2020 R20 Fri - Rabbitohs 60-8 Roosters @ ANZ

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2020 - Round 20
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters
ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park
Friday 25 September 2020

Kickoff 7:55pm - Nine / Fox

1. Corey Allan 2. Alex Johnston 3. Campbell Graham 4. Dane Gagai 5. Jaxson Paulo 6. Cody Walker 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Liam Knight 9. Damien Cook 10. Thomas Burgess 11. Jed Cartwright 12. Bayley Sironen 13. Cameron Murray
Interchange: 14. Mark Nicholls 15. Hame Sele 16. Patrick Mago 17. Keaon Koloamatangi 18. Tevita Tatola 19. Jack Johns 20. Troy Dargan 21. Cory Denniss

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Josh Morris 4. Mitchell Aubusson 5. Brett Morris 6. Luke Keary 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Friend 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Boyd Cordner 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Angus Crichton
Interchange: 14. Lachlan Lam 15. Poasa Faamausili 16. Nat Butcher 17. Sonny Bill Williams 18. Matt Ikuvalu 19. Daniel Fifita 20. Freddy Lussick 21. Ryan Hall

Referees: Gerard Sutton
Sideline Officials: Chris Butler, Dave Munro
Video Referees: Ashley Klein

​

 

[blue bags]

a draw, twenty min extra time

 

[Valheru]

Expecting Keary and Manu to be rested and maybe a couple of others.

It will be tight either way.

 

[Cogburn]

I reckon Robinson will hit the go button with a full strength team on Friday night. A full on finals rehearsal.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

I reckon Robinson will hit the go button with a full strength team on Friday night. A full on finals rehearsal.

I dunno mate. This’ll just give the opposition a more valuable video session ahead of the finals, wouldn’t it? Plus you’re risking injuries to key players for a nothing game. Agree with Valheru. Reckon Friend will get another week off with Freddy getting more valuable game time too.

 

[GongPanther]

Souths forward pack has Bennet feeling very restless. They'll lose this match, then win their first finals game, then it's goodnight Irene for their next qualifying final.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I dunno mate. This’ll just give the opposition a more valuable video session ahead of the finals, wouldn’t it? Plus you’re risking injuries to key players for a nothing game. Agree with Valheru. Reckon Friend will get another week off with Freddy getting more valuable game time too.

After Saturday night's performance I doubt anyone will be rested at all. He will want the team firing on all cylinders, especially in defence. You don't do that by resting players. All key players have had a rest, heck Keary is only 3 weeks back he does not need a rest. Injuries can happen anytime, if you are that afraid of them then you'd never play anyone as the risk is always there.

You can't chop and change all the time, rest players, and then come finals expect combinations to magically jell when you pick your first string team.

 

[Babyface O'reilly]

After Saturday night's performance I doubt anyone will be rested at all. He will want the team firing on all cylinders, especially in defence. You don't do that by resting players. All key players have had a rest, heck Keary is only 3 weeks back he does not need a rest. Injuries can happen anytime, if you are that afraid of them then you'd never play anyone as the risk is always there.

You can't chop and change all the time, rest players, and then come finals expect combinations to magically jell when you pick your first string team.

Didn’t Robbo rest players last round last year?

 

[Valheru]

After Saturday night's performance I doubt anyone will be rested at all. He will want the team firing on all cylinders, especially in defence. You don't do that by resting players. All key players have had a rest, heck Keary is only 3 weeks back he does not need a rest. Injuries can happen anytime, if you are that afraid of them then you'd never play anyone as the risk is always there.

You can't chop and change all the time, rest players, and then come finals expect combinations to magically jell when you pick your first string team.

Joey has only had the one game rest this year so expecting him to be out.

Cordner won't play

I don't see any value at all in playing Keary for this match.

Everyone else should play. If Knights win the earlier game then the air might come out of the souths tyres as well as they will only be able to finish 7th.

 

[The_Frog]

I dunno mate. This’ll just give the opposition a more valuable video session ahead of the finals, wouldn’t it? Plus you’re risking injuries to key players for a nothing game. Agree with Valheru. Reckon Friend will get another week off with Freddy getting more valuable game time too.

Teams who are a threat to the Roosters have plenty of footage to look at already. It's well understood what they can do, the thing is to stop it.

