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Sydney Roosters – 2013 Team Analysis
By nick1085 ⋅ February 4, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment
by Kangarooster
2013 Outlook
The Roosters are arguably the hardest team in the NRL to predict. After “winning” the wooden spoon in 2009 they made the Grand Final in 2010 and then following a season riddled with off field dramas they dropped back to 11th in 2011 and finished a lowly 13th last year. Nick Politis and the Roosters board don’t accept two bad years in a row and the club started their cleanout at the top cutting both the Captain and the Coach.
Having lost Sam Perrett and Anthony Mitchell mid-season, they shed the overrated and underperforming Braith Anasta, Justin Carney, and Peni Tagive, SC dud Mose Masoe, BJ Leilua and Curtis Rona from the 2012 squad. They recruited well however and have gained James Maloney from the Warriors, Michael Jennings from Penrith, Sam Moa from Hull, Michael Oldfield from Manly, young Bulldog Samisoni Langi and Sonny Bill Williams.
New coach Trent Robinson returned to the club after leaving in 2010 for the UK and, as the man who was in charge of defence in the Roosters last Grand Final appearance, he has been warmly welcomed following the departure of the beleaguered Brian Smith. Robinson doesn’t tolerate any bullsh*t and accepts nothing less than 100%. By all reports he has the players respect and his approach is working extremely well.
Apart from the new recruits, the Roosters will have rising star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dylan Napa from the 2012 Toyota Cup Team Of The Year, the currently injured 2012 Junior Kangaroo and SC myth Tautau Moga and one of the brightest prospects in the NRL in Kane Evans on board again. Evans could be anything. He will play first grade this year and I expect it will be early in the season. How he is not yet available in the SuperCoach players list is beyond me. Give yourself an uppercut Sangster, this bloke has rookie of the year written all over him.
New captain Anthony Minichiello will start the year at fullback but you can expect to see RTS and Mini swap positions before too long. Daniel Tupou will start on the other wing with Michael Oldfield pushing for a spot somewhere in what looks like, on paper anyway, a killer backline. Whilst Mini has started talking about another year in 2014, and as much as I would like to see him prove me wrong, this will be his last year at Bondi. This is therefore a massive season for probable future captain Mitchell Pearce and the Roosters chances of success in 2013 will mainly hinge on the new halves pairing of Pearce and Maloney forming a strong combination early in the year. Nothing less than 100% commitment is expected from SBW once he finishes his sideshow tour. He joins the club fulltime on Feb 11 and has been given a great chance to silence the knockers. If this happens and Jennings takes his NSW form onto the paddock, if SKD stays injury free and if JWH can learn that being a hard man doesn’t have to come with a built in penalty count , if Guerra and Cordner continue their rise then it will be a great year for the Chooks. They will need to avoid the off field distractions that have killed their chances in the past couple of years and like all clubs they will need a reasonable run with injuries. This side could do anything in 2013 but in spite of my red, white and blue eyes, I cannot predict their finishing position with any great deal of confidence. I expect them to finish in the eight.
Predicted 2013 Best 17
1. Anthony Minichiello FB/CTW ($236,400)
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck FB/CTW ($166,300)
3. Shaun Kenny-Dowall CTW ($257,100)
4. Michael Jennings CTW ($291,700)
5. Daniel Tupou CTW ($124,300)
6. James Maloney HFB/5-8 ($280,300)
7. Mitchell Pearce HFB ($297,100)
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves FRF ($230,100)
9. Jake Friend FRF/2RF ($266,900)
10. Martin Kennedy FRF ($207,700)
11. Aidan Guerra 2RF ($269,000)
12. Boyd Cordner 2RF ($221,100)
13. Sonny Bill Williams 2RF ($294,000)
14. Frank Paul Nuuausala 2RF ($202,000)
15. Lama Tasi FRF ($155,700)
16. Kane Evans ($87,500) – just listed
17. Nate Seluini FRF ($102,500)
In the mix – Mitchell Aubusson, Tinirau Arona, Daniel Mortimer, Michael Oldfield, Brad Takarangi, Sam Moa and Tautau Moga,
RTS and Mini will swap positions during the season. Evans will force his way into the starting side. Expect one or two bench spots to resemble the Aussie Cricket team rotation policy. Reasonably good depth and not expected to lose more than one or two players for Origin 2.
