Everything around our club recruitment wise has been baffling the last 3 or 4 years.

[Qld Chook]

I think Hunt was 100% the play although I think he had his heart set on going back to Brisbane.

Worth noting Galvin was absolutely terrible last night. I reckon Sandon played better on Thursday. Brown is way too expensive and seems to be driven by money. I'd look at someone like Welsby from Saints in ESL, can convert him to a 6.

Welsby looks decent from what I have seen, but I'd still prefer Galvin, he is still so young and I'd prefer a bigger body, especially with Sammy being so small.

[HDTONE]

Interesting to hear Cronk really talking May up based on tonight’s form and his trial form,he spoke very highly of May..

Honestly makes me scratch my head..

Yeah watched the game outta interest to see how May and Luai went. And yep May was damn good in attack and defence. Can remember him just making 1 error coughing the ball up. But he was attracting a few defenders on the run and he looked pretty fit.

I'll never get that decision to punt him.

Thought Luai was average considering the cabbage he's on. Young Galvin they need to try keeping him

[Chook2]

Val or Lomax wouldve been great recruits with their versatilityand goal kicking. Even missing out Ben Hunt it has hurt us.

Next season we need to recruit a gun 5/8 & prop. Dyl Brown or Galvin are my picks. Collins & Spencer are tiers below the best props in the game unfortunately and will need help.

Big misses from us not going for Holmes and Lomax despite as loosing our centres
also goal kickers
and Ben hunt we should have gone all in for our 6 for 2 seasons on top of b smith and walker being out half a year
We dabbled at Johnson and Gagai

we have seemed to lost our recruitment aura either not going for guys at all or just dabbling at offers and missing out on key players

[HunchoRooster]

Val or Lomax wouldve been great recruits with their versatilityand goal kicking. Even missing out Ben Hunt it has hurt us.

Next season we need to recruit a gun 5/8 & prop. Dyl Brown or Galvin are my picks. Collins & Spencer are tiers below the best props in the game unfortunately and will need help.

I think Hunt was 100% the play although I think he had his heart set on going back to Brisbane.

Worth noting Galvin was absolutely terrible last night. I reckon Sandon played better on Thursday. Brown is way too expensive and seems to be driven by money. I'd look at someone like Welsby from Saints in ESL, can convert him to a 6.

[Rooster_6]

Personally, I wasn't proud of the output OR effort. Alot of tries were conceded due to lack of effort and turning up for each other. You don't lose by 50 on a wet and slippery night in the NRL if the effort on display is something to be proud of.

I like how you've referenced a work environment, because it raises another good point. Any smart business owner, would NEVER let so much experience leave at the same time without replacing them with quality/experienced employees to ensure that environment remains successful. If our 'competency' as a team is low, we need to look at why that is. Its up to Trent to provide a successful environment.

I will agree to disagree on the first point because I think it is 100% possible to suck badly at something when you're starting out despite trying really hard.

The second point has more merit to it and seems to me to be more fair minded criticism. The salary cap creates complexities that normal business owners don't have to deal with and there is a cyclical nature to the salary cap that needs to be considered when assessing a clubs ability to maintain performance. The fair question is why in 2016 and now it looks like potentially in 2025 our dips are so dramatic.

Robinson has built some great teams over the years and he deserves massive plaudits for that but he also deserves criticism for letting it get so bad that we are getting 50 put on us in Round 1. If by his own admission he has a group of talented young players who are putting in a ton of effort then simply put it's on him and his coaching staff now to develop that team by the end of the year and there should be fair questions as to why they were so under prepared for the NRL and why they lack the footy smarts because that falls on the coaching staff.

[Qld Chook]

I think for me it's that we didn't even really try to prepare for the rebuild last year. Who did we end up signing? Chad Townsend who was never meant to play first grade unless an emergency, Mark N and Makatoa? Why weren't we going hard after Luai? I know we were chasing Valentine Holmes a little bit but even someone like him would be beneficial for the team this season instead of relying on 2 rookies at centre and just praying they come good.

Robson comes in next year which is exciting but we still have plenty of key positions with ineffective players in them but don't seem to be linked to players that will fix those issues. For example, the club has said they have no interest in Dylan Brown but our best option in Brown's position is Sandon Smith, why aren't we pursuing Brown?

Val or Lomax wouldve been great recruits with their versatilityand goal kicking. Even missing out Ben Hunt it has hurt us.

Next season we need to recruit a gun 5/8 & prop. Dyl Brown or Galvin are my picks. Collins & Spencer are tiers below the best props in the game unfortunately and will need help.