By Alan Nicolea -
July 4th 2009 @ 12:24am
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Roosters hatchlings show promise of things to come
Channel Nine sideline commentator Tim Gilbert made the comment that the Roosters are fielding the youngest team of any side in the NRL this season. But judging the way they played in the opening half of football on Friday night against the Dragons, at least the future looks bright.
Yes, the 34-12 score line in the end showed us why the Dragons are right up there with the Bulldogs as deserved premiership favourites.
However, it also showed that the young crop of players Roosters coach Brad Fittler has blooded this season has the potential to reap great dividends down the track.
The Roosters first half performance resembled little of a team that is currently in the running for its first wooden spoon since 1966.
The experienced brigade of Craig Fitzgibbon, Willie Mason and Nate Myles were finally laying a platform against a Dragons unit with the most dominant defence in the NRL this season.
Their efforts allowed young players such as Mitchell Pearce, Tom Symonds, Anthony Cherrington, Mitchell Aubusson and Jake Friend to play with the skill and enthusiasm that put the Roosters 12-6 up at halftime, and in a position to cause the upset of the season.
Friend’s ball from dummy half that put Fitzgibbon in under the post for the Roosters first try showed the great promise these young kids have.
Mitchell Aubusson out wide came up with some telling plays in defence during both halves of football. He stripped the ball legitimately from Dragons fullback Darius Boyd to save a try, whilst he also produced the same effort when Matt Cooper threatened to get away early in the second half. Not to mention he also ran down speedster Brett Morris, who lost the ball forward shortly afterward.
Mitchell Pearce’s effort was also a sign of good things to come for the Chooks.
Since Braith Anasta’s season ending injury, Pearce has chosen to take the line on more often with pleasing results. He nearly broke through on several occasions in both halves against the Dragons, only to fall agonisingly short.
Were he up against a weaker defence, perhaps Pearce’s fortunes, and that of the Roosters, could have been different.
But for all their effort against the Dragons, the class of Ben Hornby, Ben Creagh, Matt Cooper, Darius Boyd and Jamie Soward all proved far too difficult for this young Roosters outfit to handle.
Soward, in particular, is starting to enjoy playing games against his former club, racking up two tries, including a runaway effort late in the second half, to round off a comprehensive 22 point victory.
Although it is clearly evident the Roosters of 2009 still have a lot of growing up to do, their effort on Friday night against class opposition shows that they too have the necessary ingredients to one day rival a Dragons unit who look on course for a Grand Final victory lap.
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(2)
Brett McKay said | July 4th 2009 @ 12:54pm | Report comment
Alan, young Jake Friend mightn’t be the sharpest tool in the shed with a couple of sherbets on board, but he certainly looks like he’s a player of the future (ignoring risk of self-destruction). His pass for Fitzgibbon’s first try was all class, a classic example of ball beating man, or men, as it was.
That said, the Dragons are becoming a team of the highest quality. I keep hearing commentators talking about them showing all the classic Bennett-traits, but I can’t honestly remember enjoying watching the Broncos in attack. The Dragons are already a very enjoyable team to watch, that was another top shelf display last night..
Alan Nicolea said | July 4th 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
Brett
Indeed the Dragons are looking very professional. They might sense that this is their year but i will be curious to see what eventuates if they do not emerge victorious at season’s end. Despite the improvement, would the season be classified as a big failure? The Roosters for forty minutes showed what a bit of effort and determination can do against a team running first on the NRL ladder. If they repeat that performance for eighty minutes, no doubt they will register more wins against teams below the Dragons and no doubt keep building for the future. Indeed the off field nature of Jake Friend and Cherrington needs improving but they are potential class acts on the field. Fittler needs to persist with the young brigade. Another note of interest regards Arthur Beetson’s appointment as Roosters assistent coach. Since he has been there, the Roosters effort on the field has increased tenfold. All in all good signs for season’s ahead.