Supercoach Studs
Guaranteed SC Studs are hard to find at the Roosters this year. The rookies I’ll mention later have the potential to be studs and cows but if past stats and natural athletic ability count for anything then SBW will be a SC stud this year but with a fight on Feb 8, while also fighting a pec injury, a one-year deal, being back in the Mundine corner…who knows where his head is at? Once he starts training on Feb 11 and has his first trial on Feb 23, we will have more of an idea. I hope he nails it for the Chooks sake, I think he probably will, but I have more faith right now in two of these three:
Michael Jennings CTW ($291,700)
Jennings played 17 games last year and in spite of injury, suspension, personal problems and unrest at the Panthers that saw him dumped to the NSW Cup (from where he was selected for NSW) his adjusted average was in the mid 60′s. Bearing in mind the turmoil of his year and that he opened the year with a 0 and then had a 19 when injured in round 9 an average in the mid 60′s is impressive. He had 2 games over the 100 mark and 8 over 70. A fresh start and a good halves combination may be all that is needed for him to push that average up to stud level.
James Maloney HFB/5-8 ($280,300)
Maloney played 24 games last year and his average adjusted for the new scoring system was in the low to mid 60′s. He had 13 scores of 70 or higher and 2 games over the 100 mark. Bear in mind though that his signing for the Roosters this year was completed in November 2011. His last 8 games for the Warriors tell the tale. He scored higher than 45 only once in those games and that was a low 60′s score against Penrith. His price dropped from a high of just over the $300,000 mark to under $200,000 as a result. Even with his adjusted price, he is still a good buy. A new club, a backline full of rep players around him and a more experienced HB, he’s dual position, the only goal kicker in the starting side, unlikely to play origin. There are many good reasons to have Maloney in your side.
Mitchell Pearce HFB ($297,100)
Pearce played 22 games for the Roosters last year his adjusted average with the new scoring system is in the mid to high 60′s. Last year he had 3 games over the 100 mark and 11 over 70 and with Maloney and Jennings outside of him now you would expect more of the same. With RTS moving to FB early in the year and with the added LB assists these 3 and SBW should generate I cannot see Pearces scores going anywhere but up. $297,100 is a lot of coin, and I doubt I will start the year with Pearce at HB, but if you want a consistently good score from a HB he fits the bill.
Supercoach Duds
Tautau Moga CTW ($199,100)
Hyped before the start of the 2012 season as the next big cow Moga was injured in the preseason during the Foundation Cup v Wests Tigers. In spite of this and not being named in the round 1 team, he was still picked by many of us, myself included, and became the running joke through the first months of the comp. When will he play? Will he ever play? Does he even exist? Alleged sightings of his mother in Melbourne led to rumours his debut was imminent which, as happened so often with Moga, only led to more disappointment when he failed to play. Again. At $199,100 he is overpriced by almost $22,000 but more importantly, the concern is his current injury. He won’t be back for quite a while and it looks like he’s made of glass.
Tom Symonds 2RF/CTW ($115,200)
If you feel like blowing $115,200 for zero return, he is your man. 27 games in 4 years. Enough said.
Anthony Cherrington 2RF ($87,500)
I feel sorry for this bloke. He is the new Brett Papworth. I would love to see him have an injury free year and tear it up. He won’t. 19 games in 5 years. Enough said.
Rookies
Kane Evans FRF ($87,500)
A 200cm 116kg giant who just had his 21st birthday, Toyota Cup Team Of The Year in 2011, NSW under 20′s Origin last year, Evans will make his NRL debut this year off the bench and will be in the Rookie Of The Year category at The Dally M’s. Big call? Not at all. Watching him come through the ranks has been like watching an unstoppable train. Destined to become one of the most damaging ball runners in the NRL this is a breakout year for Kane. With Mose Masoe off to Penrith he has only JWH and Marty Kennedy in front of him. He’ll be in my team now that he has been officially listed in SC 2013.
