Welcome DCE - Done deal according to Phil Rothfield.

[gragra]

If rothfield is correct round 11 dogs beat roosters and sea Eagles thrash cowboys 30-10 and we signed DCE. Following week eels thrash sea Eagles 30-10....job done! Final reason and seduction completed.

[mightyrooster]

Meh, it’s been inevitable for a while now it seems. This signing does not fill me with confidence at all. If anything it makes me feel very uneasy about the team’s prospects next year.

[Inflictor]

It just seems to have one of those dart smells about it.
We are trying to replicate the luck we had in 2013 and 2018/2019 signing one or two marquee players and hoping they bring a premiership.
It hasn't worked for us lately with Cheese and Dom and now we are trying again with Robson and DCE.
I think Robson is a good signing. Has many years left in him and is an actual hooker unlike the Cheese experiment. We don't really have anyone who can step in right now. Benny is way off taking on that main role.
DCE has always seemed a rushed decision. Made well before Hugo came on the scene. Grab him before anyone else does because there is nobody else available.
This is what teams like the Tigers and Saints do.
His form has plummeted since we made the decision. Nowhere near the quality he once was. Will demand a high salary. Who knows the affect he will have on the team particularly Sammy and Hugo.
If he comes then I will support him 100% but anything less than a premiership then I think it has been a complete waste of time and set back the progression/combo of Sammy and Hugo who will likely be our halves 12 months later.
He will have no excuses with the team around him, He will be scrutinised every game he plays. He will be the whipping boy for every loss we have.

FFS

[Batemans Bay Rooster]

It just seems to have one of those dart smells about it.
We are trying to replicate the luck we had in 2013 and 2018/2019 signing one or two marquee players and hoping they bring a premiership.
It hasn't worked for us lately with Cheese and Dom and now we are trying again with Robson and DCE.
I think Robson is a good signing. Has many years left in him and is an actual hooker unlike the Cheese experiment. We don't really have anyone who can step in right now. Benny is way off taking on that main role.
DCE has always seemed a rushed decision. Made well before Hugo came on the scene. Grab him before anyone else does because there is nobody else available.
This is what teams like the Tigers and Saints do.
His form has plummeted since we made the decision. Nowhere near the quality he once was. Will demand a high salary. Who knows the affect he will have on the team particularly Sammy and Hugo.
If he comes then I will support him 100% but anything less than a premiership then I think it has been a complete waste of time and set back the progression/combo of Sammy and Hugo who will likely be our halves 12 months later.
He will have no excuses with the team around him, He will be scrutinised every game he plays. He will be the whipping boy for every loss we have.

FFS

And what teams like Penrith and Melbourne never do.

[Bates]

It just seems to have one of those dart smells about it.
We are trying to replicate the luck we had in 2013 and 2018/2019 signing one or two marquee players and hoping they bring a premiership.
It hasn't worked for us lately with Cheese and Dom and now we are trying again with Robson and DCE.
I think Robson is a good signing. Has many years left in him and is an actual hooker unlike the Cheese experiment. We don't really have anyone who can step in right now. Benny is way off taking on that main role.
DCE has always seemed a rushed decision. Made well before Hugo came on the scene. Grab him before anyone else does because there is nobody else available.
This is what teams like the Tigers and Saints do.
His form has plummeted since we made the decision. Nowhere near the quality he once was. Will demand a high salary. Who knows the affect he will have on the team particularly Sammy and Hugo.
If he comes then I will support him 100% but anything less than a premiership then I think it has been a complete waste of time and set back the progression/combo of Sammy and Hugo who will likely be our halves 12 months later.
He will have no excuses with the team around him, He will be scrutinised every game he plays. He will be the whipping boy for every loss we have.

FFS

One premiership could be luck.

3 premierships is more akin to a strategic move that was successful.

[Bates]

The DCE deal is a 1 year contract with the option of a second season if both parties agree.

[Inflictor]

One premiership could be luck.

3 premierships is more akin to a strategic move that was successful.

Cheese and Dom were also strategic moves.
The point being it worked in those three years and hasn't worked since. Robbo hoping history repeats.
At least the previous players including the above two were in form and in high demand. DCE is nowhere near the form of all previous marquee signings and not even the team where he is the most capped player in their history wants him. That has to say something.
We are looking good this year focusing on bringing our Academy players through. The future looks bright. Brought in a quality player where there is a gap. Maybe a bit more depth in the backline. DCE is not necessary. I don't think he adds anything on the field tbh. Mentoring? Meh. Who knows. Manly lost their best halfback coming through to Souffs. They brought in an old useless hack from the Tigers and now bringing a halfback from Canberra. Where is the great mentoring for their juniors for the last 10 years? I prefer to bring back Kez for that.

