Locke to Roosters story on radio

[Rooster_6]

If you're going fork out and buy experience then you do it in areas you are short in. You don't go out and invest in the Australian AND New Zealand Schoolboys fullbacks (Wells and Schleck) and then pay overs for an established fullback. It makes zero sense. We would have been better off throwing good coin at a world class 5/8th - Maloney was a knee-jerk buy in the same class as John Simon and Brett Firman.

Spot on.

Although I disagree somewhat about Maloney being a knee jerk reaction I think buying a 5/8 was a smart move and was always going to be a necessity. They just bought the wrong one imo.

[Rooster_6]

Forget about Aliofa he is destined for NSW cup. Wells & Sheck have as much credability as Hugh Stanely, Chris Taripo or JP Duplessis.

Maybe just maybe Moga could develop but to what level? Israel Folau level or BJ Leilia level.
I have nothing against Islander people but I dont think you can have more than 3 Islander boys in your side. The really good ones are rare, the Marshalls, Akulla Uate or the Folaus.
And I wouldn't buy an Islander boy that is playing rugby coming across to league.
Adam Henry, Tai Tuivasa, Brandon Tago, Peni Tagive, Paul Rokolati they will all just be like Sonny Twiggiemarla or Stanly & Sissy Whacka.

Im not talking about Maori players more the Tongans, Cook Islanders, Fijians & Samoan decents.
I would much rather a half cast. Neville Costigan, Jeremy Smith.

New Zealand did a pretty good job winning the World Cup and 4 nations with 17 then.

Not to mention half the players in the 2011 NRL grand final.

Meh Success is overrated anyway, right?

[melon....]

I actually totally agree with you Melon. We need a balance of youth policy developed players and purchased/experience/marquee type players. Locke fits perfectly in to the latter category. Pragmatically, I don't see how we can get both Locke and these POTENTIALLY great players. If we get Locke from 2013 he is going to get more than a 2 year deal. Effectively that means the young guys either need to play elsewhere or look elsewhere.

As you have mentioned you would prefer Locke. In your view what are we left with as the option with the young kids? Surely one of them is going to be good. As I already said if we look at the backs that got a shot in first grade in 2011 they were pretty much all average to shit. None of them looked like defininte first graders let alone superstars.

However, again I ask is the club behind the youth policy? I think it is and must therefore follow through with these kids. Think about all the young blokes that have come up in the past few years as mentioned in Rooster 6's post. If our youth policy is worth anything then I think we will see maybe Shrek, Wells and Aliofa as well as Moga emerge as gun players.

Our kids MIGHT be good. There is no surety. If they were chsampions like those listed above that debuted at 19, they would be there now. They still might be, in a year. But nothing's for sure.

[Guest]

Our kids MIGHT be good. There is no surety. If they were chsampions like those listed above that debuted at 19, they would be there now. They still might be, in a year. But nothing's for sure.

Melon those players weren't champions before they debuted in the NRL. It seems as though you aren't comparing like with like. How much did you see of the likes of Dugan, Slater, Hayne etc etc prior to them making their NRL debut?

Of course you can't say they are certain to excel, but you also can't go around buying evey player after a break out season and pay over the odds.

Can't you get excited just once about an up and coming player?

[Guest]

I'm a great fan of Wells. He just needs to bulk up ....not much....and he has what it takes.
Locke would be a good addition.

[melon....]

Melon those players weren't champions before they debuted in the NRL. It seems as though you aren't comparing like with like. How much did you see of the likes of Dugan, Slater, Hayne etc etc prior to them making their NRL debut?

Of course you can't say they are certain to excel, but you also can't go around buying evey player after a break out season and pay over the odds.

Can't you get excited just once about an up and coming player?

The blokes listed made an immediate impact when they played first grade. Will ours? Have any of ours? I hope so....its long overdue. Our forwards look promising. Backs? Different story with the exception of Moga......but again, just because he is a world beater in teh 20s doesnt mean he will be in first grade. I hope Im wrong and i hope he kills it and becomes teh best centre in teh game by teh time he's 20.