This game comes down to whether the Roosters are happy to travel to Brisbane in week 1 of the finals. It's not good that they can gain an advantage by losing and I'm sure the NRL integrity goons will be watching carefully.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I’d say the Roosters are the one team who wouldn’t give a flying F who they play in any game. Sure they may rest a few players, and may have one eye on the finals, but there’s no way in hell they’d be thinking ‘I’d rather play ____ then ____’

Souths will certainly be taking the game more seriously, and it wouldn’t Suprise me if they get the win, however it won’t matter in another weeks time

 

[Valheru]

Teams who are a threat to the Roosters have plenty of footage to look at already. It's well understood what they can do, the thing is to stop it.

This game comes down to whether the Roosters are happy to travel to Brisbane in week 1 of the finals. It's not good that they can gain an advantage by losing and I'm sure the NRL integrity goons will be watching carefully.

Doubtful

How can they possibly tell a team that they have gained an advantage by having to play a higher ranked team in week 1 of the finals?

 

[Captain Apollo]

Didn’t Robbo rest players last round last year?

Yes he did, but unlike last year the injury toll was nowhere near as bad as this year. If you have a look at injuries/rests this year -

James Tedesco - Rested last game;
Daniel Tupou - Injured for 8 weeks. Resumed playing in Round 16 v Brisbane;
Josh Morris - Injured for 2 weeks. Resumed playing in Round 14 v Melbourne;
Joseph Manu - Uninjured. Has played all 19 games to date (Round 7 and 19 at fullback, all others at centre);
Brett Morris - Injured for at least 3 weeks. Resumed playing in Round 15 v Wests Tigers;
Luke Keary - Injured for 2 weeks. Resumed playing in Round 17 v Canberra;
Jared Warea-Hargreaves - Was out injured earlier in the year due to a calf problem. Rested for the game against the Knights in Round 18. Resumed playing in Round 19;
Jake Friend - Injured earlier in the year. Rested in Round 19. Available for selection in Round 20;
Siosiua Taukeiaho - Rested in Round 19. Available for selection in Round 20;
Boyd Cordner - Been out injured a number of times, only playing 10 matches to date. Rested in Round 19. Expected to be available for selection in Round 20;
Angus Crichton - Missed 5 weeks through injury. Resumed playing in Round 17 v Canberra;
Mitchell Aubusson - Missed 3 weeks with injury. Resumed playing in Round 18 v Newcastle;
Isaac Lui - Out injured for 2 weeks. Resumed playing in Round 10 v Canberra;
Sitili Tupouniua - Last didn't play in Round 4. Resumed playing in Round 5 v Canterbury but didn't become a regular starting player until Round 11 v St George-Illawarra.

Thus when you read that, there are not many players in need of a rest. You could make a good case for Isaac and Joseph Manu. The others? Not really.

Also as to Keary being rested, yeah that's a great way to get SBW used to playing with Keary for the final eh?

 

[Danish]

Teams who are a threat to the Roosters have plenty of footage to look at already. It's well understood what they can do, the thing is to stop it.

This game comes down to whether the Roosters are happy to travel to Brisbane in week 1 of the finals. It's not good that they can gain an advantage by losing and I'm sure the NRL integrity goons will be watching carefully.

Your fear is showing

 

[The_Frog]

Doubtful

How can they possibly tell a team that they have gained an advantage by having to play a higher ranked team in week 1 of the finals?

We've been reading all year what a disadvantage travelling is.

 

[Valheru]

We've been reading all year what a disadvantage travelling is.

Not from us.

If we have to travel week 1, so be it. To prevent that we had to finish top 2 and we fell short.

 

[yobbo84]

I'd be resting Adam Reynolds, Tom Burgess and Cam Murray. All our focus should be on the Knights now. No use putting in the classic "Round 26" win vs the Roosters only to get belted by them later in the finals. Any chance of finishing 6th went out the window losing to the Dogs (Titans won't beat the Knights) so this game is essentially meaningless.

 

[footy75]

Dead rubber. Restathon.

 

[Captain Apollo]

The below is from - https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/09/22/round-20-nrl-squad-announcements/

 

[Mr Spock!]

Rabbits team might depend on the game before.

Knights win and its a dead game.