How important is a home final?

[roosterchook]

Is a home final crucial to win the premiership? Having made the top 4 we get two cracks at getting to the grand final don’t we so wouldn’t it be wiser to rest a lot of our players so as to be fresh for the finals?

Remember the week Robbo decided to rest Origin players? Didn’t we have a long run of wins after that? Bellamy made it clear that winning the premiership was way more important than the minor premiership so he rested 7 players. But we face playing a Souths team who’’ve had two more days preparation and rest than us.

So, is it really a good decision to forego resting our major stars just for a home final and/or minor premiership at the risk of being unfresh at the finals?

Origin proves resting players works so why aren’t we resting players for the finals like Bellamy did?

[Maxy Walker]

Yes it’s important. No one wants to go play in Melbourne. Didn’t you watch the first half of last nights game lol? Plus there’s the travel vs the ease of staying in Sydney.

Plus we’d be wanting to get some form and combinations back tonight after a couple of scratchy games.

[Thirteen]

Very.

[zac]

Don't think it's crucial to get a home final, but it is preferable. Playing on our home ground might give us a little edge. And if we win in the first week the whole team will get a week's rest.

[The Skeez]

Because not many fans travel to Homebush.. maybe for a gf?

[ism22]

Don't think it's crucial to get a home final, but it is preferable. Playing on our home ground might give us a little edge. And if we win in the first week the whole team will get a week's rest.

Unlike most teams, our home games don't involve biased ground managers, MCs playing annoying sounds/music the whole time (which IMO gets into the players ears for sure) and weak refs who give into any sign of frustration from the fans.

A game at Allianz is essentially a neutral ground. IMO we should do up ES Marks to have:
- A carpark
- A footy bus and tram stop (so that you just shoot up from Central in 5-10 mins)
- A stadium that hold 25,000 (enough to sell out every week + have it small enough so that afternoon games don't get played under a shadow on one side)
- Awesome views of the bridge, centrepoint tower and the Sydney cityscape (not sure if people realise Marks is on a hill? Really nice spot...) so when you watch on TV you see the SYDNEY Roosters with beautiful Sydney in the background (rather than Fox Studios)

Then... hire an MC to be like LETS GET READY ROOSTERS FANS!!!! STAND UP AND CLAP YOUR HANDS FOR THE BOYS IN RED WHITE AND BLUUUUE!!!! [EASTS SONG PLAYS REALLY LOUD AND THE REFS ARE LIKE OOOH... WE ARE IN EASTS TERRITORY AND WILL COP IT IF WE STUFF UP!!!]

Also have a farking loud [COOOOCK-A-DOOODLE-DOOOOOOOOOOO!!!] when the opposition stuff up or we do something amazing. Get into their heads!!! Basic stuff like that... I swear we give away our home advantage by choice.

IMO this is part of the issue. We cannot flood Allianz with an Easts atmosphere. There is no MC, no consistent entertainment and no... show. We just have 3/4 empty stadium that's gonna get bigger and even more neutral. IMO out club should invest in ES Marks and be like nah... that's the Roosters stadium, nobody else plays or trains there during the NRL season. They could do an awesome job for like $100-300M or so I reckon... which we could raise easily.

[roosterchook]

I was thinking along the lines that since our last finals appearances have been all losses then fresh players should take priority over anything else. If we win we get a week off so the first final it’s crucial to be fresh in my opinion. Also by fielding our best team against the eels we risk injuries going into the finals.

The game against the eels is of no importance but the final is cruicial. All we need is for Latrell or JWH to be injured. It’s a high risk play for a nothing game and I just hope it doesn’t backfire. I can’t see here any real proper preparation for the finals by risking all our top players for a nothing game. Are we yet again putting finishing first and the minor premiership above the premiership? I don’t agree with the strategy at all.

[stsae]

I was thinking along the lines that since our last finals appearances have been all losses then fresh players should take priority over anything else. If we win we get a week off so the first final it’s crucial to be fresh in my opinion. Also by fielding our best team against the eels we risk injuries going into the finals.

The game against the eels is of no importance but the final is cruicial. All we need is for Latrell or JWH to be injured. It’s a high risk play for a nothing game and I just hope it doesn’t backfire. I can’t see here any real proper preparation for the finals by risking all our top players for a nothing game. Are we yet again putting finishing first and the minor premiership above the premiership? I don’t agree with the strategy at all.

You are the Agony Aunt of the forum overtaking the Fletch character.

Seriously the coach is in a lose lose situation here.

Need that final hit out to consolidate combos etc.

Always risking injury or suspension.

The players would want to play I reckon.

And obviously no one is overly in need of a rest or I am sure the coach would rest players who need it.

I am just going to enjoy.

38-12 that would be amusing.

[zac]

I was thinking along the lines that since our last finals appearances have been all losses then fresh players should take priority over anything else. If we win we get a week off so the first final it’s crucial to be fresh in my opinion. Also by fielding our best team against the eels we risk injuries going into the finals.

The game against the eels is of no importance but the final is cruicial. All we need is for Latrell or JWH to be injured. It’s a high risk play for a nothing game and I just hope it doesn’t backfire. I can’t see here any real proper preparation for the finals by risking all our top players for a nothing game. Are we yet again putting finishing first and the minor premiership above the premiership? I don’t agree with the strategy at all.

What you're saying isn't crazy. The same dilemma occurs with trials at the beginning of the season. Hopefully it works out for the best tonight!

[Rooster R]

Very

[roosterchook]

Hope we win and by 30 points! Go Roosters!

[player 1]

Roosterchook I was very, very wrong about you. I am utterly convinced you bleed red white and blue and take roosters losses as hard as anybody.

i actually agree with you. A home final is nice, but as you say it has done us no good over the last few years whereas injuries to key players have killed us. I would rest anyone who is not completely fit and move on.

As for tonight, if the team is trying to play for a 27 point win that will probably lead to a loss

[mattyh]

god i hope we flog em

[Maxy Walker]

This thing about our poor finals record is a bit of a myth. We’ve won 6 from 11 under Robbo. Better than 50%.

Bellamy could afford to rest players because he was guaranteed of a home final. We’re not so it will be business as usual.

Resting players and a loss would likely mean traveling to Melbourne on the back of 3 losses. No way it would even be considered.

Get the win tonight, get the home final, win that and everyone gets a two week break. That is a much better way to go about it.

[roosterchook]

Roosterchook I was very, very wrong about you. I am utterly convinced you bleed red white and blue and take roosters losses as hard as anybody.

i actually agree with you. A home final is nice, but as you say it has done us no good over the last few years whereas injuries to key players have killed us. I would rest anyone who is not completely fit and move on.

As for tonight, if the team is trying to play for a 27 point win that will probably lead to a loss

i think we will get the win, just crossing my fingers for no injuries. Not sure about 27 points though because the eels I think will do all they can to cause an upset.