DCE now linked

[Chook2]

If DCE cost us Walker or Rodwell its a no

Obviously my thoughts on Sandon are clear....and only my opinion

He slayed it against the Dragons, no doubt....but how many games this year do you give him a pass mark? Can Sandon and Walker work together with zero long kicking game ??

For 2 years are we a better team with DCE & Walker vs Smith/Savala & Walker ? For me, this question only has 1 answer

After that, we can look at Rodwell & Walker unless King Salvo has his eyes on some 11 year old from Erina

Looking.forward to seeing what Sandon offers up the next 4-6 weeks after being hailed as the saviour against a bog average Saints team

Totally agree
1 game Sandon has gone from being the worse player to play nrl to the next Andrew John’s immortal

let’s see him back it up this week, then the next month, then rest of the year and next 10 years

yes it was a good game but came off several shockers

also I bellieve he and savala may only keep the jersey warm until rodwell is ready in a couple of years time anyway

[Rooster_Mark]

Mark has finally seen the light.

Who's next?

If anything I have finally seen that Smith is getting closer to being a potential long term NRL player. I just don't see how he fits at the Roosters. Personally it is DCE taking Savala's position in the team, not Smith's.

[Bates]

If anything I have finally seen that Smith is getting closer to being a potential long term NRL player. I just don't see how he fits at the Roosters. Personally it is DCE taking Savala's position in the team, not Smith's.

If you're going to keep either Sandon or Hugo for depth the salary cap will make that decision for you.

[caz]

That Robbo saying “he’s our man” is untrue.

did robbo say anything more than ss was our man for this year? i thought he said it in the context of the townshend signing

[Inflictor]

Not totally against signing DCE but I hope the deal is not done yet and we see how a Smith/Walker and/or Savala/Walker combo goes for a few weeks.

If we do sign DCE I can see both Smith and Savala being offered bigger money than they are getting and more opportunities and leaving.

That leaves us pretty much with most of our eggs on Rodwell coming good.

[King Salvo]

Not totally against signing DCE but I hope the deal is not done yet and we see how a Smith/Walker and/or Savala/Walker combo goes for a few weeks.

If we do sign DCE I can see both Smith and Savala being offered bigger money than they are getting and more opportunities and leaving.

That leaves us pretty much with most of our eggs on Rodwell coming good.

Adding to your scenario

Sign DCE - 2026/2027
Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala leave for more game time - 2026 or 2027
Sam Walker signs with the Broncos for the 2028 season onwards

Leaving Toby Rodwell and Jake Elliot with a handful of NRL games between them if that as the starting halves combo in 2028. - Hello Jackson and Jayden

Back to square 1

[bondi paul]

Easts haven’t had an abundance or spoilt with choice with halfbacks and 5/8’s in 50 years !!!! Since the days of Mayes, Junee, Ballesty, Hawthorne, Stevens and Peard.

[Steggles]

Adding to your scenario

Sign DCE - 2026/2027
Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala leave for more game time - 2026 or 2027
Sam Walker signs with the Broncos for the 2028 season onwards

Leaving Toby Rodwell and Jake Elliot with a handful of NRL games between them if that as the starting halves combo in 2028. - Hello Jackson and Jayden

Back to square 1

I agree with this logic.

[Chook2]

Adding to your scenario

Sign DCE - 2026/2027
Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala leave for more game time - 2026 or 2027
Sam Walker signs with the Broncos for the 2028 season onwards

Leaving Toby Rodwell and Jake Elliot with a handful of NRL games between them if that as the starting halves combo in 2028. - Hello Jackson and Jayden

Back to square 1

Why does this have anything to do with walker going to the broncos in 2028? He will partner DCE to then and then have a younger half like rodwell from 2028 on when he has developed more and a older leading halfback

In fact Walker could go even if we didn’t sign DCE so there is no logic to this point

you just came up with everyone leaving not to sign DCE!

[MKCS]

Not totally against signing DCE but I hope the deal is not done yet and we see how a Smith/Walker and/or Savala/Walker combo goes for a few weeks.

If we do sign DCE I can see both Smith and Savala being offered bigger money than they are getting and more opportunities and leaving.

That leaves us pretty much with most of our eggs on Rodwell coming good.

Who will be offering them big money based on 2025 form? One has had 2 successful games (Sandon) and the other a couple of solid games (Hugo). These are not developed first graders that teams are going to be reaching out and offering 500-600k a season for.

Adding to your scenario

Sign DCE - 2026/2027
Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala leave for more game time - 2026 or 2027
Sam Walker signs with the Broncos for the 2028 season onwards

Leaving Toby Rodwell and Jake Elliot with a handful of NRL games between them if that as the starting halves combo in 2028. - Hello Jackson and Jayden

Back to square 1

This is a pretty funny post.

