2 things i dont get about the roosters

[lotm]

justify your team's spending of well over $1m on their pl and flegg sides however you wish. the fact remains that i believe the roosters offered soward far more than the raiders could match for a flegg player.

laugh away...the seasons over...youve got a couple of months before the tears return.

:lol: @ finch being your chief playmaker.

 

[Broncodroid]

1) The spent good money on firman a good player, while they have a superstar in the making in Flegg that kid soward could make the step up next season. Remember if their good enough their old enough.
2) All these great outside backs they have in the lower grades yet they play hodges and walker in the grand final. Gavin Lester killed it in PL i really think that was a huge huge error.

I dont get them they have all this talent yet they open the cheque book for Mini Monas, Amos and Firman. What kind of message does it send to these kids in flegg and pl.

It is not a crime nor against the rules of any NRL club to stock their playing roster as well have a talented junior depth. Fact is, a player like Firman wants to be a Rooster and join a successful club that will put him in a position to challenge for a NRL premiership. Will he be apart of the puzzle ? That remains to be seen in 2005, the likelyhood is yes he will.

"if their good enough their old enough.

The above is true, though IMO there would be some concern on Soward who underachieved on a stage that was set for him on GF Day. Apart from the game winning FG, he was overshadowed by his half and the kid named Porter who joins Sydney City in 2005.

No, one game is not what I am basing the above on, I saw him play a handful ofgames this season in which he did star...I must say though, the opposition in front of him had a lot to answer for and he was apart of one of the most impressive junior teams I have seen. Take nothing from the kid, it is not his problem the opponents were inferior, but I feel the next step would be a few games in PL not rushing him along given the Roosters will have Finch, Firman and Flannery to experiment with.

The last point you make is easy to ask in hindsight when questioning Stuart about his selection of Walker and Hodges. Stuart simply played 2 former S.O.O. players ahead of a host of decent premiere league players. I would wager the other 15 coaches in the NRL would do the same in the biggest game of the year.

 

[Raider_69]

it appears 2 storys on Soward have emerged

1. Soward wasnt wanted and was picked up by the roosters for a 6 figure sum, why would you pay an unwanted kid a 6 figure sum to play Flegg?

or

2. Raiders offered soward a contract it just didnt match the 6 figure sum easts offered to him, raiders wouldnt budge and family took this as a sign that he wasnt wanted

You decide

 

[Generalissimo Stalin]

it appears 2 storys on Soward have emerged

1. Soward wasnt wanted and was picked up by the roosters for a 6 figure sum, why would you pay an unwanted kid a 6 figure sum to play Flegg?

or

2. Raiders offered soward a contract it just didnt match the 6 figure sum easts offered to him, raiders wouldnt budge and family took this as a sign that he wasnt wanted

You decide

:roll:

yes and there's red's under every bed too???

 

[KFC]

iI don't care why Soward's at Easts I'm just happy he is

 

[Raider_69]

iI don't care why Soward's at Easts I'm just happy he is

yep fair call
im not bagging easts, shit, i wish our club wasnt so stingy, we could have a future combination of 6. Soward and 7. Carney
IMO they made a big mistake not matching the offer easts made him but cant change that now, i hope the kid can come through and make easts likeable again.... so long as finch gets dropped thou ;-)

 

[hrundi99]

The Raiders have Carney and Zillman as halves prospects, so Soward wasn't necessarily the top priority.

 

[borat]

The last point you make is easy to ask in hindsight when questioning Stuart about his selection of Walker and Hodges. Stuart simply played 2 former S.O.O. players ahead of a host of decent premiere league players. I would wager the other 15 coaches in the NRL would do the same in the biggest game of the year.

Spot on. It must be so fustrating for Roosters supporters to see Walker as he does many good things during a game and throughout the season, like the GF try he scored, yet he chokes when the pressure is on. The decision Ricky will have to make in next year is do you put your faith in the guy who is performing relatively well during the season knowing his capacity to choke under pressure come finals time. I think Walker needs to spend a bit of time with a shrink to get him mentally prepared for games because this is where he is letting himself down.

Gavin Lester might have had a decent PL grand final but he was a Reggie at the dogs and he had his chance in first grade with the Roosters and couldn't hold the spot down.

