The case for the defence - hang your heads in shame

[Maxy Walker]

Missing the point mate. We didn’t beat anyone at all in the finals. Are you one of those who think comps are win in April/May?

Shut up mate. What I was responding to was someone’s claim that we haven’t beaten a top 4 side “in forever” which is clearly not right.

[Danish]

Right so when does it matter? Did the game against souths a few weeks ago not matter? I guess they better take the 2 points off us if that’s the case

were Souths in the top 4 when we beat them? I don’t believe so.

we’ve been Penrith’s bitch for years, Souths have completely toyed with us since the latrell switch (a couple pointless wins surrounded by some absolute hammering losses). Sharks I think are the only top 4 side we have a decent record against (although lost this year).

our finals performances have been nothing short of embarrassing the last few seasons

[rented tracksuit]

Shut up mate. What I was responding to was someone’s claim that we haven’t beaten a top 4 side “in forever” which is clearly not right.

Settle petal. Why soo angry? No need to be like that when we havnt won a finals game in almost two years. Don’t let it get to ya. We will be in the mix again soon I’m sure.

[Maxy Walker]

were Souths in the top 4 when we beat them? I don’t believe so.

we’ve been Penrith’s bitch for years, Souths have completely toyed with us since the latrell switch (a couple pointless wins surrounded by some absolute hammering losses). Sharks I think are the only top 4 side we have a decent record against (although lost this year).

our finals performances have been nothing short of embarrassing the last few seasons

Ok. So what’s really happened is we’ve beaten plenty of top 4 sides of the course of the past two seasons but you’re only counting the ones that suit your argument. Got it.

[QWERTY]

I back Robbo. Equal third on the ladder in a seriously close comp, only at round 11 and we have a knack for improving dramatically as the season goes on (hopefully we get a top 4 spot - that’s paramount). The only thing I’m perplexed about is Suaalii in the centres.

[weplayforprems]

Great point. He has never got our discipline under control with him but previously we had the talent to make it up.

The 6 again has flipped that on its head. We NEED to be more disciplined and he just hasn’t adjusted accordingly.

I’ve always been in TIT fan club but he is losing me with his selections..

The discipline thing is frustrating.

No doubt we’ve got some boofheads but fair dinkum we can’t all have tinfoil hats. We are refereed to a different standard than probably every team. Only the Warriors get shafted more than us.

[Jacks Fur Coat]

I reckon theres an overemphasis on our issues being fixed by putting certain players in different positions, swapping one or two here or there etc.

The squad has had plenty of time to play the style of footy they train and are coached to do. Execution and discipline and staying focussed will show out if the coaching and preparation are of the right stuff.

Thats where it starts, and ends in pro sport. You look at the style of footy we play, how we react under pressure, losing our discipline.

Its not personnel or positions, its coaching and preparation.

[Qld Chook]

The discipline thing is frustrating.

No doubt we’ve got some boofheads but fair dinkum we can’t all have tinfoil hats. We are refereed to a different standard than probably every team. Only the Warriors get shafted more than us.

I honestly agree with that. I know most fans think there particularly team gets shafted but we are the only one that have the stats to reinforce it.

Maybe it’s cause we have Radley, JWH & Lodge etc. But IMO there is an anti Rooster bias amongst the refs.. I’m not calling them cheats (like the Warriors sponsor’s CEO lol) but it’s a sub-conscious thing. The media is who I blame, with the constant Sombrero and latte sipping jibes. If the refs even looked like giving us the rub of the green there would be absolute outrage, so instead they sub consciously hammer us with penalties to show that we get no preferential treatment.

[Rocky Rhodes]

Well well well...did anyone see the Tedesco segment on nine news basically stating that we have been under achieving for the last 3 and a half yrs. And didn't mention injuries or any other excuse.

Looks like the critics were/are right, and the mediocrity lovers are just high horse riding gooses.

Case Closed.

[Qld Chook]

Well well well...did anyone see the Tedesco segment on nine news basically stating that we have been under achieving for the last 3 and a half yrs. And didn't mention injuries or any other excuse.

Looks like the critics were/are right, and the mediocrity lovers are just high horse riding gooses.

Case Closed.

Thank you sir, everyone knows it, some just don’t like admitting it..

[Roosterfarian]

I sometimes think of the story “The empowers new cloths” when Robbo speaks. Because he is the smartest person in the room then he must be right all the time and always know’s what he’s doing.

While I love Robbo I’m frustrated that we seem to have the same basic issues week in week out for a number of years now. I.e low completion rates, ill discipline with drop balls and penalties. He speaks about improving these areas in press conferences but on the field I’m yet to see any results. There seems to be a disconnect between what is said and what is happening and this makes me question the coaching

Isn’t it emperor’s new clothes mun?

[Eggspert]

I reckon theres an overemphasis on our issues being fixed by putting certain players in different positions, swapping one or two here or there etc.

The squad has had plenty of time to play the style of footy they train and are coached to do. Execution and discipline and staying focussed will show out if the coaching and preparation are of the right stuff.

Thats where it starts, and ends in pro sport. You look at the style of footy we play, how we react under pressure, losing our discipline.

Its not personnel or positions, its coaching and preparation.

Since that souffs finals loss from the next day to Rd1 the coaching staff had nearly 6months to assess & prepare.

Only lost SST & Verrills. Picked up Cheese. Backline stayed the same pretty much.

Start with a bumbling embarrassing loss to NRL newcomers The Dolphins who had less time to prepare with a brand new team.

The players aren't the problem here.

[weplayforprems]

I honestly agree with that. I know most fans think there particularly team gets shafted but we are the only one that have the stats to reinforce it.

Maybe it’s cause we have Radley, JWH & Lodge etc. But IMO there is an anti Rooster bias amongst the refs.. I’m not calling them cheats (like the Warriors sponsor’s CEO lol) but it’s a sub-conscious thing. The media is who I blame, with the constant Sombrero and latte sipping jibes. If the refs even looked like giving us the rub of the green there would be absolute outrage, so instead they sub consciously hammer us with penalties to show that we get no preferential treatment.

It only stands to reason. Refs are footy fans. They mainly do it because they love it. In pretty much every poll I’ve seen through the years about 6% of footy fans support Easts. We are no one’s second team. And the vast majority of refs would have grown up hating us too, there’s literally two decades of evidence there that we can’t buy a penalty, despite being a top team for the bulk of that time

[Rocky Rhodes]

Isn’t it emperor’s new clothes mun?

Robbo's got an Armani suit mun...and wears it in the players change room.

Not a good look knowing our past stereotypes to our players wearing Armani suits to games.

[Les Tricolores]

how do robbo's detractors think they'd go if they were able to put their case to him? do you think he'd slap his head and say if only i thought of that? i think there's a disconnect between fantasy and reality here. no harm in coming on here to vent after an indifferent start to the season but there's no one here who has as good a footy brain as him. i've got no doubt that if anyone on here had a talk with him 1 on 1 they'd reaslise that the bloke knows a lot more than any of us do.
he mightn't get everything right but if anybody on here had his responsibility they'd get a lot more wrong

Quite possibly… he does pay a loon of sorts 5 plus K an hour to whisper sweet nothings in his ear

Who’s doubting his knowledge of rugby league? that’s his life… also doesn’t necessarily make him a good coach… there’s a great deal more to it than that

Judge him on performance… and not from 3 years ago… it’s there for all to see… and Roosters fans are hardly the only ones commenting on it