Match Discussion: Round 18 vs Roosters @ Sydney Cricket Ground

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2020 - Round 18
Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights
Sydney Cricket Ground, Moore Park
Saturday 12 September 2020

Kickoff 7:35pm - Fox

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Josh Morris 4. Joseph Manu 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. Isaac Liu
Interchange: 14. Nat Butcher 15. Lindsay Collins 16. Angus Crichton 17. Sonny Bill Williams 18. Poasa Faamausili 19. Mitchell Aubusson 20. Freddy Lussick 21. Ryan Hall

1. Tex Hoy 2. Edrick Lee 3. Enari Tuala 4. Gehamat Shibasaki 5. Starford To'a 6. Mason Lino 7. Mitchell Pearce 8. David Klemmer 9. Kurt Mann 10. Jacob Saifiti 11. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 12. Aidan Guerra 13. Herman Ese'ese
Interchange: 14. Phoenix Crossland 15. Daniel Saifiti 16. Josh King 17. Brodie Jones 18. Sione Mata'utia 19. Pasami Saulo 20. Tautau Moga 21. Chris Randall

Referees: Ashley Klein
Sideline Officials: Chris Butler, Chris Sutton
Video Referees: Jared Maxwell, Beau Scott

​

 

[PhilGould]

Ponga set to be rested according to Toohey

 

[Frederick]

Ponga set to be rested according to Toohey

Couple of others too possibly.

Maybe Barnett (sternum) and Guerra (old age)

Hoy
Toa/Lee
Tuala
Shibasaki
Hunt
Lino
Pearce
Daifiti
Mann
Klemmer
Fitzgibbon
Sione
Herman

Crossland/Randall
Jaifiti
King
Jones

 

[Old dog]

I’d have Jake ahead of Dan

 

[Spot On]

No rest for Pearce?

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

I guess O'Brien knows we're just gonna get flogged anyway, may as well give them a spell

 

[Knight Vision]

Ponga set to be rested according to Toohey

wow. If that's the case we may as well rest Pearce and Barny is playing injured as well.

 

[Spot On]

I guess O'Brien knows we're just gonna get flogged anyway, may as well give them a spell

Yep.

 

[Knight76]

Might be a smart ploy by the coach. Not wanting to damage the teams confidence with a possible belting by a premiership contender near full strength. Rest some key players and have an excuse in the bag. Build to the semi's from there.

May as well give Pearce the week off with his shoulder, and Barny with his sternum issue as well. They really could use it prior to finals, and no point resting them in a game later that we need to win.

 

[Jono078]

I don’t know if this is the right game to rest them.

a big team effort and win here would give us some serious confidence going into the finals.

But I guess on the other hand don’t use the energy all on this game, rest up and put in a good final 5-6 weeks.

It’s finals time ladies and gents - get excited!

 

[Yosh]

No Ponga... We in for a flogging?

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

No Ponga... We in for a flogging?

We would have been in for one with Ponga anyway

 

[Knight Vision]

We would have been in for one with Ponga anyway

indeed, the quality of play and just as importantly the enthusiasm to win that was on display in the Roosters v Raiders game is something I've yet to see from this team.

 

[Still Nutty]

Assuming the coach gets his way and Ponga is rested...

I'd like to see Starford Toa get the gig (ahead of Hoy) with Lee coming back on the wing - I know the full back role is a major step up and it would be a bit of a baptism of fire against the Roosters but I think he has handled his time in first grade very well so far and doesn't seem to be overawed by the situation.

Will be interesting to see the team lists on Tuesday...

 

[Spot On]

indeed, the quality of play and just as importantly the enthusiasm to win that was on display in the Roosters v Raiders game is something I've yet to see from this team.

...light years in difference wasn't it.

 

[Knight Vision]

...light years in difference wasn't it.

They're in a completely different postcode. The Roosters and Canberra would have put 40 on the Sharks by half time.

Having said that we're a young team and a work in progress, they've had basically the same roster now for years.

 

[AusKnightRKO]

Assuming the coach gets his way and Ponga is rested...

I'd like to see Starford Toa get the gig (ahead of Hoy) with Lee coming back on the wing - I know the full back role is a major step up and it would be a bit of a baptism of fire against the Roosters but I think he has handled his time in first grade very well so far and doesn't seem to be overawed by the situation.

Will be interesting to see the team lists on Tuesday...

I think star will be fantastic for us, but if we push him to FB, Whilst we have an actual FB sitting waiting, it’s a first class ticket to losing the best young players we have.

 

[Yosh]

Star has been great on the wing. I think keeping him there will help with his development a lot more. We're going to have a devastating left attack with Best and Toa for years to come.

Surely it's Hoy at fullback. From what I have seen from Hoy, he seems much more in the Tedesco mold than Ponga is. Hope we see a lot of support runs from Hoy this weekend.

 

[Tom155]

I think star will be fantastic for us, but if we push him to FB, Whilst we have an actual FB sitting waiting, it’s a first class ticket to losing the best young players we have.

Star is a fullback as well, played #1 for the junior kiwis last year & was excellent scored 2 tries

 

[NoSchitSherlock]

O'Brien is also claiming he might just give Ponga a break from some training. He's undecided. It depends on how best the other staff think they can get his recovery up.