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Sydney Roosters decision-makers Nick Politis and Brian Smith should take some advice from the world’s smartest man, Albert Einstein. Namely, “A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be.”
Anyone can make a mistake, but when the mistake is clear yet the person keeps on making it, then the person becomes the mistake.
The Sydney Roosters are in big trouble, but nothing appears to being done about it.
A leading corporate bookmaker told me a month ago that there is discontent within the player group at the Roosters. I dismissed it as they looked very happy every time I noticed them at the SFS café. Then in the last week the same message surfaced twice.
One came from a former international player, the other from a pro punter who said that players are not responding to the coaches’ text messages.
They certainly played that way against the Broncos on Saturday night, letting in four tries in pouring rain before going down 24-6.
Not only were the players outplayed but the coach was outcoached. Someone forgot to tell the Roosters that it was the wettest April day in 20 years, and touch footy was not the go.
The rookie Bronco coach got it right, ordering no offloads and a strong kicking game.
New Zealand Warriors coach Ivan Cleary is another slow adopter of common sense, but after a month of substandard performances he finally tapped his halfback Brett Seymour on the shoulder and for good measure added international fullback Lance Hohaia.
In fact only three players turned out in the same positions for the Warriors in round five, which yielded their first win for the season against the Sharks.
The Roosters have been nursing some of the game’s slowest players, who have been well past their best for many years. But it seems Anthony Minichiello, Jason Ryles and club skipper Braith Anasta have “undroppable” stamped on their foreheads.
The burning question for frustrated Roosters supporters is why do these sadly out of form players keep being selected, and who is going into bat for them?
Is it coach Brian Smith who normally rules with an iron fist, or is it his powerful chairman Nick Politis who is close mates with both Anasta and Mini?
It does not really matter who is responsible for, but unless someone sees the light, the Roosters are gone for 2010. Given the talent available on the recruitment list, supporters are entitled to feel let down.
Modern rugby league is too competitive to carry a key position player. Storm Coach Craig Bellamy has proved that you can get away with this to an extent when you have three of the world’s best players in your team, but when you have a fullback who is consistently out of position and never looks dangerous in attack, you have a problem.
I will leave detailed stats out of the debate, but the Roosters fullback does not rate in the top ten for returns and line breaks.
He is rated last out of the 16 NRL club fullbacks, and if you include part-timers like Michael Gordon, Gerard Beale, Blake Ferguson, Wes Naiqama, Nathan Merritt, Will Hopoate, Will Zillman, Steve Turner, Tim Moltzen and Glen Fisiiahi, he would be even lower.
So there are over 20 better fullbacks than the Roosters number one, and only the Rabbitohs’ Rhys Wesser, another former Premiership winner, has a similarly low rating.
The Rabbitohs have a similar challenge as the Roosters, but their story goes back years while the tri colours played in last season’s Grand Final.
Roosters prop Jason Ryles is light years away from the form when he commanded respect and hurt when he hit the ball up.
He seemed to time his run last season as though he knew how many more games his battered body had left, and he rose to the occasion come semi-final time. There will be no semis this year unless some hard decisions are made.
Braith Anasta may very well be a wonderful club captain who is great with the young players, but he simply has lost his ability to bust a tackle and set up his runners. If he does manage to get a ball away to his fullback no one gets excited, as we know Mini will not bust the tackle and does not have the pace to score.
But then the Roosters are devoid of any player with the pace to score a length-of-the-field try. They do not have any zip.
Their two wingmen are both built to play in the forwards: Joe Leilua, at 18, is a wonderful prospect, and Justin Carney resembles a Sherman Tank. The Roosters’ best forward last season Mitch Aubusson is one centre, and the brilliant and crablike Shaun Kenny-Dowall is on the other.
The talent is there, no doubt, but it is a very slow backline. Leilua has no idea in defence as yet, and every opposing coach knows it.
The Roosters’ crown jewel is their halves combination Mitch Pearce and Todd Carney. But as good as they are, Pearce is not noted for his speed, which puts the focus on Carney as the only go-to guy.
That’s fine when fit, but with Todd nursing a troublesome groin, the Roosters have found themselves with only two wins from six games and well outside the eight.
I’ll close as I opened, giving the last word to Mr. Eienstein. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
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