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HE MAY have been wearing dark glasses, but there was no mistaking the familiar face peering over the fence as the Roosters trained at Moore Park yesterday.
Roosters great Brad Fittler has long since moved on from the heartbreak of being shown the door as coach after a disastrous 2009 season, but was this the great man back on deck in an official capacity?
"No, I just needed to get out of the house for a few hours," explained Fittler, as Roosters coach Brian Smith revealed his plan to replace Todd Carney, the man who has stepped into Freddy's shoes as the next great Roosters No. 6. "I'm just enjoying watching some of the teams train, when I can."
Fittler has long been a supporter of Carney's, but yesterday the man who caught his eye was the young player coach Smith has anointed as Carney's likely replacement for their upcoming trial matches, and when the Dally M medallist is on State of Origin duty.
Jonathan Ford, 21, was a standout for Newtown in the NSW Cup last year and played two NRL matches in the centres at the back-end of the 2010 season.
With Carney in doubt for round one, Smith revealed he will trial Ford and captain Braith Anasta in the No. 6 jersey beginning with their first trial against Ipswich in Queensland on February 5.
Smith said Ford and Anasta would also probably form the Roosters halves in the middle of the year when Carney and halfback Mit- chell Pearce are strongly favoured to be lining up in NSW Blues jumpers.
"They're the two that are pencilled in at the moment, but a lot can happen in [half a season of football]," Smith said. "Certainly for a guy like Johno, it's just a chance for us to reward all the work he's put in to pre-season training, and to see how much fitter he is.
"It's a chance for him to show us he deserves the spot."
Smith said the only positive in Carney's injury was that he would now get the chance in his club's three trials to think about how best to fill the massive hole the Pearce-Carney Origin commitments will create.
Smith said Ford was a natural playmaker despite his debut in the centres.
Veteran Anthony Minichiello will captain the Roosters on their trip to Ipswich with Anasta missing the game due to a hamstring complaint.
As for Fittler, he said the Roosters looked "pretty slick" with Ford calling the shots yesterday morning.
"They looked pretty clean, considering they didn't have Mini [Minichiello], Braith, Mitchell or Todd," he said.
Roosters great Brad Fittler has long since moved on from the heartbreak of being shown the door as coach after a disastrous 2009 season, but was this the great man back on deck in an official capacity?
"No, I just needed to get out of the house for a few hours," explained Fittler, as Roosters coach Brian Smith revealed his plan to replace Todd Carney, the man who has stepped into Freddy's shoes as the next great Roosters No. 6. "I'm just enjoying watching some of the teams train, when I can."
Fittler has long been a supporter of Carney's, but yesterday the man who caught his eye was the young player coach Smith has anointed as Carney's likely replacement for their upcoming trial matches, and when the Dally M medallist is on State of Origin duty.
Jonathan Ford, 21, was a standout for Newtown in the NSW Cup last year and played two NRL matches in the centres at the back-end of the 2010 season.
With Carney in doubt for round one, Smith revealed he will trial Ford and captain Braith Anasta in the No. 6 jersey beginning with their first trial against Ipswich in Queensland on February 5.
Smith said Ford and Anasta would also probably form the Roosters halves in the middle of the year when Carney and halfback Mit- chell Pearce are strongly favoured to be lining up in NSW Blues jumpers.
"They're the two that are pencilled in at the moment, but a lot can happen in [half a season of football]," Smith said. "Certainly for a guy like Johno, it's just a chance for us to reward all the work he's put in to pre-season training, and to see how much fitter he is.
"It's a chance for him to show us he deserves the spot."
Smith said the only positive in Carney's injury was that he would now get the chance in his club's three trials to think about how best to fill the massive hole the Pearce-Carney Origin commitments will create.
Smith said Ford was a natural playmaker despite his debut in the centres.
Veteran Anthony Minichiello will captain the Roosters on their trip to Ipswich with Anasta missing the game due to a hamstring complaint.
As for Fittler, he said the Roosters looked "pretty slick" with Ford calling the shots yesterday morning.
"They looked pretty clean, considering they didn't have Mini [Minichiello], Braith, Mitchell or Todd," he said.
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