Hugo is a gun

[Bates]

Hugo is an unusual player. He's kinda awkward but he nails it. He makes an error but then he brushes it off. That error won't effect his confidence as he'll turn around next set and do something brilliant and beyond his years.

Savala is special and definitely a keeper imo.

[Paddo Colt 61]

Sam and Sandon as the halves combo and Hugo on the bench

Hey King. Savala is impressively cool and talented. Crisp pass, pace when he gets started, all the kicks. good vision. Where has he been? Injured?

In my recollection the heirs apparent of the youguns mentioned by you and others have been Rodwell & Jake Elliot. To me this kid's come from nowhere but I'm not that familiar with the juniors. Reminds me of a young DCE with the head back run and neat kicks.

[Paddo Colt 61]

Ballpaying Locks are a valuable asset in any team especially when they see a potential play unfold from a halfbacks perspective.

Yep look at Yeo, Turbo J and Rads for that matter. Maybe size will count against the wonder boy, we are in the age off 100kg halves.

[King Salvo]

Hey King. Savala is impressively cool and talented. Crisp pass, pace when he gets started, all the kicks. good vision. Where has he been? Injured?

In my recollection the heirs apparent of the youguns mentioned by you and others have been Rodwell & Jake Elliot. To me this kid's come from nowhere but I'm not that familiar with the juniors. Reminds me of a young DCE with the head back run and neat kicks.

Hugo has come through the pathways at the Roosters - Harold Matthews Cup / SG Ball / Jersey Flegg/ NSW Cup and now NRL - His older Brother Charlie was a promising player as well - Went to Scotland to play Rugby - Their Father is Scottish.

Hugo played in the same junior reps/senior reps sides as Sandon Smith , Ethan King , Siua Wong and Tyler Moriarty for instance.

[nayfo]

Hey King. Savala is impressively cool and talented. Crisp pass, pace when he gets started, all the kicks. good vision. Where has he been? Injured?

In my recollection the heirs apparent of the youguns mentioned by you and others have been Rodwell & Jake Elliot. To me this kid's come from nowhere but I'm not that familiar with the juniors. Reminds me of a young DCE with the head back run and neat kicks.

Another young kid coming through is Carter Mareko from central coast Harold Mats side, he plays in the halves, was leading point scorer and a try scoring machine. He has been short listed for the Harold mats player of the year for the entire comp. I will be surprised if he doesn’t win.
obviously a few years away from first grade but he is very similar to Isaiah Katoa. Hopefully the club lock him up long term as his contract expires this week.

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

One factor of Hugo’s skill overlooked is his passing game. His passes are so crisp unlike the slo mo of Kearys passing game and early season half back Townsend.

Very true. Watching the replay now and Hugo was involved in every try except 1, his ball playing and passing is high level. And he passes left to right. And they are bullets. His pass to Wong basically made try 1, created all the space, and the lightning pass to Tedesco from the scrum in the leadup to Mark N's second. Was there in support of Tedesco where Teddy bombed one after that long run by not giving it to him.

I'm telling ya, this kid is the real deal.

[King Salvo]

Another young kid coming through is Carter Mareko from central coast Harold Mats side, he plays in the halves, was leading point scorer and a try scoring machine. He has been short listed for the Harold mats player of the year for the entire comp. I will be surprised if he doesn’t win.
obviously a few years away from first grade but he is very similar to Isaiah Katoa. Hopefully the club lock him up long term as his contract expires this week.

Not sure of Carter's age as he was playing under 16's Andrew Johns Cup in 2024 for the CC Roosters - Central Coast Roosters will have their own SG Ball Under 19's team from 2026.

Players turning 17 as an example in the calendar year the comp is played can play in that age group. ditto SG Ball - turn 19 that calendar year

Central Coast Roosters half back Carter Mareko was named as player of the series in Harold Matthews Cup in 2025

Central Coast Roosters 5/8 Mia Vaotuua was named as player of the series in Lisa Fiaola Cup in 2025

[DP1990]

So happy that we have someone who can kick well

[nayfo]

Not sure of Carter's age as he was playing under 16's Andrew Johns Cup in 2024 for the CC Roosters - Central Coast Roosters will have their own SG Ball Under 19's team from 2026.

