2020 SF 1 - Roosters 18-22 Raiders @ SCG

[Nealo 12]

This is it folks

The big one

The grand final replay

The latte sippers versus those good old country boys

But you already knew that

Teddy , James Tedesco, how good is he ?!

And Jacky boy , Jack Wighton, isn't he a footy player ?

And just to put the cherry on top , these 2 coaches plain don't like each other

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves , old JWH , takes on his nemesis Big Papa , Josh Papalii again !!

Don't you just love it when the big boys get it on ?!

It'll be a battle of attrition, a real humdinger

And it's all ad free live on Fox League

You’ve done all his homework ffs !

 

[BadnMean]

As for the actual game... we've not played a good first 40 minutes in an age
This will be a carbon copy of the panthers game if we do that again, it'll be all over bar the crying by halftime
We cant afford a slow start, the roosters are too good to let us get away with that.

We've got the ability to beat them, and i think if we played at our absolute best we woud. But i havent seen this Raiders team put together a high quality 80 minute performance in some time. No reason to expect it now, and that's what it would take to beat the roosters.

IMO the Raiders gameplan involves throwing bodies again & again back into towards the ruck in the first half to build fatigue- forcing double & triple tackle efforts from oppo middles, in an effort to exploit that later with powerful dummy half runners & a mobile, hole hitting bench of Young, CHN & Starling. Yes every team does this, but Raiders to an almost obsessive degree.

So the start will always look like a struggle & we'll seem to battle for yards as we bash repeat tackling efforts into opposition middles. If we drop the ball it looks awful. But it's removed the faders tag to the point we have the best last 20m in the comp, we just need to hang tough in defence to stay in touch.

 

[nick87]

Yeah that's not going to cut it this week
Refer: panthers game, over at halftime

We show up expecting to come over the top and getting dominated in the first half, and we're cooked.

 

[Nealo 12]

First scorer loses ... you know that’s how it works now.

 

[BadnMean]

Yeah that's not going to cut it this week
Refer: panthers game, over at halftime

We show up expecting to come over the top and getting dominated in the first half, and we're cooked.

I'm not sure it's a great comparison as several members of our side had barely played a FG game at that point & we were still reeling from the loss of (who had been) 3 key middles, with unfit players replacing them.

We're now 2 months later & the W/L's & points scoring show a Raiders team that has found a way to play & a lineup that REALLY suits a bash 'em early, cut 'em later approach (Starling, Young & CHN off the bench). Yes we had them R13, but they'd been out of the game for 6-18 months each basically- recent performances support that they are much improved now.

Of course we don't want to be dominated first half. Roosters have enough firepower to hurt any team . Top 4 teams do. But they've conceded 90 points in a fortnight- Money Bill has proven a liability and they are not the team they once were. Any team that concedes 90 points a fortnight at finals time has a few weaknesses you don't associate with relentless premiership forces of yesteryear.

 

[The_Frog]

I’ll take the $2.65 on offer, the chooks have lost to all the top 4 teams barring parra, and are a shadow of the past two years.

They've actually lost to all the remaining teams, except Parra. Some of them twice. Their record against the top sides this year is poor. The Raiders will test them to the limit.

 

[BradParkerTheGoat]

We have won 3 of our last 4 games against the Storm...

Fair enough, but I'm more looking at it from a much longer history. Whats the raiders overall winning % against the purple dicks, like 38%?.... whereas the chooks are more like 50%.
Storm will be at full strength too (maybe minus Munster).

 

[magpie_man]

I think the Roosters psychologically threw all their chips on the table at Penrith Friday night (and very nearly pulled it off) but they're going to struggle to mentally get up again for this one.
Canberra were guilty of already having one eye on Sydney for next week and then getting the yips, hence their abysmal start. Once they actually got their heads in the game they absolutely toyed with Cronulla.
The only way I see Canberra losing this one is if they somehow get the yips again and play the Roosters into the game.

 

[Danish]

This is it folks

The big one

The grand final replay

The latte sippers versus those good old country boys

But you already knew that

Teddy , James Tedesco, how good is he ?!

And Jacky boy , Jack Wighton, isn't he a footy player ?