 

[Raider_69]

The Raiders have Carney and Zillman as halves prospects, so Soward wasn't necessarily the top priority.

yea fair point
but geez, still wouldnt mind have Jamie in our ranks
imagine having Carney, Dobson, Zillman and Soward come through in the halves, we could take our pick :lol:

 

[borat]

The Raiders have Carney and Zillman as halves prospects, so Soward wasn't necessarily the top priority.

yea fair point
but geez, still wouldnt mind have Jamie in our ranks
imagine having Carney, Dobson, Zillman and Soward come through in the halves, we could take our pick :lol:

Geez Canberra seem to have endless numbers of halves potentials without really producing anything or they leave before they realise any of their potential.

 

[Raider_69]

The Raiders have Carney and Zillman as halves prospects, so Soward wasn't necessarily the top priority.

yea fair point
but geez, still wouldnt mind have Jamie in our ranks
imagine having Carney, Dobson, Zillman and Soward come through in the halves, we could take our pick :lol:

Geez Canberra seem to have endless numbers of halves potentials without really producing anything or they leave before they realise any of their potential.

we had a massive drought after Stuart and Daley, with the best of them being McLinden, McFadden and Monaghan but now we seem to have been inundated with them... we have 4 or 5 solid half potentials, im banking on at least 2 of them to be the real deal. My Tip: Carney and Zillman

Campeese is born to be a lock ;-)

 

[borat]

we had a massive drought after Stuart and Daley, with the best of them being McLinden, McFadden and Monaghan but now we seem to have been inundated with them... we have 4 or 5 solid half potentials, im banking on at least 2 of them to be the real deal. My Tip: Carney and Zillman

Campeese is born to be a lock ;-)

It just seems that every year the Raiders have these young halves coming through the ranks that are tipped to be the next big things but just never turn out that way. I remeber when the two macs were being touted as being potential internationals and look at them now.

 

[Raider_69]

yea exactly, but none of the macs had the wraps on them this lot have, especially Carney and Zillman, Campese has wraps but really one because of name sake and Dobson is an iffy, also Luke Jay is gonna be another name to add to the list of hookers that have gone through our ranks... some handy names in that list too

if all goes to plan the future for canberra is

6. Zillman
7. Carney
9. Jay
13. Campese

 

[miketyson]

Ive only seen soward play once in the gf the other day ...

He looks to have a good kicking game..

But not much else.. Didn't seem to me to take over/control the game..

I thought his opposite porter from the sharks had a much better game who incidently has also signed with the roosters for next year..

 

[eagleangel]

they have a superstar in the making in Flegg that kid soward could make the step up next season.

firstly, he's almost 20 ... hardly a kid. secondly, the step from flegg to first grade is enormous. this isn't about age - this is about experience. he's only played a handful of premier league matches. don't expect soward to play a significant role in the first grade side next season.

brett stewart made that step from flegg to first grade in less than a season but stewy is uber speshal tho..

 

[dice]

1) Soward is small in stature and inexperienced
2) Lester's defence is atrocious.

 

[Roosters Grim Reaper]

For those who havnt seen Soward play he is some thing special,he will make the grade soon i see 2006 year as being his break through year.
I was there when they picked up Soward, the kid wanted a trial run he played against newcastle in the preseason in first grade, had a blinder was signed that day.
He wasnt poached he approached the club.

 

[ngap]

To think this is Soward's second year of league. Before 2003 all he had played was touch footy.

 

[pyro]

I dont get them they have all this talent yet they open the cheque book for Mini Monas, Amos and Firman. What kind of message does it send to these kids in flegg and pl.

It sends the message that the Roosters are looking for the Premiership that has eluded them for 2 seasons. They bought well. You can't replace Brad Fittler with a kid out of Flegg like Jamie Soward. Don't get me wrong, Soward is good. But Firman will lessen the blow of losing Freddy.
With Monaghan and Roberts, i think the opportunity to buy 2 great outside backs presented itself and the Roosters couldn't turn it down.

 

[Mal Meninga]

With Carney and Soward in the halves last season for SG Ball, how much did the Raiders win the comp by?