Team List [Round 2, 2023] - Roosters vs Warriors TEAM LIST


80:00 minute

20 12
Allianz Stadium
11 Mar 2023 05:00 PM

Team Lists


Good to see a settled team. Hopefully it continues as it means we are injury free and more importantly hopefully winning.

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak being out to round 5 gives a good run of games for Kosi in first grade. There will likely be some ups and downs in that but I can't recall too many other options for the wing.
 
A good test this week. We are back to travelling to Australia and back regularly after the covid years. Need to maintain the standard from last week and get some consistency.

The Roosters could bounce back or we could continues their poor form.

If we defend well and keep the pressure on hopefully they make mistakes like last week. They still have some players that can spark things out of nothing.
 
Best available team we got so happy with that...
The arrogant chooks believed they just had to turn up to collect 2pts last week... can't see them making the same mistake again...
Should be a good early season gauge on how we fare with one of the prem favourites.. yet, I feel like we're a game or 2 short before taking these fellas on.
Anyway Let's gone...
.
 
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I once read a compelling article about rugby when I was a union fan that players freshly returning from an injury, like Joey Manu is in this game, don’t play well their first game back as they don’t extend themselves due to fear of reinjuring themselves
There is definitely merit to this especially with hamstring and calf muscle injuries.

I still play rugby and have suffered both.

Look at Tommy Turbo at the weekend. He played well, but there were a couple occasions where he was in space and clearly didn’t want to hit a full sprint. He either let himself get tackled or looked for a support player to pass it to
 
Kosi earnt his spot. Wow a leaping back who catches the ball, not seen since Fus, Ken and RTS. Of course Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad doing the same. I didnt think Kosi had that kill though given last year his hands were what let him down. If he continues like this he puts some competition into that position. That is what we need.

Warriors have the type of forward pack I wanted, lean lanky guys with ball playing skills and positional play to run a line between players. Add to that their defensive capability. However what we really need in the reserves is more size, I just dont see a place for any further small forwards with Walker around.

But thats a good thing, we have many players in reserves or playing NSW cup who are good enough to play in First Grade.
 
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That's worth a sneaky bet.
It is, but get in early. Because I'm not sure Radley and/or Cheese will show up.

Roosters are realistically down their whole first-string pack

JWH--Verrils/Cheese---Lodge
----Chrichton----Sitili
----------Radley

But still they have both Turpin and Hutchinson (their two usual hooker subs) on the bench. If Radley is gone, Cheese to 13?

We got to churn up that backup pack.
It's basically Butcher Baker and candlestick maker.

May and Collins are fine, but Baker and White are not props. Get on the front foot and let Egan and Tohu ball-play.
Manu may be gun shy with the cheek, Tupou also looked undercooked.

The Rorters are effectively an unfit trial side with a 50-50 mix of first and 2nd graders. Only Teddy, Manu, Tupou, Sua'alli, Collins, and if they play Radley and Cheese are preferred starters.

Ref watch: Adam Gee. Did the Cowboys/Ricky's Stickies game, don't remember any rubbish calls?
 
Feel kinda flat about team naming at the moment and it is because I haven't got my head into this team yet (too many players I know little about, even ones who played last year, don't feel like we have seen all they can do).
Heart is sold, head not so much, on paper I thought we looked like a horrible side going into this season, and so far we are looking average....don't get me wrong, average is good at this time of year under a new coach.

Also I don't care if we are average, middle of the pack, so long as we keep playing hard, and on that score I am really happy watching us play. The tackle bot pack seems to be working, it worked for Ivan years ago at Mt Smart, it could carry us along.

So half expecting a similar result to when we played the Storm trial, likely be outclassed.

But I do feel as though we have a lot of improvement in us, and It will get more exciting on team naming Tuesday’s when someone like Metcalf is available.

Shaun’s bombs pretty much dictate our whole game at the moment, which limits our potency, limits our chess game, and sadly, at the moment there ain't a lot to replace it with...so no use knocking SJ...his bombs are all our team is prepared to try on, not his fault.
 
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I see webster talking about wrestling so we can compete with slowing the opposition play the ball, but also be able to get out of being held down to play the ball. Intensity etc.

It showed last game, we had them down 3.9s PTB and we were getting up quick at 3.2 sec. That is some really positive indicators.

We had nearly 10metres difference in Avg set distance pinning them to 34metres avg. Good stat.

Line breaks, 8 to 2 for us, which is great, but with this talented team I hope to see it keep growing.

87% completion was a darn good effort with handling the ball in stressful situations.

And for me one of my biggest complaints in last few years is, we have nobody to leap to catch the ball. Kosi and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad were brilliant. We defused 89% of their kicks vs their 58%. A really impressive stat too me.

Lets see if they can improve on that solid start.

Wbby talking simplify the game, pin them in their end and get out of our end quick to get us down their end of the field. Lets see if they can keep that intensity up against one of the best so early in the season this week.
 
Yep, Warriors need to win games no matter how one sided a ref seems, ie Webster talking about learning how to push the refs limit like Melb do, if you get pinged the team then gets a reference point for the tackle and PTB ruck speed control, learn and apply stuff, quite simple.