And just to put the cherry on top , these 2 coaches plain don't like each other

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves , old JWH , takes on his nemesis Big Papa , Josh Papalii again !!

Don't you just love it when the big boys get it on ?!

It'll be a battle of attrition, a real humdinger

And it's all ad free live on Fox League

reads pretty well.

just forgot the overarching storyline of “redemption” after the “robbery” in 2019

 

[The_Frog]

I'm not sure it's a great comparison as several members of our side had barely played a FG game at that point & we were still reeling from the loss of (who had been) 3 key middles, with unfit players replacing them.

We're now 2 months later & the W/L's & points scoring show a Raiders team that has found a way to play & a lineup that REALLY suits a bash 'em early, cut 'em later approach (Starling, Young & CHN off the bench). Yes we had them R13, but they'd been out of the game for 6-18 months each basically- recent performances support that they are much improved now.

Of course we don't want to be dominated first half. Roosters have enough firepower to hurt any team . Top 4 teams do. But they've conceded 90 points in a fortnight- Money Bill has proven a liability and they are not the team they once were. Any team that concedes 90 points a fortnight at finals time has a few weaknesses you don't associate with relentless premiership forces of yesteryear.

This side smothered you three tries to one only a month ago. They'll be looking to do exactly the same again.

 

[Rhyno]

Roosters by 10

 

[edabomb]

This is it folks

The big one

The grand final replay

The latte sippers versus those good old country boys

But you already knew that

Teddy , James Tedesco, *how good is he ?!* GENTLE CHUCKLE HERE

And Jacky boy , Jack Wighton, isn't he a footy player ?

And just to put the cherry on top , these 2 coaches plain don't like each other

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves , old JWH , takes on his nemesis Big Papa , Josh Papalii again !!

Don't you just love it when the big boys get it on ?!

It'll be a battle of attrition, a real humdinger

And it's all ad free live on Fox League

I have added in the weekly chuckle while speaking. I don't trust Nable to adlib that.

 

[The_Frog]

I have added in the weekly chuckle while speaking. I don't trust Nable to adlib that.

Excellent addition. Footage of him going for the Luai kick that Cleary scored from. Smug I know.

 

[ACTPanthers]

I'm going to have to tip the Raiders in this one (because the missus is watching and she'll kill me if I tip the Roosters)

 

[BadnMean]

reads pretty well.

just forgot the overarching storyline of “redemption” after the “robbery” in 2019

Maybe some, "And this time, Sonny Bill will have his say..."

 

[BadnMean]

This side smothered you three tries to one only a month ago. They'll be looking to do exactly the same again.

Of course they will. But like I said, one side has leaked 60 points & 30 points since then. Seems a bit leaky for a smother.

 

[GongPanther]

As for the actual game... we've not played a good first 40 minutes in an age
This will be a carbon copy of the panthers game if we do that again, it'll be all over bar the crying by halftime
We cant afford a slow start, the roosters are too good to let us get away with that.

We've got the ability to beat them, and i think if we played at our absolute best we woud. But i havent seen this Raiders team put together a high quality 80 minute performance in some time. No reason to expect it now, and that's what it would take to beat the roosters.

Unlike our game v Easts last Friday, if your lot are completely error free and are disciplined throughout the game, you will win.

Easts only got close to us because we played our worse game of the year to be honest.

 

[BadnMean]

Unlike our game v Easts last Friday, if your lot are completely error free and are disciplined throughout the game, you will win.

Easts only got close to us because we played our worse game of the year to be honest.

Are you still talking about the #$@*ing Panthers?

 

[GongPanther]

Are you still talking about the #$@*ing Panthers?

Everyone is talking about the #$@*ing Panthers. Seriously, it was a point of the conversation in how I think the Raiders can beat the Roosters. Glad to help.

 

[The_Frog]

Of course they will. But like I said, one side has leaked 60 points & 30 points since then. Seems a bit leaky for a smother.

The 60 can be safely ignored. They neither needed nor wanted to win that game and their primary concern was not to get injured. Last Friday they were fair dinkum though, and they did leak 5 tries in 33 minutes before stemming the bleeding. This is not like them. But I do think you'll get a very hard, tough struggle, and maybe the Raiders are in a good position having had a rest followed by a less demanding finals game.