Sandon Smith is our Luke Brooks

[Carlos Parra]

Okay
It was all the refs fault.

Calm down boy.

[Rooster1908]

Last night was his 40th game so you're suggesting a fair go would be another season and a half meaning it would've taken from 2023 through to 2027 for us to figure out if he's good enough or not?

But he is good enough for the team he has around him .Some seem to think a 36 odd year old bloke who has never won anything despite being the dominant half at his team for god knows how many years is the answer .Load of crap and if he does end up here and I hope he doesn't I'll bet you by round 7 or before you and others will be calling bdo DCE head.penrith have the right formula as do Storm .They build a team and bring though players .The youth is the future

[King Salvo]

But he is good enough for the team he has around him .Some seem to think a 36 odd year old bloke who has never won anything despite being the dominant half at his team for god knows how many years is the answer .Load of crap and if he does end up here and I hope he doesn't I'll bet you by round 7 or before you and others will be calling bdo DCE head.penrith have the right formula as do Storm .They build a team and bring though players .The youth is the future

I like Sandon as I have seen him come through the Central Coast Roosters to NRL - No mean feet in achieving this - i.e Andrew Johns Cup/ Laurie Daley Cup/ SG Ball/Jersey Flegg/NSW Cup/NRL

100% the Youth Pathways is the future - The Majority of Penrith players have come through their pathways and they have dominated the NRL these past 5 years - 4 premierships

Patience is the key

[MKCS]

But he is good enough for the team he has around him .Some seem to think a 36 odd year old bloke who has never won anything despite being the dominant half at his team for god knows how many years is the answer .Load of crap and if he does end up here and I hope he doesn't I'll bet you by round 7 or before you and others will be calling bdo DCE head.penrith have the right formula as do Storm .They build a team and bring though players .The youth is the future

Sandon isn't really good enough for the team he has around him even right now though, we've named him 10 times this year and he's played well twice, he leads all other halves in the comp for errors made and has looked clueless when we've needed someone to stand up and try to win us a football game, giving him another 35 games to prove himself is just rewarding mediocrity.

As for DCE, this thread isn't really about him but he's won a grand final, won a Churchill, 5 Origin series, a World Cup, captained Queensland, captained Australia and has 20+ caps for both Australia and Queensland. DCE is a halfback who has done things that no other players will ever even get close to, to suggest he has never won anything just isn't true.

Penrith and the Storm do have the right method but the key is finding young players who could eventually become superstars, Sandon Smith is not that player and to be honest I'm not sure Hugo is going to become a massive superstar either so why not sign DCE who is indeed a superstar? At least until a future superstar becomes ready within the Roosters system.

[Timmah]

Thatsxwhyvhecis getting flicked he is not up to it.Has moments of individual attack occasionally..he kills our famous left side.Bilky Smith hasn't seen any ball except for hit ups.

Left side good….I’m salivating at the thought of how many tries we are gonna score down the right side when Sammy returns.
Rob Toia and Marky Mark being fed by Sammy are gonna have a field day.

[Timmah]

Okay
It was all the refs fault.

No, it was the bunkers fault!…the ref had already awarded the try. The bunker (in their usual crapulence), had to slow it down to 1/100th speed and watch it 20 times to find reason to disallow it (usual BS NRL officiating to ensure the filthy dogs fairy tale roles on, and they get more gate takings).
Toia had a hand on the ball- there was NO separation…well no more than in kikau’s try….but they weren’t gonna slow that down and disallow that were they???

[dice]

But he is good enough for the team he has around him .Some seem to think a 36 odd year old bloke who has never won anything despite being the dominant half at his team for god knows how many years is the answer .Load of crap and if he does end up here and I hope he doesn't I'll bet you by round 7 or before you and others will be calling bdo DCE head.penrith have the right formula as do Storm .They build a team and bring though players .The youth is the future

Munster/Hughes/Cleary/Luai are all 90-92kg and with a decent clearing kick. We have done the opposite of that with Keary/Lam/Flanagan/Walker/Smith the heaviest at 85kg and struggle to kick much more than 40m. Walker and Smith are the lightest of all of them at 78 and 82kg. Too difficult to win a premiership defending with two small halves and no field position.

Having said that, Savala's big frame and big boot balances out the team nicely. I would be questioning Robbo if Walker and Smith remained the preferred halves next year, or even this year.

[The Real King]

Sandon isn't really good enough for the team he has around him even right now though, we've named him 10 times this year and he's played well twice, he leads all other halves in the comp for errors made and has looked clueless when we've needed someone to stand up and try to win us a football game, giving him another 35 games to prove himself is just rewarding mediocrity.

As for DCE, this thread isn't really about him but he's won a grand final, won a Churchill, 5 Origin series, a World Cup, captained Queensland, captained Australia and has 20+ caps for both Australia and Queensland. DCE is a halfback who has done things that no other players will ever even get close to, to suggest he has never won anything just isn't true.

Penrith and the Storm do have the right method but the key is finding young players who could eventually become superstars, Sandon Smith is not that player and to be honest I'm not sure Hugo is going to become a massive superstar either so why not sign DCE who is indeed a superstar? At least until a future superstar becomes ready within the Roosters system.

Finally another smart guy on the forum. I was getting lonely. Well said.

Long-term we know it's Walker 6 and Rodwell 7.

[Thirteen]

Sandon isn't really good enough for the team he has around him even right now though, we've named him 10 times this year and he's played well twice, he leads all other halves in the comp for errors made and has looked clueless when we've needed someone to stand up and try to win us a football game, giving him another 35 games to prove himself is just rewarding mediocrity.

As for DCE, this thread isn't really about him but he's won a grand final, won a Churchill, 5 Origin series, a World Cup, captained Queensland, captained Australia and has 20+ caps for both Australia and Queensland. DCE is a halfback who has done things that no other players will ever even get close to, to suggest he has never won anything just isn't true.

Penrith and the Storm do have the right method but the key is finding young players who could eventually become superstars, Sandon Smith is not that player and to be honest I'm not sure Hugo is going to become a massive superstar either so why not sign DCE who is indeed a superstar? At least until a future superstar becomes ready within the Roosters system.

Rodwell will be ready soon.

[Bates]

Rodwell will be ready soon.

Man i haven't seen a player crush like this for some time. His tyres will eventually pop if you keep going.

[Thirteen]

Man i haven't seen a player crush like this for some time. His tyres will eventually pop if you keep going.

No more from me. I’ll stop now.

[Bates]

No more from me. I’ll stop now.

All good mate. I love your passion!

[King Salvo]

Rodwell will be ready soon.

mmm you have seen him play junior reps possibly which are short comps - big question mark will be playing full comps which the junior rep players start playing from Jersey Flegg onwards - 24 games compared to 8 or 9 in Junior Reps - many a Junior Rep that was a stand out in Junior Reps failed to make the transition and some may ask why.

The week in week out grind of a full comp is too much for them and priorities change as no one is ever guaranteed to make decent coin from playing NRL so they need to have a career outside of footy and this may override their commitment to footy.

Toby at 19 has a few years yet to be developed into a NRL player despite what people on here say and who knows how Hugo. Sandon and Sam may develop into as all 23 this year and they could well have long careers at the Roosters forcing Toby to move on to get an opportunity to play NRL.

That's the modern way in any sport - you decide or the club decides to move you on to so called "greener pastures".