RTS

[Wheeled Warrior]

Pretty soft from the Warriors IMO.
A couple of wins outside the 8 and they've let go of their best player to go and join a rival code.
The Warriors sponsors and fans must be over the moon the club has put up the white flag with nearly 2 months to go.
Why not let all NZ based players go home and finish the season with Australian based players ?
RTS better not be getting paid for the games he's missing!

We are done for mate. RTS deserves to be with his family now . Calling out the Warriors for being soft is kind of childish. The Club didn't just wake up and say hey RTS you may as well go home because we don't stand a chance to get in the 8. It was more like hey the borders are going to be closed up due to the Covid situation in Australia. You have done so much for us and feel that you deserve a chance to be home with your family. The sacrifices you have made alone has been honourable on your part so we feel the need to show we care back. Roger go home thank you for trying to make a champion club.

 

[Meth]

We are done for mate. RTS deserves to be with his family now . Calling out the Warriors for being soft is kind of childish. The Club didn't just wake up and say hey RTS you may as well go home because we don't stand a chance to get in the 8. It was more like hey the borders are going to be closed up due to the Covid situation in Australia. You have done so much for us and feel that you deserve a chance to be home with your family. The sacrifices you have made alone has been honourable on your part so we feel the need to show we care back. Roger go home thank you for trying to make a champion club.

He was with his family, wasn't he?

He was apart from his family last year.

This year, it's all about getting him to Union.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

He was with his family, wasn't he?

He was apart from his family last year.

This year, it's all about getting him to Union.

I think it's part of it for sure. What the Warriors did here for RTS shows we really care. That will go a long way with keeping good ties with him. I wouldn't be surprised we see him back in 2 years. In Rugby he will most probably heal well ready to comeback strong (Especially if he doesn't get to become an All Black for 2023 RWC)

Roger always put the team first. It was nice the club thought about him again.

 

[Fufu Andronez]

he forfeited about 200k of his contract so at least we are able to pay some players extra this year to give us more money to spend next year and beyond.

Mutually beneficial decision imo, show the players what its gonna be like next year with no Roger safety blanket. Time for some to up their contributions

 

[Meth]

he forfeited about 200k of his contract so at least we are able to pay some players extra this year to give us more money to spend next year and beyond.

Mutually beneficial decision imo, show the players what its gonna be like next year with no Roger safety blanket. Time for some to up their contributions

Yeah, if that's the case, great. Wish that would be reported rather than 'Warriors gave him a release so he could get started on his new Rugby career'

And I love Rugby btw

 

[Tongue]

Whats been interesting is the performance of the team, albeit only 2 games, after RTS has left.
He seemed to have quite a strong hold on the team being the marquee signing and captain.
But with hindsight, just wondering if he would have been better just as the marquee signing and someone else as captain?
There is a noticeable difference in attitude to the team - somewhat more relaxed and confident.
Even with the challenges in yesterdays game, it never really felt they were out of control and or panicking.
Was RTS too big a voice?

 

[Benek]

More likely I think it was an issue of everyone standing around waiting for RTS to make something happen. Now that he’s gone they’ve realised it’s on them to raise their hands to do the work. Hiku also came back just at the right time to take over some of his early tackle runs and playmaking.

 

[jaseg]

We're also just playing easier opponents - Sharks without their starting halves, Tigers. And we got players back for the last game too.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Yeah combination of things but there is life after RTS. And Roger leaving when he did and freeing up a significant chunk of cap actually helps that cause.

 

[JJ]

Yep, playing poor teams, we have a solid middle finally, Aitken and Hiku playing, sad Hiku is leaving

Curran has been really good too

 

[Diesel]

Nothing against RTS as he was great for the club but since he’s left, the team have had to work as a team rather than rely on RTS’s skills. For that, the team seems better balanced

 

[Penrose Warrior]

A lot of good touches for RTS first up in union, although ultimately his missed tackle on Sullivan lost the Blues the game.

Looks like he's going to offer a lot in the midfield with his ability to put footwork on, get outside a defender and keep the ball alive in contact; however, (as you'd expect) got caught out of position on defense a bit, and is still foreign to the tackled ball area.

 

[jaseg]

The day before I was discussing this with a mostly league fan (very casual union viewer - he was still convinced up to a couple of weeks ago RTS would be playing wing), and said the biggest question mark initially would be his defence, particularly given how rusty he looked playing on the wing last year. Was always going to be an obstacle.

Shit that's a shame for an otherwise promising debut to end like that. Though tbf, he was only one of about 4-5 missed tackles on that play. And to be a little unfair, he quite possibly went the wrong way in defence coming out of the ruck allowing an overlap for the second last try too.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

A lot of good touches for RTS first up in union, although ultimately his missed tackle on Sullivan lost the Blues the game.

Looks like he's going to offer a lot in the midfield with his ability to put footwork on, get outside a defender and keep the ball alive in contact; however, (as you'd expect) got caught out of position on defense a bit, and is still foreign to the tackled ball area.

Watched a highlights package, I don't watch much to any union and they seemed to get excited for some basic things he did, eg offloaded in a tackle. I guess they don't do that much in union and just take it to the ground?
They also seemed to take 5 minutes to say his full name.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Watched a highlights package, I don't watch much to any union and they seemed to get excited for some basic things he did, eg offloaded in a tackle. I guess they don't do that much in union and just take it to the ground?
They also seemed to take 5 minutes to say his full name.

Nope, it's not a common thing in traffic in union. Sonny Bill did it, but it's not really a second five's usual attribute. More so they hit the deck and pop something up, or recycle quickly off the deck. His footwork to get outside defenders in close is going to be really handy for the Blues.

 

[Matua]

Watched a highlights package, I don't watch much to any union and they seemed to get excited for some basic things he did, eg offloaded in a tackle. I guess they don't do that much in union and just take it to the ground?
They also seemed to take 5 minutes to say his full name.

The commentators went all a bit league and overhyped RTS (they got very tiresome very quickly). I partially disagree with @Penrose Warrior, midfielders pop passes in traffic quite often and the aim is to keep the ball up rather than going to the deck unless the aim is draw defenders into a ruck to create space. But that is a silly tactic to use with RTS, although he'll have to do it sometimes.

It was a good debut, and that missed tackle is a good lesson to learn in comparison to league where he'd want to try tie up the ball, knocking the attacker over is the better thing to do in rugby so going low would reduce the chance of a hand off.

It's such a pity he didn't get to play NPC, but he was always going to be class enough to put in a good showing at Super level.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Stuff him

He up and left. He was the club captain and bailed on his troops
Couldnt give a bowl of d!cks about hes going in Yawnion

 

[Sanchez]

Hes guaranteed to make the All Blacks squad this year imo. Midfield was the shits last year no matter how hard Havali tried