i want to actually read a roosters fan post whether they are happy pearceoff is gone.
i still cannot believe they let him go. he is a tremendous first grade halfback who is now at the age where they are at their best.
cronk at best has 2 years left including this one & he is starting to run on empty. pearceoff possibly has 5-6 years.
pearceoff may not have been cut out for origin, but he's a top draw first grade half.
i'll bet cronk behind the nsw pack for the last 10 years would have looked ordinary too.
mind boggling.
Opinions are obviously mixed.
I think our retention and recruitment has been f**ked since 2015, with the Pearce release one of a number of bad decisions.
Pearce for Cronk is a sideways move in terms of talent. Obviously, Cronk is the better player with a more distinguished career. Pearce has his flaws and has certainly had big games where he hasn't stepped up, something Cronk is very rarely accused of.
BUT
1. The difference between the 2 players is not enough to compensate for clear deficiencies elsewhere through the side - the coach's 2014 gameplan, the hooker going backwards at an alarming rate, most of the forward pack being has-beens or overrated nuffies. These flaws are limiting Cronk's ability to do anything. His calm game was built off the back of Smith and his forward pack's platform giving him all the time in the world. Everything the Roosters are doing now looks both rushed AND too slow at the same time.
2. Again in respect to the talent difference between the two - You have to wonder how Pearce would be seen if he spent the last 10 years in the Storm and QLD setup being fed by Smith. In those games where Cronk does have a shocker or go missing (and they do exist) he's always had Smith and Slater to likely snatch the game anyway. Not so at the Roosters.
3. Pearce was a devoted clubman and 250odd game player for us. Again, the difference between the two players is not enough to justify punting him. We gambled a favourite son with 5 years left in him for the chance to go 1 game better in Cronk's 2 year lifespan. Even a top roster is no guarantee to get through the finals gauntlet. That chance is looking slimmer by the day, for 2018 at least.
The roosters wanted to keep Pearce to learn under Cronk but he chose to leave. Tbh Pearce needed a fresh start. The roosters fell 1 game short every year and pearce, along with a few forwards, were to blame.
As mentioned earlier, the roosters, storm and broncos have started slow while the dragons, warriors and tigers have put all their cards on the table early and have come out flying. I can 100% guarentee you these teams won't be on top come semi final time.
Do people seriously think Clearly, Kearney and McGregor are out couching Robinson, Bennet and Bellamy? The smart teams and smart coaches hide their aces up their sleeve until later in the season.
Please, no 28 year old rep half is sticking around as an understudy. Not one decent half in the comp would cop that.
As for your prediction, Dragons Warriors and Tigers have shown enough to suggest they'll be thereabouts in September.
Without comment on Bennett and Bellamy, Robinson is absolutely being out-couched now. He's at risk of becoming another Sticky or Hasler.
Fans are jumping off the Robinson bandwagon quickly, it won't be long until Politis does too unless results turn quickly.
