Official Trial Day Thread: Roosters v Tigers

[Carlos Parra]

Ohh Lossy

haha

[bondi.boy]

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.

Wests were big, fast, tall, athletic, muscular... which our replacements were not.
Hot day. Many of our players seemed to get 'lost', Tigers having most of the energy and guile in the 2nd half.

[Vasco]

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.

Yep. This performance has put a bit of a question mark over him.

[Schooner]

I had been looking forward to watching Rodwell, Elliot and Foley as I hadn't seen them play since 2024. Thought Elliot and Foley were very disappointing and Rodwell was outshone by Hugo and looked a far way from NRL level. Once all the younger players came on in the second half we were outmuscled by all the Tigers Pacifika players. Some of the more skillful ones may go ok in an emergency when surrounded by NRL players but as a group they dont look powerful enough. Defence was rubbish. Junior Tupou is a worse signing than Jaxson Paulo and Dom Knight; I cant see him ever being NRL standard. I've seen Tommy Talua play reasonable footy at previous clubs, but Tom Rodwell looked a safer backup for NRL. Losalu went OK for a first hitout and should be OK at Cup level. I've never been impressed by De LaSalle Vaa. He is still very young so hopefully he will improve with age. He is a long way behind Steep and Foketi who aren't much older.

[fletch]

Jake Elliott is out for the season with a shoulder injury suffered against the Tigers.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...a774745d1497d8

[Rooster_6]

That's terrible news for Elliott, this was shaping as a really big year for him personally.

[Bates]

Jake Elliott is out for the season with a shoulder injury suffered against the Tigers.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...a774745d1497d8

Gotta love pointless trail games!

[SamKerrSimp]

Yep. This performance has put a bit of a question mark over him.

I maintain he is a 5/8 masquerading as a halfback and the DCE signing is proof the club see it that way too they can use the media to push out the Rodwell mentoring narrative all they like but nobody should be buying because if that were the case they could've just signed him as a coach.

Even if they wear the opposite numbers it will be DCE controlling the game and Walker doing the flashy stuff. Robbo knew Walker's real position and role years ago when he put Keary at halfback but Keary didn't want to do it so he sandbagged it and it didn't work. I'm disappointed we didn't get to see Walker-Savala develop in to a partnership I think that would've been a fun one.

[Steggles]

I maintain he is a 5/8 masquerading as a halfback and the DCE signing is proof the club see it that way too they can use the media to push out the Rodwell mentoring narrative all they like but nobody should be buying because if that were the case they could've just signed him as a coach.

Even if they wear the opposite numbers it will be DCE controlling the game and Walker doing the flashy stuff. Robbo knew Walker's real position and role years ago when he put Keary at halfback but Keary didn't want to do it so he sandbagged it and it didn't work. I'm disappointed we didn't get to see Walker-Savala develop in to a partnership I think that would've been a fun one.

I have the same view of Sammy; definitely a 6 and I agree that’s the real reason for DCE’s signing.

[ARD]

Jake Elliott is out for the season with a shoulder injury suffered against the Tigers.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...a774745d1497d8

Awful news, he’d be shattered.

[ARD]

First half spine looked good; Rex busy, Rodwell controlled, Savala probing and Benaiah probably best Rooster on ground.

Fell apart second half - I liked that Rodwell got sent back out to see if he could swing the momentum but unfortunately compounded the problems through lots of rookie mistakes; couple forward passes, 7 tackle set, missed tackles etc. He’ll be better for the experience. Looks a natural 7 but didn’t get to show many weapons.

Tom Rodwell looks like he could play more FG and do a solid job. No frills, fit and not afraid of hard carries. Good depth if nothing else.

How goods footy back.

[Rooster90]

Jake Elliott is out for the season with a shoulder injury suffered against the Tigers.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...a774745d1497d8

Terrible news for the kid - who by all accounts was playing for his future this year.

i doubt we will ever see what he can do in a Roosters jersey as he was already given permission to look around for a new club in the offseason

[fletch]

Hope the Roosters are going to make a run at signing young Makasini from the Tigers when he can start talking with other teams on November 1st will be an absolute star he killed us in the trial last weekend and just scored an absolute freakish try against the Panthers tonight.

[Mickie Lane]

Hope the Roosters are going to make a run at signing young Makasini from the Tigers when he can start talking with other teams on November 1st will be an absolute star he killed us in the trial last weekend and just scored an absolute freakish try against the Panthers tonight.

I hope he stays at the Tigers & helps them become a top 8 & hopefully top 4 side.

[Bates]

Hope the Roosters are going to make a run at signing young Makasini from the Tigers when he can start talking with other teams on November 1st will be an absolute star he killed us in the trial last weekend and just scored an absolute freakish try against the Panthers tonight.

He's a gun. There will be a bidding war.

Very Stephen Crichton esque!