May squeeeeze into the top 4 if u adjust to life 'Post-Freddie' and - I reckon 6th if not...
So striking a happy medium, I'm saying - 5th!
Semis time is where you'll REALLY feel the pinch tho!...And all potentially biased animosity aside - I honestly think THIS is where we'll see the Roosters struggle! When the temperature rises, and the pressure is on...it's a whole different ball game!...And you have lost not only your most influential player talent-wise, of course...but your club skipper & mentor in Fittler....It will take you more than a season to get over that, after relying so heavily on him for so long....PL & Flegg titles are all well & good - and thet talent's THERE no doubt - but speaking as a supporter of a side that has won a SWAG of Flegg titles in the past 5-6 years - and a PL title in 2001 - Approximately 99.6% of that talent takes quite some time to develop into first grade standard 'killers'...That Soward sounds a prodigious talent from all reports...But 'Freddies' do not just grow on trees u know!?! ;-)
We lost our skipper for eg...And we will miss his personality, and inspirational 'Follow-Me!' type leadership on the field, and his cool head & intelligent mentoring off of it - But we can replace him almost immediately talent-wise...Asotasi is a prop-forward on the way UP in a hurry!...And O'Meley is damn close already to being the premier week-in week-out prop in the game...And we have a couple of dead keen youngsters vying for Roy's vacant bench spot!..And having discarded last year's Premiers and then rolling on to knock off this season's Minor Premiers in successive weeks WITHOUT him on the field...bodes well for our club!
Also with so many new players slotting into new positions - the likes of Monaghan, Roberts, Firman...and the potential switch of Finch to 5/8th...this is all FURTHER re-adjustment.
Anyways....2005 is now here!...So soon enuff - We shall see
...Seeya @ Tesltra in Round 6!...And we'll see if we can't go one try better & put
50 on ya at home this time!! ;-)