[Bates]

Cheese and Dom were also strategic moves.
The point being it worked in those three years and hasn't worked since. Robbo hoping history repeats.
At least the previous players including the above two were in form and in high demand. DCE is nowhere near the form of all previous marquee signings and not even the team where he is the most capped player in their history wants him. That has to say something.
We are looking good this year focusing on bringing our Academy players through. The future looks bright. Brought in a quality player where there is a gap. Maybe a bit more depth in the backline. DCE is not necessary. I don't think he adds anything on the field tbh. Mentoring? Meh. Who knows. Manly lost their best halfback coming through to Souffs. They brought in an old useless hack from the Tigers and now bringing a halfback from Canberra. Where is the great mentoring for their juniors for the last 10 years? I prefer to bring back Kez for that.

There are no guarantees when you sign players!

SBW, Maloney, Cronk were successful acquisitions. The Cheese and Dom were flops, that's just how it goes as you're rolling the dice. We're also taking a punt on Robson who hasn't looked that great this season.Time will tell.

This team needs an organising half that also offers leadership and can kick long. DCE ticks those boxes. It also needs to play a more structured long game style of footy imo as the speed of the game is unforgiving when you turn over possession like we do.

[Inflictor]

There are no guarantees when you sign players!

SBW, Maloney, Cronk were successful acquisitions. The Cheese and Dom were flops, that's just how it goes as you're rolling the dice. We're also taking a punt on Robson who hasn't looked that great this season.Time will tell.

This team needs an organising half that also offers leadership and can kick long. DCE ticks those boxes. It also needs to play a more structured long game style of footy imo as the speed of the game is unforgiving when you turn over possession like we do.

This is where I struggle to see what others see.
He has not done much of that this year. He has had a very poor year.
Manly beat the Storm a couple of weeks ago and he did SFA that game. That was all off the back of Brooks. I didn't even know DCE was on the field in the second half. Yet because we lost that week some jump on his bandwagon because Manly beat the Storm. The following week against the dogs again nowhere to be seen. He was last seen running to the sheds with his pants pulled down. We lose by 4 points or less to the Dogs, Raiders and Storm and probably should have won all three games and we need someone to offer us leadership. FFS

He will mentor our young halves. Like he has mentored the great young Manly halves coming through. FFS

All this for one year on the chance he may find his form from the past. FFS

Anyway as I said, we have him and I will support him. The pressure will be on him to bring us this premiership because he only has one year,

[gragra]

There are no guarantees when you sign players!

SBW, Maloney, Cronk were successful acquisitions. The Cheese and Dom were flops, that's just how it goes as you're rolling the dice. We're also taking a punt on Robson who hasn't looked that great this season.Time will tell.

This team needs an organising half that also offers leadership and can kick long. DCE ticks those boxes. It also needs to play a more structured long game style of footy imo as the speed of the game is unforgiving when you turn over possession like we do.

SBW, Maloney, were still at the top of their game and brought in an X factor. Cronk came from a multi winning culture with proven success. DCE doesn't tick Any of those boxes. He is past his prime and his long kicking game would be no better than a young Hugo. He may jag us 1 or 2 extra wins when everything goes right on the day, but hey Sandon did that in 1 game against St George, Napa destroyed souths in 1 game but I don't see DCE having 20+ top shelf games like Teddy has and making us a champion team. I hope I'm completely wrong but logic tells me it's not a good purchase.

[MKCS]

Irrespective of the fact that Townsend was bought to this Club as a back up or to mentor the younger players,it has turned out as a complete brain dead decision..

Add it to the list of embarrassing recruitment decisions over the past few years,yet no one is held accountable it seems..

With respect, how would we know this without any actual inside information? We only know what happened on the field, we have no idea if he did or did not make contributions off the field at the Roosters.

[Bates]

SBW, Maloney, were still at the top of their game and brought in an X factor. Cronk came from a multi winning culture with proven success. DCE doesn't tick Any of those boxes. He is past his prime and his long kicking game would be no better than a young Hugo. He may jag us 1 or 2 extra wins when everything goes right on the day, but hey Sandon did that in 1 game against St George, Napa destroyed souths in 1 game but I don't see DCE having 20+ top shelf games like Teddy has and making us a champion team. I hope I'm completely wrong but logic tells me it's not a good purchase.

I get that he has no X factor however can potentially add value in areas that we're struggling with. Game management, helping the team be organised and play more systematic. As a general he doesn't necessarily need to be at the top of his game physically. I was against the idea however changed my tune after numerous diabolical performances this season. Last round gave me motion sickness

[Lydon]

With respect, how would we know this without any actual inside information? We only know what happened on the field, we have no idea if he did or did not make contributions off the field at the Roosters.

Yes fair point mate

[Kentucky_Fried_Rooster]

I don’t see DCE taking us to a premiership, maybe 3-4 years ago he would have but age has caught up with him.
He hasn’t done much this year and I expect next year will be the same, maybe he will have 3-4 big performances and just plod along for most of the season.
Even when Manly had a great team when he started out he only took them to 1 premiership.

Don’t see him wanting to be in coaching long term, he seems to be setting himself up for a media career which is less stressful than a coaching gig.

[B2B]

So do you think DCE will be picking Egan Butcher each week too?

On current form , probably not even in NSW cup