Round 1 Roosters V Souffs.... Team Lineups

[Danish]

I don't get the whole BS about Souths being together for a season therefore they will be tough to beat?? We had virtually our 2010 GF team together for the first part of 2011 and it certainly didn't help us, nor did it help the Warriors last year.

The fact is Souths are a decent side without being great and I see absolutely no reason why we can't beat them tomorrow night.

-Hollus

[stephenj]

DO NOT TAKE THEM LIGHTLY THEYVE FLOWN UNDER THE RADAR FOR THIS GAME SO FAR UNLIKE OTHER SEASONS, their coach is a pretty smart one too!and of course there always inglis, unless lod can take him out big time! a craig wing rerun?

[Guest]

Realistically, looking at both teams I think Souths will get the better of us this Thursday night.

The backrow we have selected without Cordner or SBW in the starting lineup looks relatively soft and our backline wont fire straight away. To add to this Souths team is relatively unchanged from last year so their combinations will be good from early on in the season.

We have an awesome team on paper but I think at around the round 10 mark is when this will start to show and at this point we will start being compeditive with the top teams. Im not being a downer, just being realistic. You cant go from a bottom placed team (as we were last year) to the top of the table in such a short period of time!

Hopefully I am wrong though and we thrash the bunnies, I will be there Thursday night!!!

[Bansai Pipeline]

I don't get the whole BS about Souths being together for a season therefore they will be tough to beat?? We had virtually our 2010 GF team together for the first part of 2011 and it certainly didn't help us, nor did it help the Warriors last year.

The fact is Souths are a decent side without being great and I see absolutely no reason why we can't beat them tomorrow night.

-Hollus

We're a chance of beating them, but towards the end of last year Souths were a very, very good football team.

Despite what you seem to think, they were all over the Dogs in that qualifying final until Reynolds got hurt. They had them on the ropes.

They get major momentum with those rolling forward plays, their halves have a great kicking game that pins teams in their own territory, and Inglis at his best is close to being unstoppable.

If you don't think that's the case, then you're not being honest with yourself.

Sure, we could beat them.

But they're just as likely going to beat us.

It's as simple as that.

[Muffdaddy]

We're a chance of beating them, but towards the end of last year Souths were a very, very good football team.

Despite what you seem to think, they were all over the Dogs in that qualifying final until Reynolds got hurt. They had them on the ropes.

They get major momentum with those rolling forward plays, their halves have a great kicking game that pins teams in their own territory, and Inglis at his best is close to being unstoppable.

If you don't think that's the case, then you're not being honest with yourself.

Sure, we could beat them.

But they're just as likely going to beat us.

It's as simple as that.

Good post BP. My brother (muffbro) and I were talking yesterday about how we should be over the moon if we win but not shattered if we lose as $ouffs are a top 3-4 side and we are brand new. They SHOULD win. We MIGHT win. I hope to God we win.

[Funky Chicken]

Good post BP. My brother (muffbro) and I were talking yesterday about how we should be over the moon if we win but not shattered if we lose as $ouffs are a top 3-4 side and we are brand new. They SHOULD win. We MIGHT win. I hope to God we win.

Couldn't agree more. Souths have a very good football team, so we will will have to play very well to beat them. That being said, I expect that by the half way mark of the comp we should have totally gelled and provided we get a fair go with injuries and refs we should be rolling onwards to a top 8 spot where we could really do some damage.

But Souths have a very good coach and some very good players, I really hope we win but I won't be slashing up if we don't as long as the boys play hard and committed for the full 80 mins.

[Danish]

We're a chance of beating them, but towards the end of last year Souths were a very, very good football team.

Despite what you seem to think, they were all over the Dogs in that qualifying final until Reynolds got hurt. They had them on the ropes.

They get major momentum with those rolling forward plays, their halves have a great kicking game that pins teams in their own territory, and Inglis at his best is close to being unstoppable.

If you don't think that's the case, then you're not being honest with yourself.

Sure, we could beat them.

But they're just as likely going to beat us.

It's as simple as that.

Had them on the ropes? They were up by 2 ****ing points when Reynolds went off FFS. they then went on the get completely slaughtered.

