Official Trial Day Thread: Roosters v Tigers

[ism22]

With Hugo there he has to right? As bad as it would look on Robbo, you put the team as a unit first.

IMO DCE would be dropped if he played like Townsend (another premiership winning half who wasn't signed as a marquee player but IMO came with the expectation he'd be better than guys who've never played 1st grade).

It's a whole different game with DCE though. He's not gonna be struggling to keep up with the speed of the game and making a heap of ridiculous howlers at key moments.

People were sledging Teddy and Cronk early on. Arguably DCE isn't QUITE that level of elite, but it's gonna be a question of how quickly the team gels... not whether DCE's capable of playing 1st grade.

Around the same age, Cronk won us a GF but hobbling around the field with an arm that was completely farked and mentoring Keary. To me that's basically all DCE has to do... walk around telling Walker when it's time to pull the trigger. If he can make his tackles and do a few yardage kids along the way then we should be competitive in 2026.

---

The trial taught us we're completely faaarked if our team is Benson, Savala, Rodwell, Pauga, DLS, Butcher, Wong and a few others. These guys can slot into 1st grade but you don't want them being your big men.

I'm confident that Teddy, Mark N, Toops, Toia, Whyte, Collins, Leniu, Robson, Crichton, Rads, Watson, DCE and Walker will perform better than the boys who played yesterday. Though yeah... getting up ~20-0 then losing ~40-20 was pretty dumb even for a trial.

[Chookies74]

Kind of surprised how much Robbo has played Wong today a lot of game time for someone who should be starting round 1.

I suspect Wong will play bench front row. He's big enough. Maybe that's why he had a big hitout?

Whyte, robson, Lins, Angus, Nat? Watson?, then a bench of Lenui & Wong, Foketi and Egan (cover).

benny 5 and 'who cares' 6

Concreter is not a firstgrader atm.

[mattyh]

Thing is though, Savala at this point in time in his career needs to be playing NRL to add polish to his game.

Realistically speaking, we're still a team that's developing and Hugo needs to be part of this journey for the betterment of the teams long term goal imo.

From what ive heard , hell be playing fg, teddy said he has impressed at training in multiple positions, backrow, lock etc , itll be fascinating to see how robbo utilises him this season, im also wondering if the butcher bros may not be good perth siginings given ome of our back row stocks

[mattyh]

Meanwhile we, the losing team, had all skinny white lads with a sprinkling of Polynesia.

"Too big, too strong, too skilful, too fast, too energetic" were the Tigers.

I'm happy that our star players had a day off and didn't get injured.

Started already eh bondi, i reckon you will repeat this post 64 x throughout the season ,

[mattyh]

IMO DCE would be dropped if he played like Townsend (another premiership winning half who wasn't signed as a marquee player but IMO came with the expectation he'd be better than guys who've never played 1st grade).

It's a whole different game with DCE though. He's not gonna be struggling to keep up with the speed of the game and making a heap of ridiculous howlers at key moments.

People were sledging Teddy and Cronk early on. Arguably DCE isn't QUITE that level of elite, but it's gonna be a question of how quickly the team gels... not whether DCE's capable of playing 1st grade.

Around the same age, Cronk won us a GF but hobbling around the field with an arm that was completely farked and mentoring Keary. To me that's basically all DCE has to do... walk around telling Walker when it's time to pull the trigger. If he can make his tackles and do a few yardage kids along the way then we should be competitive in 2026.

---

The trial taught us we're completely faaarked if our team is Benson, Savala, Rodwell, Pauga, DLS, Butcher, Wong and a few others. These guys can slot into 1st grade but you don't want them being your big men.

I'm confident that Teddy, Mark N, Toops, Toia, Whyte, Collins, Leniu, Robson, Crichton, Rads, Watson, DCE and Walker will perform better than the boys who played yesterday. Though yeah... getting up ~20-0 then losing ~40-20 was pretty dumb even for a trial.

I think dce and townsend are 2 or 3 levels apart in terms of quality, yes if dce plays as poorly as townsend did last year he should be dropped.

But even i think dce even on his worst day , wouldnt have playeed as poorly as townsend did last year .

Dce is next tier down from all time great , townsend was a serviceable solid fg half . Big difference .

[Bates]

From what ive heard , hell be playing fg, teddy said he has impressed at training in multiple positions, backrow, lock etc , itll be fascinating to see how robbo utilises him this season, im also wondering if the butcher bros may not be good perth siginings given ome of our back row stocks

Our pack needs refreshing.

Players that I would offload are

Collins
Butchers by 2
Wongmyth.

Players barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth

Radley
Spence

Keepers

Whyte
Robson
Foks
Steeps
Watson
Benny
Concreter

[Bansai Pipeline]

no words to describe how much I disagree with this

It's an unpopular view but I stand by it.

Magical backwards bombs to wingers might beat the bottom 8, but they do not cut it in the big ones.

The Cronulla disaster was the last straw.

[mattyh]

Our pack needs refreshing.

Players that I would offload are

Collins
Butchers by 2
Wongmyth.

Players barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth

Radley
Spence

Keepers

Whyte
Robson
Foks
Steeps
Watson
Benny
Concreter

Id persist with wong, but agree with ya there batesy.

[elo]

Opening 25 we were outstanding - powerful, direct and plenty of skill on show too - after that fairly putrid. Looking forward to seeing what DCE can add to this squad - we aren't far off.

[roosterproud]

Congrats to zdc on the 9 jumper and playing great. Watto was amungst every thing and Blakey fits in

[Carlos Parra]

And how bad was the bloody ref?!

[Mickie Lane]

And how bad was the bloody ref?!

Ohh Lossy

[Steggles]

Our pack needs refreshing.

Players that I would offload are

Collins
Butchers by 2
Wongmyth.

Players barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth

Radley
Spence

Keepers

Whyte
Robson
Foks
Steeps
Watson
Benny
Concreter

Mostly agree, but I’d keep Egan Butcher and put Radley on the bye-bye list, with Wong on the skin of your teeth list.

[Mickie Lane]

Our pack needs refreshing.

Players that I would offload are

Collins
Butchers by 2
Wongmyth.

Players barely hanging on by the skin of their teeth

Radley
Spence

Keepers

Whyte
Robson
Foks
Steeps
Watson
Benny
Concreter

It will never happen IMO.
I think Nat if fit will be 13 until Rads is back & then either stay there with Rads on the edge or Rads to 13 with a Gus, Nat backrow.

I don’t know what will happen with Wong.

[Mickie Lane]

Mostly agree, but I’d keep Egan Butcher and put Radley on the bye-bye list, with Wong on the skin of your teeth list.

If Rads was any chance of bye- bye it would have happened from the 8 ball gate.
Rads will be our captain when Teddy retires.