Match Discussion: Round 18 vs Roosters @ Sydney Cricket Ground

[alexwilliams_66692007]

May need an Indian ghost dance for this one

 

[Frederick]

Ponga, Barnett, hunt rested
Jones extended bench

Hoy, daifiti, Sione and Lee all back in
Pearce and Klem given extra days off this week to freshen up

Hoy
Toa
Shiba
Tuala
Lee
Lino
Pearce
Klem
Mann
Dan
Guerra
Fitz
Herman

Phoenix
Jacob
King
Sione

(My guess, not official team)

 

[ryana87]

Obviously not good news, but Boyd Cordner missing the match to be with his cousin in hospital for the next couple of weeks

 

[Old dog]

Obviously not good news, but Boyd Cordner missing the match to be with his cousin in hospital for the next couple of weeks

SBW might get more minutes

 

[Old dog]

Like to see JSaf starting and Dan on bench but either way is ok

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Official squad vs Roosters:

TEAM

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

 

[alexwilliams_66692007]

Roosters have named a full strength team

 

[Mr_Knightside]

I don’t mind this plan from AOB. Whilst we are going to miss a few of these guys this week I don’t think we have a hope in hell of beating the chooks anyway so it’s good to freshen a few guys up. I’d rather lose this game but have a better shot at winning our first finals game rather than competing hard in this game (and probably still losing) and then having a bunch of battered players getting thrashed in the first week of the playoffs.

 

[perverse]

It really depends on what our intentions are for the rest of the year as to whether resting players now is a good move or not. If our intentions are to win a premiership, I think it's a bit misguided. I can see the thought pattern behind it - and coming from successful systems that are already firing on all cylinders it probably makes sense for AOB. If you're at/near the top of the ladder and have a well oiled machine then you just need to make sure everyone is fresh for the finals and let the team do the rest.

However, if you're on the lower side of the ladder and want to make an impact in the finals you need to hit the finals in top form. You need to have momentum and belief. In our context, I think a close loss to the Roosters at full strength serves us much better than a flogging with some players rested. I think it's very unrealistic and idealistic to think that from our position, and with our form line that we can suddenly switch on and play our best football when we hit the finals without building to it. These 3 or 4 weeks pre-finals are critical for us if we want to give it a shake, and yeah I'm not massive on resting blokes for this one tbh. I can see the logic and it's understandable - but I don't think it necessarily translates to better form in the finals for us.

Ultimately, the teams that head into the finals in top form are the ones most likely to make an impact. You can't just switch form on and off like a tap. Our win against the Sharks was a good first step to that.

Having said all of this, if we go out and compete with the Roosters without our best on the field - then it's a moot point and AOB looks like a genius. So it's a bit of a roll of the dice, really. Let's see how it pans out, but I'd be inclined to soften their training workload and/or rest against weaker opposition personally.

Edit - and just based on what I've said above - for a good many of our players this week is the biggest game of their careers thus far. I hope to see them play like it.

 

[Mr_Knightside]

It really depends on what our intentions are for the rest of the year as to whether resting players now is a good move or not. If our intentions are to win a premiership, I think it's a bit misguided. I can see the thought pattern behind it - and coming from successful systems that are already firing on all cylinders it probably makes sense for AOB. If you're at/near the top of the ladder and have a well oiled machine then you just need to make sure everyone is fresh for the finals and let the team do the rest.

However, if you're on the lower side of the ladder and want to make an impact in the finals you need to hit the finals in top form. You need to have momentum and belief. In our context, I think a close loss to the Roosters at full strength serves us much better than a flogging with some players rested. I think it's very unrealistic and idealistic to think that from our position, and with our form line that we can suddenly switch on and play our best football when we hit the finals without building to it. These 3 or 4 weeks pre-finals are critical for us if we want to give it a shake, and yeah I'm not massive on resting blokes for this one tbh. I can see the logic and it's understandable - but I don't think it necessarily translates to better form in the finals for us.

Ultimately, the teams that head into the finals in top form are the ones most likely to make an impact. You can't just switch form on and off like a tap. Our win against the Sharks was a good first step to that.