And that wasn't just that one game against top opposition that they fluffed. They managed to get up once all year in their games against the other top 4 sides, and also had a losing record in games played against other top 8 sides. They finished where they did because they got an absolute dream draw in 2012, including a 4 game winning streak at the end of the year which just so happened to be against the 4 lowest ranked teams in the competition.

they are pretenders. They'll beat up on shit sides, and probably make the 8 as well, but they are not title contenders and never will be while they have such horrible horrible depth

[Bansai Pipeline]

Had them on the ropes? They were up by 2 ****ing points when Reynolds went off FFS. they then went on the get completely slaughtered.

And that wasn't just that one game against top opposition that they fluffed. They managed to get up once all year in their games against the other top 4 sides, and also had a losing record in games played against other top 8 sides. They finished where they did because they got an absolute dream draw in 2012, including a 4 game winning streak at the end of the year which just so happened to be against the 4 lowest ranked teams in the competition.

they are pretenders. They'll beat up on shit sides, and probably make the 8 as well, but they are not title contenders and never will be while they have such horrible horrible depth

Who's got great depth? Talent's spread pretty thin over the competition these days.

Look, no one knows what will happen this season.

They might come unstuck if they cop some injuries.

But they're not shit.

No way.

[Bansai Pipeline]

Had them on the ropes? They were up by 2 ****ing points when Reynolds went off FFS. they then went on the get completely slaughtered...

They had all the momentum.

They were doing a Dogs on the Dogs.

I hate Souths as much as the next idiot on here, but I respect their potential.

[bondi paul]

love a win but have no expectations.a sbw match winning try would be the ultimate over maximus vermin

[Danish]

I'm not saying they are shit, I am saying that their ability is a house of cards. Remove a single element and it all comes crumbling down.

As to who has great depth, look at Manly, the Dogs, and Melbourne. 3 teams with tremendous coaches who simply produce talent after talent. Melbourne started last season with one of the most uninspiring sounding prop rotations in the league... yet they simply carved up big name forward packs all year. If a Storm player goes down injured, there are 3 understudies waiting in the wings who aren't as good, but just as well drilled and can slot right into the side without much trouble.

Souths don't have that. They have proven that the loss of a single key player can completely destroy all their structure.

Their coach is also overrated in my books. How big a genius could he possibly be when he had Greg Inglis as his 3RD CHOICE fullback (they had 2 x long term injuries before Macguire finally gave him a run)

[Bansai Pipeline]

If the Storm lost Slater or Smith they'd be in trouble.

Although they do seem to be able to replace the rest of their cattle pretty easily without the wheels falling off.

[roosterproud]

Crock of shit
melb has no depth. Cronulla in the nsw cup last year were crap, the 20s were crap. Their a house of cards on stilts. Mandy is shyt too. Take out a key dce, whatnow, stewart bros.
Dogs on the other hand has a bit of depth. Good nsw cup team and 20s.

[stsae]

If the Storm lost Slater or Smith they'd be in trouble.

Although they do seem to be able to replace the rest of their cattle pretty easily without the wheels falling off.

The Melbas lost Smiff for a GF and got belted 40-0.

Even last season they lost something like 5 on the trot when Smiff was injured.

I'm with you 100% on this issue Pipe, I hate Souffs but I refuse to let that hate lull me into a false sense of security. It's not 2003 for either club. They are a very well coached side with very few changes and one of the best players I've ever seen 100% fit.

Most clubs will struggle without one or two marquee players.

As many have said as long as we start the season very competitive and showing us when they do gel we will be a very hard team to beat. Then with some luck with injuries post origin I am hoping we come home with a wet sail.

[Danish]

Cameron Smith is the best player in the world though, and probably the best player of at least the last 25 years (probably longer but I haven't seen enough footy to know one way of another prior to that). Of course taking him out would cause a team problems.

However I get the feeling that a long term injury to Smith would be much less devastating to the Storm than a long term injury to Inglis to Souths. The Storm would suck for a few weeks but once Bellamy had the new hooker up to speed they'd be back. Souths on the other hand have no idea how to replace Inglis. They do not play to any sort of great structure and basically when Inglis gets the ball he just plays whats in front of him as opposed to falling back onto a bag of set plays etc that the storm employ.

souths are a reasonable side, but they are nowhere near the top sides. If we lose tomorrow its not the end of the world because its only round 1 and our team will improve, but if we beat them it won't prove anything for the rest of our season either as frankly for all teams bar melbourne round 1 (did anyone see how razor sharp they were in the WCC?) is a toss of the coin job