Wells.......will he do the same? he may. As I said its about balance, and one decade we bought everything, we dont fix that problem by trying to home grow everything or were in for another decade of mistakes and lost opportunities. its about balance. A mix. one or 2 max from teh 20s should be considered. One or 2 max. Because frankly the rest arent good enough for NRL. Thats the reality. But I see 5, 6, 7 names in the top 25 listed week in and out and people are actually being serious....which makes me laugh. A bitter laugh because the truth hurts. They should be anywhere near the top 25.

Im not a fan of buying everyone, just like Im not a fan of over rating players based on performances in a weak under 20s comp.

Im excited. But I need certainty. Ive spendt too many decades being disappointed by underacheiving Easts. And by the idiot mistakes and sins of the "father" of the club making stupid decisions.

Locke in my opinion, if he was available would be an exception. He would not be a stupid decision.

Ideally id like to see one of our own make it big. Who wouldnt. But looking at the results to date, its not exceedingly likely. We need a freak and we havent had one of those since Freddy.....and we bought him too.

[Pass the Ball]

I'm a great fan of Wells. He just needs to bulk up ....not much....and he has what it takes.
Locke would be a good addition.

After reading the whole thread this post really cracked me up..

Correct me if I am wrong, you are saying Wells has what it takes, but we should buy Locke so that Wells doesn't get a chance?

[melon....]

After reading the whole thread this post really cracked me up..

Correct me if I am wrong, you are saying Wells has what it takes, but we should buy Locke so that Wells doesn't get a chance?

Its Locke over Wells ...all day...every day.

For ****s sake people are using Jacob Miller as an excuse for the one that got away. Talk about skewed sense of reality.

[Pass the Ball]

Its Locke over Wells ...all day...every day.

I understand your position..

I too am a fan of Locke..

[Headless Chook]

The question I would ask is, 'how much better will our team be with Locke in it and does he represent value for money?'

If the answer is we will become premiership contenders than yes he represents value for money. If the answer is no or maybe, then I would probably look elsewhere as I think we would have to pay overs for him. Do we spend big on Locke then have him fail to adjust to the city lifestyle and have him turn into a basket case or do we wait until the end of the season and see how the younger guys have developed? Its not as if we are left with no other options than Wells or Tuivasa-Sheck should we not sign anybody to replace Mini prior to the end of 2012. There is awlays Sam Perrett who will do a serviceable job (at least as good as Mini if not better in my opinion) to fall back on.

I'm sitting on the fence on the Locke debate. Do we need him? Maybe, maybe not. Would I be upset if we signed him? No. Would I be excited about him coming to the Roosters? Probably not overly. Am I happy to take a punt on the young guys if it means we might struggle somewhat over the next couple of years? Yes, as there finally seems to be some semblance of a recruitment strategy at the club whereas in past years it was buy whatever big name was on the market whether we needed strengthening in that position or not.

[Guest]

Its Locke over Wells ...all day...every day.

For ****s sake people are using Jacob Miller as an excuse for the one that got away. Talk about skewed sense of reality.

I don't think the post re Jacob Miller was in reference to the one that got away. It was highlighting the difficulty to retain young players in response to your point about signing Locke for 2 years and keeping our young guys on the back burner to develop. If they don't see a path to first grade they move on.

[Darkone]

when Mini finally leaves (end of next season following a blinder 2012)

RTS will without argument get the nod at FB

Locke belongs to another club, Wells is the current understudy...

Wakeup peeps, 99.99% of this thread is fantasy!

[mightyrooster]

when Mini finally leaves (end of next season following a blinder 2012)

RTS will without argument get the nod at FB

Locke belongs to another club, Wells is the current understudy...

Wakeup peeps, 99.99% of this thread is fantasy!

Exactly. Locke is contracted to the Warriors in 2013.

[Yak]

Thank you Dubai. I'm glad someone understood what I was getting at.

[John Corey]

Contracted or not, I am a huge fan of Locke. Would love to see him at our Club. Will be the next Billy Slater.