Daniel Tupou CTW ($124,300)
Another in what seems like a production line of young talent in the backline at the Roosters, 21 year old Tupou played the last few games of 2012 and scored a try a game. Tall and built like the proverbial brick outhouse he will start the year on the wing and is sure to do some damage
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck FB/CTW ($166,300)
19 year old who played the last 6 games in the firsts last year. Played 12 games in Toyota Cup before being promoted to the Newtown NSW Cup side but those 12 games were enough to see him named in the 2012 Toyota Cup Team Of The Year. Was named in the 32 man Kiwi squad last week. Blessed with amazing footwork and a freakish ability to break the line expect him to move into Minis FB spot. I’ll be starting the year with him in my side. You may have to wait for the expected move to FB to reap massive rewards but at that price he’s too good pass up.
Bye Coverage
Byes are in 2 of the 3 horror rounds, 12 and 18, so the Roosters offer nothing for bye round coverage. If you are harvesting a Roosters cow or culling a dud before their first bye, the Bulldogs have both byes in non-origin weeks, the only team that does. Their byes are in rounds 16 and 19. Trading out my one or two Roosters for Bulldogs for half a dozen games mid season is the way I’ll be going. Keep it to yourself though. Looking at the Roosters draw it isn’t too bad, worst turnaround is probably when they’ll have most of the team playing on the stand alone weekend of 19th-21st of April and then have to back up for a Thursday Anzac Day game v Saints. With 40 trades and 4 trades during the bye rounds covering for byes has gotten a little easier but if you are still looking for a team to give you that coverage, it isn’t the Chooks, look elsewhere.
The Final Word
The Roosters have a lot of potential. I think when RTS moves to FB he’ll make a stack and if he isn’t on your bench at the start that’s when I’d bring him in. Evans, now that he has been listed, is a must. Tupou @ $124,300 represents some value but I think there are better options at a lower price. SBW, Jennings, Pearce, Maloney and Guerra will consistently score the bulk of their SC points. SKD, Friend and Cordner won’t be far behind them. You can feel something brewing in Bondi apart from beer and cafe lattes. They might have a good season this year. SuperCoach is another story. There is potential there but no must have gun. I know that as usual at this time of year I can’t wait for kickoff. May the injury Gods treat you fairly and good luck to you all this year.
by Kangarooster
By nick1085 ⋅ February 4, 2013 ⋅ Post a comment
by Kangarooster
2013 Outlook
The Roosters are arguably the hardest team in the NRL to predict. After “winning” the wooden spoon in 2009 they made the Grand Final in 2010 and then following a season riddled with off field dramas they dropped back to 11th in 2011 and finished a lowly 13th last year. Nick Politis and the Roosters board don’t accept two bad years in a row and the club started their cleanout at the top cutting both the Captain and the Coach.
Having lost Sam Perrett and Anthony Mitchell mid-season, they shed the overrated and underperforming Braith Anasta, Justin Carney, and Peni Tagive, SC dud Mose Masoe, BJ Leilua and Curtis Rona from the 2012 squad. They recruited well however and have gained James Maloney from the Warriors, Michael Jennings from Penrith, Sam Moa from Hull, Michael Oldfield from Manly, young Bulldog Samisoni Langi and Sonny Bill Williams.
New coach Trent Robinson returned to the club after leaving in 2010 for the UK and, as the man who was in charge of defence in the Roosters last Grand Final appearance, he has been warmly welcomed following the departure of the beleaguered Brian Smith. Robinson doesn’t tolerate any bullsh*t and accepts nothing less than 100%. By all reports he has the players respect and his approach is working extremely well.
Apart from the new recruits, the Roosters will have rising star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dylan Napa from the 2012 Toyota Cup Team Of The Year, the currently injured 2012 Junior Kangaroo and SC myth Tautau Moga and one of the brightest prospects in the NRL in Kane Evans on board again. Evans could be anything. He will play first grade this year and I expect it will be early in the season. How he is not yet available in the SuperCoach players list is beyond me. Give yourself an uppercut Sangster, this bloke has rookie of the year written all over him.