I like that he hasnt set any goals, he thinks (I agree) that setting something like making the top 8 is selling themselves short. Simply win enough games as possible, aiming to win them all, no matter how good the competition. Whilst I think we are a ways from beating top 4 sides, we definitely have the talent. Its all stuff we have been barking on about for years, self respect, self ownership and analysis to compare with the coach post match, professionalism, self belief etc. Of course there is a lot more technical coaching occuring, but I really like Webbys vision, I have not felt any hope since Cleary in terms of consistency, I feel like Webby is setting us up for consistency every round, every week and then end of season reflect on what we could have one better etc.

Much better than coaches coming in saying its going to take time, we are building a legacy. I think Webby will be around a while and produce a competitive top 4 team. I genuinely believe he believes what he is saying.

Of course we will lose games to better teams in the first year, even big losses prob, but his system is to analyse what you could do better and self ownership to apply xyz skills to the next game.

All the things you see in top 4 clubs he is talking about, something the coaches since Cleary have totally under performed in let alone talking about.

It feels more like a family again rather than a bunch of excuses. We shall see I guess.
 
But our forwards shit on theirs without JWH and Lodge etc. I expect a win by 8 points.
Agree, they get Manu back but losing Lodge and still no JWH is huge as their platform revolves around their enforces.

Will be good to see how their ex Storm players go against us.

SJ as 7 was trying hard to get our team up the field, playing a bit like a 6 testing their line was good to see. I felt like Martin was a bit missing in action, not taking the line on enough, I really would love to see Metcalf play 6 in FG, but they seem to be playing it safe for now.
 
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Metcalf will get his shot and Johnson on the pine soaking up cap. Might as well use the Ferrari before we put it in the garage!

Yeah I feel like that Martin could have done some kicking. It would at a minimum keep opposition guessing, and maybe Johnson loses a bit of pressure.

But SJ for mine doesn't mix the kicking game up much. Comes across robotic. I'm glad he had some hit ups and ran a little bit straighter.
 
Metcalf will get his shot and Johnson on the pine soaking up cap. Might as well use the Ferrari before we put it in the garage!

Yeah I feel like that Martin could have done some kicking. It would at a minimum keep opposition guessing, and maybe Johnson loses a bit of pressure.

But SJ for mine doesn't mix the kicking game up much. Comes across robotic. I'm glad he had some hit ups and ran a little bit straighter.
I'm still a fan of Johnson however I think we treat him like our only kicker. If you have a cleary or DCE then no issue, but he is not that level so we need to share the duties
 
I'm still a fan of Johnson however I think we treat him like our only kicker. If you have a cleary or DCE then no issue, but he is not that level so we need to share the duties
Indeed. People give him flack, but what he does outside trying to take the line on is a standard #7 role of organising the team up the field, especially organising some shape in the back line. When we do not have other kicking options, he looks flustered and puts in a rubbish kick. He always looks better with a supporting half or 9. He does have accuracy in the red zone, but I hope Martin can join in and take some of the workload off him, he really has to own that #6 because he is not the only half around.
 
I'm still a fan of Johnson however I think we treat him like our only kicker. If you have a cleary or DCE then no issue, but he is not that level so we need to share the duties
I am too... looking back at last year... sure the team was camped in Aus ... but the coaching was shit...
This year under Webby he'll find his feet so to speak... we saw glimpses of it v Knights last Friday..
 
Yeah I don't mind Johnson. He just can fix a lot of attacking woe by going at the line as he showed last week. Moving forwards holds everyone inside which means when he passes their next move is reactivr and we all know the ball is faster than the man.

As opposed to when he drifts across to drop under they just follow him across.

I don't doubt he has the skills to put in a good kicking game. I'm just asking for more carioation from him and a few other kicking options.

Egan could work on taking a dab or 4 early in sets here and there.
 
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Just need to target their halves and run at them all day. Without their pack, it makes it’s slightly easier to do. Their halves aren’t big
 
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Feel kinda flat about team naming at the moment and it is because I haven't got my head into this team yet (too many players I know little about, even ones who played last year, don't feel like we have seen all they can do).
Heart is sold, head not so much, on paper I thought we looked like a horrible side going into this season, and so far we are looking average....don't get me wrong, average is good at this time of year under a new coach.

Also I don't care if we are average, middle of the pack, so long as we keep playing hard, and on that score I am really happy watching us play. The tackle bot pack seems to be working, it worked for Ivan years ago at Mt Smart, it could carry us along.

So half expecting a similar result to when we played the Storm trial, likely be outclassed.

But I do feel as though we have a lot of improvement in us, and It will get more exciting on team naming Tuesday’s when someone like Metcalf is available.

Shaun’s bombs pretty much dictate our whole game at the moment, which limits our potency, limits our chess game, and sadly, at the moment there ain't a lot to replace it with...so no use knocking SJ...his bombs are all our team is prepared to try on, not his fault.
yeah, there's nothing really to complain about or discuss, the only wildcard is getting Metcalf in the team and he's out.

They absolutely did not play one-out completion rate junk last weekend, so that's that concern gone.

the kicking on the last was a trash fire for the most part, its not even all johnsons fault, they didn't even look to give it to Te Maire Martin, so he had a man in his face every time, and the wind caught a few of the kicks - but its not hard to make that better.

Just got to play some better teams and see how it looks.
 

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