Official Match Day Thread: Roosters v Warriors

[Bates]

Yes in my opinion there are significant advantages around wage control, increased squad continuity/cohesion, more stability due to higher retention rate & whilst they are still in their developing stage they are more malleable so can be moulded to the clubs needs.

Don't think it should ever stop us from looking for good pickups on the open market though, for example I think Reece Robson is a fantastic piece of business in a role that we are short on for talent. I also don't mind the signing of Garrick given the lack of wingers coming through our pathways at the moment.

It should never be an all or nothing approach to junior development, there needs to be balance IMO.

Yeah fair shout.

No one want's to play on the wing anymore. Apparently they raised the apprentice award wage for Butchers. Could be worth a shot

# it's cool to play on the wing

[Bates]

# wingers get hot chics

[David Sutherland]

13 of the 17 made their NRL debut at the Roosters.

I recall of those 13, only Daniel Tupou played Junior/Senior Reps for another club — Parramatta Eels NYC.

The Roosters do punch above their weight in their pathways systems, even with their partnership with the Central Coast compared to clubs such as Penrith, Parramatta, Newcastle, Wests Tigers and St George- Illawarra, who have considerable more junior numbers and junior clubs as far as NSW-based NRL clubs go.

[The Marshall]

That wasn't Hansen's point, he brushed aside the experience in the squad and he's even admitted he got it wildly wrong:

Full 'Can't win anything with kids' transcript

LYNAM : Well, United were scarcely recognisable from the team we've known over the last couple of seasons. What's going on, do you feel?

HANSEN : I think they've got problems. I wouldn't say they've got major problems. Obviously, three players have departed. The trick is always buy when you're strong, so he needs to buy players. You can't win anything with kids. You look at that line-up at Manchester United today and Aston Villa, at quarter-past two, when they get the teamsheet, it's just going to give them a lift, and it'll happen every time he plays the kids. He's got to buy players, simple as that.

LYNAM : But they have, as Alex Ferguson pointed out, they have got star names to come in, they've got Cole and Giggs and Cantona -

HANSEN : - and Cantona and Steve Bruce. Still not enough. The trick in winning the championship is having strength in depth. They just haven't got it.

Penrith just went to 5 straight NRL grand finals off the back of their kids, we've had the oldest and most experienced squad in the comp for a while now and we are pretenders every year. Penrith have lost kids every year so much so that an ex-Penrith team from 2020 would easily finish top 4 in the comp and they replace them with more kids and don't lose a step.

yes that was the intent of the commentary and I am not disputing that. My point is you need a blend and just relying on the academy players isn't going to win the NRL. The real problem is the piss weak effort of our forward pack and the imbecile they signed to coach them. If we fix that we can improve a lot.
PS 10/10 for research.