Has Sam Walker ever said he has the desire to be a Bronco? If I recall his last comment on it was that he's very happy at the Roosters and the Roosters are his home and he didn't even bother to test the market. Any time he's talked about the Broncos it has kind of been negative and he has expressed dislike at them overlooking him but according to you he's Broncos bound in 28?

Also, who says Hugo Savala and Sandon will even leave? Robson comes into the side next season, Watson probably moves to lock which opens up a bench utility spot. If the Roosters desperately wanted to keep one of those players they could just play them in that bench utility role.

Even in your example which is the most doom and gloom example here we'd be able to recruit a half anyway to replace Walker, not that he's leaving anyway...

[shagger]

I hate to say it but, what happens if Sam does his knee
again. Yes we have the young guys but we are back to been short of experience. You don’t realise what DCE would bring to this side just in game management & experience . We might be 6 and 2 if we had an experienced half or 5/8 this year . Experience is everything when it comes to NRL.

[roostermcgregor]

Everyone complains about Sandon Smith's ordinary performances but has DCE been any better this year?
DCE has struugled to put more than 2 decent performances this year, out of eight.
I watched him on a live broadcast a few weeks ago , and he was absolutely atrocious.
He was throwing balls out over the sideline.
Another thing in his game, that really annoys me, is that he appears to be afraid to run the ball.
He just throws it out the back to his support players.
Similar to what Chad Townsend does.
Sorry, I just can't warm to a half that does not threaten the line ( unlike Sandon and the other great halfback mentioned in the news lately , Johnny Mayes.)
The only time DCE looks any good is when Tommy Turbo fires, and when he is not in the team , Manly (and DCE) look like a steaming pile of dogshit.
The only concession I will make is that DCE has a good kicking game.
Gus Gould even said he rates Sandon, and he is only going to get better, and why are the Roosters chasing DCE?
That's good enough for me.
It will be interesting to see how DCE as well as Sandon / Savala perform over the next couple of months.
That might go towards settling the debate.

[King Salvo]

Who will be offering them big money based on 2025 form? One has had 2 successful games (Sandon) and the other a couple of solid games (Hugo). These are not developed first graders that teams are going to be reaching out and offering 500-600k a season for.




This is a pretty funny post.

Has Sam Walker ever said he has the desire to be a Bronco? If I recall his last comment on it was that he's very happy at the Roosters and the Roosters are his home and he didn't even bother to test the market. Any time he's talked about the Broncos it has kind of been negative and he has expressed dislike at them overlooking him but according to you he's Broncos bound in 28?

Also, who says Hugo Savala and Sandon will even leave? Robson comes into the side next season, Watson probably moves to lock which opens up a bench utility spot. If the Roosters desperately wanted to keep one of those players they could just play them in that bench utility role.

Even in your example which is the most doom and gloom example here we'd be able to recruit a half anyway to replace Walker, not that he's leaving anyway...

Why is that

The Club has earmarked Sam Walker as a 7 so they sign DCE and Sam moves to 5/8 but has competition for that spot from Sandon Smith and Hugo Savala - who knows how that works out,

Have some faith in the development and not as one posters rightly said "knee jerk" reaction signings.

I take notice of people who know the game at the highest level of their opinion of players - Gus Gould . Andrew Johns and Cooper Cronk for an example rate Sandon Smith highly - Gus Gould tried to sign Sandon plus Robert Toia and Tyler Moriarty a few years back and no doubt will be keep a close eye on this - Tried to sign Darcy Smith as well another player on the rise at the Roosters

"They've got Sam Walker to come back, and they've got this young fella, Sandon Smith, who I've really rated for a long time, he's a great kid and getting better. His performance on Anzac Day was extraordinary and they've still got Sam Walker to come back yet.

"I don't see why the Roosters need Daly Cherry-Evans. Nothing against Daly Cherry-Evans, you know what I think of him. He's an astonishing player and he's still in great form, but Sandon Smith and Sam Walker are surely their long-term combination.

Having seen Sandon play from Andrew Johns Cup onwards I know what he means - I rate him as well. - He has an eye on Hugo Savala as well - Gus has a liking for the Roosters pathways players.

Gould believes the early development shown by local junior Savala in the top grade, as well as the emergence of Toby Rodwell beneath would hold the Chooks in good stead.

"Hugo improves by the week, he's always a handy backstop for both of them," he said.

Hugo getting the taste of NRL won't be happy to be just a back up though.

https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/ne...30-p5lve9.html

[Bansai Pipeline]

Reading between the lines I think we've signed DCE to mentor Walker.

Unfortunately we've also blooded a couple of great prospects this year, and we can't keep 'em all. It's not Pokemon.

[dice]

IMO we were always going to lose Sandon as it is too much of a disadvantage defending with two small halves, and neither having a long clearing kick.

Savala is 194cm and already 96kg and will surely move to Lock at some stage rather than competing for a halves spot. With such a young team (low paid) we can afford to pay Savala decent coin to share the utility role until he is first choice Lock.