New captain Anthony Minichiello will start the year at fullback but you can expect to see RTS and Mini swap positions before too long. Daniel Tupou will start on the other wing with Michael Oldfield pushing for a spot somewhere in what looks like, on paper anyway, a killer backline. Whilst Mini has started talking about another year in 2014, and as much as I would like to see him prove me wrong, this will be his last year at Bondi. This is therefore a massive season for probable future captain Mitchell Pearce and the Roosters chances of success in 2013 will mainly hinge on the new halves pairing of Pearce and Maloney forming a strong combination early in the year. Nothing less than 100% commitment is expected from SBW once he finishes his sideshow tour. He joins the club fulltime on Feb 11 and has been given a great chance to silence the knockers. If this happens and Jennings takes his NSW form onto the paddock, if SKD stays injury free and if JWH can learn that being a hard man doesn’t have to come with a built in penalty count , if Guerra and Cordner continue their rise then it will be a great year for the Chooks. They will need to avoid the off field distractions that have killed their chances in the past couple of years and like all clubs they will need a reasonable run with injuries. This side could do anything in 2013 but in spite of my red, white and blue eyes, I cannot predict their finishing position with any great deal of confidence. I expect them to finish in the eight.
Predicted 2013 Best 17
1. Anthony Minichiello FB/CTW ($236,400)
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck FB/CTW ($166,300)
3. Shaun Kenny-Dowall CTW ($257,100)
4. Michael Jennings CTW ($291,700)
5. Daniel Tupou CTW ($124,300)
6. James Maloney HFB/5-8 ($280,300)
7. Mitchell Pearce HFB ($297,100)
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves FRF ($230,100)
9. Jake Friend FRF/2RF ($266,900)
10. Martin Kennedy FRF ($207,700)
11. Aidan Guerra 2RF ($269,000)
12. Boyd Cordner 2RF ($221,100)
13. Sonny Bill Williams 2RF ($294,000)
14. Frank Paul Nuuausala 2RF ($202,000)
15. Lama Tasi FRF ($155,700)
16. Kane Evans ($87,500) – just listed
17. Nate Seluini FRF ($102,500)
In the mix – Mitchell Aubusson, Tinirau Arona, Daniel Mortimer, Michael Oldfield, Brad Takarangi, Sam Moa and Tautau Moga,
RTS and Mini will swap positions during the season. Evans will force his way into the starting side. Expect one or two bench spots to resemble the Aussie Cricket team rotation policy. Reasonably good depth and not expected to lose more than one or two players for Origin 2.
Supercoach Studs
Guaranteed SC Studs are hard to find at the Roosters this year. The rookies I’ll mention later have the potential to be studs and cows but if past stats and natural athletic ability count for anything then SBW will be a SC stud this year but with a fight on Feb 8, while also fighting a pec injury, a one-year deal, being back in the Mundine corner…who knows where his head is at? Once he starts training on Feb 11 and has his first trial on Feb 23, we will have more of an idea. I hope he nails it for the Chooks sake, I think he probably will, but I have more faith right now in two of these three:
Michael Jennings CTW ($291,700)
Jennings played 17 games last year and in spite of injury, suspension, personal problems and unrest at the Panthers that saw him dumped to the NSW Cup (from where he was selected for NSW) his adjusted average was in the mid 60′s. Bearing in mind the turmoil of his year and that he opened the year with a 0 and then had a 19 when injured in round 9 an average in the mid 60′s is impressive. He had 2 games over the 100 mark and 8 over 70. A fresh start and a good halves combination may be all that is needed for him to push that average up to stud level.
James Maloney HFB/5-8 ($280,300)
Maloney played 24 games last year and his average adjusted for the new scoring system was in the low to mid 60′s. He had 13 scores of 70 or higher and 2 games over the 100 mark. Bear in mind though that his signing for the Roosters this year was completed in November 2011. His last 8 games for the Warriors tell the tale. He scored higher than 45 only once in those games and that was a low 60′s score against Penrith. His price dropped from a high of just over the $300,000 mark to under $200,000 as a result. Even with his adjusted price, he is still a good buy. A new club, a backline full of rep players around him and a more experienced HB, he’s dual position, the only goal kicker in the starting side, unlikely to play origin. There are many good reasons to have Maloney in your side.
