Match Discussion: Round 23 vs St Geo Illa @ Clive Berghofer Stadium

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2021 - Round 23
St George Illawarra Dragons v Sydney Roosters
Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba (TICKETS)
Sunday 22 August 2021

NRL kickoff 2:00pm

1. Matthew Dufty 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Jack Bird 4. Zac Lomax 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Talatau Amone 7. Corey Norman 8. Kaide Ellis 9. Josh Mcguire 10. Jack de Belin 11. Billy Burns 12. Tyrell Fuimaono 13. Tariq Sims
Interchange: 14. Jayden Sullivan 15. Josh Kerr 16. Daniel Alvaro 17. Jackson Ford 18. Adam Clune 19. Poasa Faamausili 20. Jaiyden Hunt 21. Jordan Pereira

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Adam Keighran 4. Joseph Manu 5. Dale Copley 6. Drew Hutchison 7. Sam Walker 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Sam Verrills 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho 11. Nat Butcher 12. Sitili Tupouniua 13. Isaac Liu
Interchange: 14. Lachlan Lam 15. Egan Butcher 16. Fletcher Baker 17. Ben Thomas 18. Ben Marschke 19. Tukupa Hau Tapuha 20. Brad Abbey 21. Naufahu Whyte

Referees: Chris Sutton
Sideline Officials: Liam Kennedy, Matt Noyen
Video Referees: Ashley Klein​

 

[Valheru]

I put this in the thread on the main board but the below is what we will be missing this weekend

B-Moz
Sualli
Smith
J-Moz
Ikuvalu
Keary
Lam
Collins
Friend
Tupouniua (possibly)
Cordner
Crighton
Radley

Sitilli will probably play with a 9 day turnaround but he is questionable as he is in HIA protocol. So it got me thinking, who would win in a match between players that aren't available vs players who are available for this week? I have given the unavailable players Lachlan Lam (bolded) as their halfback to fill the 13 out as he will be on the bench this week anyways and for the sake of the exercise, assume there are no benches and/or they are filled with similarly skilled players.

The team we name if all the above stay unavailable...

Teddy
Topou
Keighran
Manu
Copley
Hutchison
Walker
JWH
Verrils
Liu
N Butcher
E Butcher
SST

I think it would be a genuinely tight contest.

Either way, shows the incredible depth we have. Players not named in either of the above are the likes of Marschke, Baker, Lussick and Whyte, all of whom have first grade experience and in the case of Baker a genuine NRL standard player.

 

[The Fanatical Rooster]

I believe this game will be tight too. Dufty back makes it harder.

I expect the Silly Farmer to have a big one against his old side, if he happens to make it onto the bench!

I tip Easts by 6 at this stage.

 

[The Fanatical Rooster]

LU official match page:

https://leagueunlimited.com/live-update/show/2795/17890

NRL official match page:

https://www.nrl.com/draw/nrl-premiership/2021/round-23/dragons-v-roosters/

Match preview (video):

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/08/20/dragons-v-roosters---round-23/

Match preview (text):

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/08/16/dragons-v-roosters-sims-bolsters-pack-jwh-rested-and-ready/

How Keary is helping Walker:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/08/17/how-keary-is-helping-walker-on-and-off-the-field/

Robbo on Connor Watson:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/08/20/robinson-reveals-why-he-lured-watson-back/

 

[The Fanatical Rooster]

Our line up announced:

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2021/08/17/line-up-for-round-23-vs-dragons-announced/

Butcher and Keighran thriving with responsibility and leadership:

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/20...th-responsibility-and-leadership-on-qld-tour/

The Roosters crow:

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2021/08/19/the-roosters-crow-tackling-dragons-in-toowoomba/

Media with Robbo - belief is high:

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2021/08/20/belief-is-high-on-our-side--robinson/

 

[The Fanatical Rooster]

Late mail - Lam starts, Walker off the bench.

https://www.roosters.com.au/news/2021/08/22/late-mail-round-23-vs-dragons-halves-switch/

I think this is a good move. Sam's form has been a bit down lately, and it won't hurt to have a bit of size in our halves against those big Dragons forwards.

 

[The Fanatical Rooster]

It is game day ladies and gentlemen. It is time to stand up, take aim and support those great men from Bondi - those mighty tri-colours, the envy of the league. Fire up you mighty Eastern Suburbs Roosters, fire up! Despite being injury ravaged and depleted, we want to show that we are still a threat in this competition. Get into them. Let's go!