Players turning 17 as an example in the calendar year the comp is played can play in that age group. ditto SG Ball - turn 19 that calendar year

Central Coast Roosters half back Carter Mareko was named as player of the series in Harold Matthews Cup in 2025

Central Coast Roosters 5/8 Mia Vaotuua was named as player of the series in Lisa Fiaola Cup in 2025

Yeah he won the award today. He is 17 currently and has already been told he will make SG ball next year. He actually turns 18 next year so he will play up a year

[Schooner]

Hugo has the best long kicking game we have had since Mitchell Pierce. Probably longer than Mitch. He has the potential to add a lot to our game. We have too many young halves to find spots for especially now we have just won SG Ball with Rodwell and Walker

[Rooster_6]

Yeah he won the award today. He is 17 currently and has already been told he will make SG ball next year. He actually turns 18 next year so he will play up a year

If the Roosters do manage to lock him up I would be curious as to whether he would be allowed to play for the Central Coast SG Ball squad or if he would have to play for the Roosters.

[goose]

Not sure if it’s been said, but one moment that stood out to me last night was when Bostock dropped the kick from savala. The two previous kicks brought bostock up and he had to compete with Marky mark. Thinking the same kick was happening, bostock came up again, only for savala to read this and kick higher and behind him. Causing him to run back and fumble the ball. Genius.

[The Marshall]

They don't need DCE is basically what posters are saying.

Finally people have woken up

That is absolutely correct. It is nonsensical that we are pursuing DCE. We have a seemingly tight young group that should develop together by playing. We don't need a 38 year old on a two year deal. two years of blocking development, two years to lose young talent and disrupt the dressing room. We don't have the roster in same place as when we got Cronk. That made sense, its not the same at the moment.

[MKCS]

No, you're getting massively behind yourself. You need to let the obsession with signing a 37yo halfback go. You are buying at the wrong end of the market. Hugo is 10x the investment, for 1/3 of the price. If it hadn't been for Cronk winning his comps here, paying big money for old age players from other clubs at the very end of their career would still be viewed as it was previously - madness. We should know.

"Will Hugo play similar games against Melbourne blah blah?" Maybe. He looks real good after a couple of games. Let's find out. He's a kid who is just starting out, he's played 7 in a great Anzac Day win, and now last night he stars in magic round after losing his 5/8 early on.

And you would rather we sign 37yo Cherry Evans, a Manly legend, for 3x as much, and probably lose Hugo? Complete madness.

Athletes dominating in their later years is becoming more and more common with the advancement of injury prevention, medicine and sports studies etc. Not just Cronk but Cameron Smith won a comp at age 37, Slater was 35 in the 2018 grand final etc. If you look at the top tier sports in America we've seen stars such as Lebron James and Tom Brady play into their forties and continue to dominate.

I actually agree with you, Hugo is a wait and see, maybe he is the next Cooper Cronk or Joey Johns but lets not just decide he is after a few good games. Reality is we're going to lose players whether we sign DCE or not. If we don't sign DCE and keep Hugo at 6 then we probably lose Sandon and vice versa. If we do sign DCE then Sandon and Hugo probably leave unless happy to play off the bench, if we do keep Hugo/Sandon then we'd lose Rodwell who people here are big on and feel is the future.

DCE very well could lead us to a competition win in 2026 and potentially 2027 if the body holds up. Hugo will take years to be an experienced leader of a football club like DCE is.

[King Salvo]

If the Roosters do manage to lock him up I would be curious as to whether he would be allowed to play for the Central Coast SG Ball squad or if he would have to play for the Roosters.

The Roosters need to field both Central Coast Roosters and Sydney Roosters teams in these Junior rep comps - Hard for squads to train as squads when players are from Sydney and Central Coast - you don't want to limit opportunities for players by having the one side - Not sure why the Roosters didn't also field a Lisa Fiaola Cup side in 2025 as they did in 2024 - Need a Central Coast Roosters Tarsha Gale Cup side too.

Harold Matthews
Lisa Fiaola Cup
Tarsha Gale Cup
SG Ball

Central Coast Roosters have Andrew Johns under 16's and Laurie Daley under 18's sides in the Men's Junior reps.