Having said all of this, if we go out and compete with the Roosters without our best on the field - then it's a moot point and AOB looks like a genius. So it's a bit of a roll of the dice, really. Let's see how it pans out, but I'd be inclined to soften their training workload and/or rest against weaker opposition personally.

Edit - and just based on what I've said above - for a good many of our players this week is the biggest game of their careers thus far. I hope to see them play like it.

Yeah it’s a tricky one and I suppose we’ll know more in hindsight. If we can turn up with the same effort and defensive attitude that we did in that Penrith game early in the season then I would be ok with a loss but if we play like we did against the warriors we’ll lose by 30-40 points easily and I don’t want to see that happen.

 

[Still Nutty]

Yeah it’s a tricky one and I suppose we’ll know more in hindsight. If we can turn up with the same effort and defensive attitude that we did in that Penrith game early in the season then I would be ok with a loss but if we play like we did against the warriors we’ll lose by 30-40 points easily and I don’t want to see that happen.

If we turn up like we did against the Warriors, even with the team we've selected, then we deserve to be dumped out of the finals week 1.

What we have is a coach with a significant knowledge of what it takes to be competitive in finals football from his past experiences which should be invaluable in how he plots our campaign from here...but he still is a coach in learning as a head coach, with the responsibility of making the calls himself.

I am happy with what we have achieved this season to date along with the growth in this squad and much of that is on Obi - as a learning experience, I'm happy to let him make the calls he sees fit at present and see what evolves.

If it turns out he occasionally pulls the wrong rein, then that is part of the development you are going to see in a new head coach - what I can guarantee is that regardless of the outcome for the rest of this season, I can see us building on this years development and being a much more consistently better side in 2021 and very much a club consistently in true finals contention in the years ahead.

 

[slotmachine]

Showing up to Week 1 of the finals as fresh as possible is better than limping in with a jaded team imo.

 

[Spot On]

Showing up to Week 1 of the finals as fresh as possible is better than limping in with a jaded team imo.

100%

It's a no brainer no matter which way the sandwich is cut.

Surprised Pearce isn't getting a rest. The theory he has been carrying injury (prior to the shoulder v Warriors) can be squashed now. That said, if anyone needed a freshen up, it is Pearce.

Maybe next week?

 

[Old dog]

Pearce would want to play against his old club, I expect he will go hard

 

[slotmachine]

Surprised Pearce isn't getting a rest. The theory he has been carrying injury (prior to the shoulder v Warriors) can be squashed now. That said, if anyone needed a freshen up, it is Pearce.

Maybe next week?

No one competent to replace him might be the issue. Ponga, Hunt and Barnett are getting replaced by legit first graders at least.

If Pearce has a week off you're bring in Randall and running with Lino and Mann in the halves, ewww,

 

[aqua_duck]

Roosters have named a full strength team

They're in abit of a different position to us with all the injuries they've had over the past 6 weeks or so, a lot of their players need the match fitness where as a lot of our guys need a week just to iron out all the bumps and bruises.

 

[perverse]

Showing up to Week 1 of the finals as fresh as possible is better than limping in with a jaded team imo.

Perhaps, let's see how it plays out. We've still got 3 weeks. I see the logic, but I have my doubts.

 

[Knight Vision]

if anyone needed a freshen up, it is Pearce.

Maybe next week?

I'm sure Klemmer could also do with a spell, wouldnt be surprised if next week there's a few more players rested from our regular starting line up .

 

[Spot On]

If Pearce has a week off you're bring in Randall and running with Lino and Mann in the halves, ewww,

Sort of 'ewww' with Pearce a lot this year but would not bother me if it were the case (Pearce rested next week). If he needs a freshen up then give him one.

 

[Frederick]

No one competent to replace him might be the issue. Ponga, Hunt and Barnett are getting replaced by legit first graders at least.

If Pearce has a week off you're bring in Randall and running with Lino and Mann in the halves, ewww,

Or Lino and Hoy in halves to keep Mann at Hooker