Team announced to take on the Chooks

[sydraider]

I recall the game against the roosters when we copped all those injuries, had no one left on the bench and toots was practically playing on one leg.We came from behind that day and won, MICK MONAS tore the roosters apart in that second half.......MAKE NO MISTAKE HE WILL DO WHATS REQUIRED AND DO IT WELL :twisted:

 

[brenno]

i dont rate tonguey to be honest bucko. Enthusiasm can only get you so far in rugby league, he doesnt possess either size or skill. I would have preferred the raiders resigned someone like lolesi or Michael Mongahan instead of tongue. And with the wealth of talent the club has in the backrow (i.e. wiki, hindmarsh, croker, martin, hodgson, smith, thompson, rothery, kahler) i cant see why the management chose to resign him. Yeh i know he's got a great work ethic , tackles his heart out.... blah blah blah but, i just dont think he has a position in 1st grade. Then only position i could see him in would be 9 although he's already shown that he cannot handle playing hooker.

 

[Raider_69]

i dont rate tonguey to be honest bucko. Enthusiasm can only get you so far in rugby league, he doesnt possess either size or skill. I would have preferred the raiders resigned someone like lolesi or Michael Mongahan instead of tongue. And with the wealth of talent the club has in the backrow (i.e. wiki, hindmarsh, croker, martin, hodgson, smith, thompson, rothery, kahler) i cant see why the management chose to resign him. Yeh i know he's got a great work ethic , tackles his heart out.... blah blah blah but, i just dont think he has a position in 1st grade. Then only position i could see him in would be 9 although he's already shown that he cannot handle playing hooker.

i disagree completly... Tongue is a chamipion!
When ever there is a break made tongue never gives up, always chases hard to reel the runner in despite not having the pace, when we make a break he is always there, he tackles like a machine and runs hard at the defence, he is always one of the first there off the kick returns and even chasing the kick returners, he isnt the biggest bloke in the world but he still gets metres......... to tell you the truth i dont think he gets enough credit for the work he does..... Without toots i think he will be vital for our defence.. several of those players you mentioned have yet to prove
themselves at the top level, Tongue has...

It really annoys me because Tongue has done nothing wrong, he has plenty of skills, he has one of the best tackling techniques ive seen, his versitility is always good to have, he has some pace, strangth and adds much needed enthusiasm to our team, and like Graham im happy that he has resigned even it ment loosing Mick Monnas

 

[Ultima]

I agree with Raiders_69... Plus he is the only one in the team who puts pressure on opposition kickers (basically every single time they go for a kick too!)

 

[brenno]

i didnt question his work ethic or ability to make tackles (he's a got a great work ethic and does know how to tackle) but i think i'ts only a matter of time before Elliot decides to leave tongue out of the 1st team, preferring to go with a bigger lineup on a regular basis. In fact i think you'll find that Elliot has already started to do that, thats why tongue is in reserve grade this week. Tongue is solid player and adds depth to the raiders but, it just pisses me off that a fella like Sean Rutgerson who has worked his ass off all year and has probably played nearly every game this season and been one of the club's best, is being released so that the club can afford to pay the contracts of players like tongue. Sean Rutgerson has been much better value for the raiders this season than tongue and imo is a far better player. Yes Tonguey rarely does anything wrong. But i ask you this:- What have players like Jamaal Lolesi and Sean Rutgerson done wrong this year? The club's retention policies are bizarre to say the least. I feel some of their decisions could come back to hurt to the raiders e.g. kinda like parra in 2001..........

 

[Purtell The Turtle]

Whilst tongue is the most enthusiastic player, he is still about 4th or 5th in line. Mainly due to his size. Poor tonguey is a bit on the little side, and I am sure that nobody is intimidated when they see him going to tackle the,(except maybe terry hill). So unfortunately for Tonguey he has to wait for an injury to get into the top grade again.

One thing I am not a fan of is Tongue at hooker. I don't care what you say, as soon as he goes in to hooker we are doomed!! :?

 

[Raider_69]

Whilst tongue is the most enthusiastic player, he is still about 4th or 5th in line. Mainly due to his size. Poor tonguey is a bit on the little side, and I am sure that nobody is intimidated when they see him going to tackle the,(except maybe terry hill). So unfortunately for Tonguey he has to wait for an injury to get into the top grade again.

One thing I am not a fan of is Tongue at hooker. I don't care what you say, as soon as he goes in to hooker we are doomed!! :?

i agree playing tongue at hooker is stupid.......
But he is still a top player IMO. And i really think he in the top 19 in the club -- i rate about 6 blokes on par though

 

[Ultima]

i didnt question his work ethic or ability to make tackles (he's a got a great work ethic and does know how to tackle) but i think i'ts only a matter of time before Elliot decides to leave tongue out of the 1st team, preferring to go with a bigger lineup on a regular basis. In fact i think you'll find that Elliot has already started to do that, thats why tongue is in reserve grade this week. Tongue is solid player and adds depth to the raiders but, it just pisses me off that a fella like Sean Rutgerson who has worked his ass off all year and has probably played nearly every game this season and been one of the club's best, is being released so that the club can afford to pay the contracts of players like tongue. Sean Rutgerson has been much better value for the raiders this season than tongue and imo is a far better player. Yes Tonguey rarely does anything wrong. But i ask you this:- What have players like Jamaal Lolesi and Sean Rutgerson done wrong this year? The club's retention policies are bizarre to say the least. I feel some of their decisions could come back to hurt to the raiders e.g. kinda like parra in 2001..........

We have lost the LEAST number of players this year... We DID offer contracts to all of them who have signed elsewhere and it was often for the around the same amount of money.... These players WANTED to leave.... How they f**k can you say we have had a "bizarre" retention policy when we retained a good 97% of out f**king players and the only ones we have lost we attempted to keep!!! WTF is to "bizarre" about it!!!! The only thing I find "bizarre" is how much shit people still give them over it when every other club has lost 3 times the players we have for next season and, as out spot on the ladder indicated, have done WORSE then we have so money should be easier as they wouldn't need to increase existing contracts!

 

[Raiders Man]

I dont think we could have asked for much of a better line up (well with Jason it would be better ). I think that we have a strong side with a good bench, does anyone know how our side compares to the roosters side ? Have they got many injured players ? I know the Fitler has a bad shoulder or something........?

 

[Ultima]

Fittler didn't look well last week but he is aparantly OK.... I would give almost anything to see a Wiki special get him.... Followed by McLinden walking over to him, as he is on the ground in pain from a LEGAL hit, and saying "Who is 'soft' now?"

 

[greeneyed]

I disagree that there aren't any weaknesses in this side. The weaknesses especially manifest in the halves with Croker gone and with Monaghan, an inexperienced but talented 5/8th, bridiging the gap. He will give us attacking flair but inexperience will always be a little bit of a problem.

We can overcome that by making sure McLinden keeps things in control and leads the way. At first receiver and the way he has been going this shouldn't be too much trouble.

Monaghan isn't a bad defender but obviously without Croker there we do lose some impact. But I can't see why this team doesn't have the power to overcome the Roosters, provided we can overcome the inexperience in the no.6, which, IMO, we can.

But Azza ... I think that the team is STRONGER with two genuine halves in the halves..... McLinden and Monaghan is the combination I always wanted from the start of the season.