Mitchell Pearce HFB ($297,100)
Pearce played 22 games for the Roosters last year his adjusted average with the new scoring system is in the mid to high 60′s. Last year he had 3 games over the 100 mark and 11 over 70 and with Maloney and Jennings outside of him now you would expect more of the same. With RTS moving to FB early in the year and with the added LB assists these 3 and SBW should generate I cannot see Pearces scores going anywhere but up. $297,100 is a lot of coin, and I doubt I will start the year with Pearce at HB, but if you want a consistently good score from a HB he fits the bill.
Supercoach Duds
Tautau Moga CTW ($199,100)
Hyped before the start of the 2012 season as the next big cow Moga was injured in the preseason during the Foundation Cup v Wests Tigers. In spite of this and not being named in the round 1 team, he was still picked by many of us, myself included, and became the running joke through the first months of the comp. When will he play? Will he ever play? Does he even exist? Alleged sightings of his mother in Melbourne led to rumours his debut was imminent which, as happened so often with Moga, only led to more disappointment when he failed to play. Again. At $199,100 he is overpriced by almost $22,000 but more importantly, the concern is his current injury. He won’t be back for quite a while and it looks like he’s made of glass.
Tom Symonds 2RF/CTW ($115,200)
If you feel like blowing $115,200 for zero return, he is your man. 27 games in 4 years. Enough said.
Anthony Cherrington 2RF ($87,500)
I feel sorry for this bloke. He is the new Brett Papworth. I would love to see him have an injury free year and tear it up. He won’t. 19 games in 5 years. Enough said.
Rookies
Kane Evans FRF ($87,500)
A 200cm 116kg giant who just had his 21st birthday, Toyota Cup Team Of The Year in 2011, NSW under 20′s Origin last year, Evans will make his NRL debut this year off the bench and will be in the Rookie Of The Year category at The Dally M’s. Big call? Not at all. Watching him come through the ranks has been like watching an unstoppable train. Destined to become one of the most damaging ball runners in the NRL this is a breakout year for Kane. With Mose Masoe off to Penrith he has only JWH and Marty Kennedy in front of him. He’ll be in my team now that he has been officially listed in SC 2013.
Daniel Tupou CTW ($124,300)
Another in what seems like a production line of young talent in the backline at the Roosters, 21 year old Tupou played the last few games of 2012 and scored a try a game. Tall and built like the proverbial brick outhouse he will start the year on the wing and is sure to do some damage
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck FB/CTW ($166,300)
19 year old who played the last 6 games in the firsts last year. Played 12 games in Toyota Cup before being promoted to the Newtown NSW Cup side but those 12 games were enough to see him named in the 2012 Toyota Cup Team Of The Year. Was named in the 32 man Kiwi squad last week. Blessed with amazing footwork and a freakish ability to break the line expect him to move into Minis FB spot. I’ll be starting the year with him in my side. You may have to wait for the expected move to FB to reap massive rewards but at that price he’s too good pass up.
Bye Coverage
Byes are in 2 of the 3 horror rounds, 12 and 18, so the Roosters offer nothing for bye round coverage. If you are harvesting a Roosters cow or culling a dud before their first bye, the Bulldogs have both byes in non-origin weeks, the only team that does. Their byes are in rounds 16 and 19. Trading out my one or two Roosters for Bulldogs for half a dozen games mid season is the way I’ll be going. Keep it to yourself though. Looking at the Roosters draw it isn’t too bad, worst turnaround is probably when they’ll have most of the team playing on the stand alone weekend of 19th-21st of April and then have to back up for a Thursday Anzac Day game v Saints. With 40 trades and 4 trades during the bye rounds covering for byes has gotten a little easier but if you are still looking for a team to give you that coverage, it isn’t the Chooks, look elsewhere.
The Final Word
The Roosters have a lot of potential. I think when RTS moves to FB he’ll make a stack and if he isn’t on your bench at the start that’s when I’d bring him in. Evans, now that he has been listed, is a must. Tupou @ $124,300 represents some value but I think there are better options at a lower price. SBW, Jennings, Pearce, Maloney and Guerra will consistently score the bulk of their SC points. SKD, Friend and Cordner won’t be far behind them. You can feel something brewing in Bondi apart from beer and cafe lattes. They might have a good season this year. SuperCoach is another story. There is potential there but no must have gun. I know that as usual at this time of year I can’t wait for kickoff. May the injury Gods treat you fairly and good luck to you all this year.
by Kangarooster
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