A lukewarm goodbye to Braith Anasta

The warriors 5/8 has signed for the roosters for 2013!

I think the Warriros are happy with their half and five eighth as is. And I cant see Anasta playing five eighth at Wests. Logic places him at lock where he can be a second play maker like Glen Stewart at Manly, and in that capacity I believe you have much more creativity in your forward line up. he's past it as a five eighth...loss of pace.

This whole thing is making me wonder if maybe the Warriors have made a big money play for Benji and we just haven't heard about it yet. The last time the Tigers experimented with playing a utility at 6 and pushing Benji into the 7, they ended up losing 10 of 15 games before shifting him back to second receiver and winning 6 on the trot. I'm sure there are people who rate Anasta more highly than the common public perception, but to most of us, the signing just doesn't make sense. But then again, he'll be playing under a coach who keeps a winger on the bench to play a 5 minute stint at the end of each game, so maybe it doesn't have to make sense.

i agree with ryan, a very solid top line player whos hype and social life has attracted a lot of haters. still i cant work out how he is going to move benji to 7? its well proven that benji is a great 6 but an average 7

Overrated? Complete bollocks. The bloke is an absolute champion and I agree with Ryan, he's actually well underrated. Have a look at the list of "overrated" player awards and it reads like a who's who of the games elite players. Perversely, you can't possibly garner enough votes unless you're an elite player as nobody bother to think of you when the time comes tip answer the question. Therefore, winning the most overrated "award" means that other players must rate you quite highly! It's true that he isn't a Lockyer or Fittler as some were predicting early on in his career. That doesn't mean he isn't amongst the very best in the game. Put it this way, I'm a Tigers supporter and I couldn't be happier we've signed him. Surely that's the measure of the man?

Who cares about the Roosters. Their fans don't turn up. You would expect SBW to be at Bondi. Its where all the turncoats go to top up thier retirement fund. I can't remember Freddy controlling any Origin game he played in. Club player exceptional. Anasta works within his abilities and the press heaped praise that built him up above his mid range talent.

Thank You Ryan O'Connell for what at least are insightful and knowledgeable comments. Just look back at the run in to the grand final in 2010. Not only was Braith the foundation of many of those wins he scored plenty of the tries that kept them coming- not just the famous drop goal. I've been following the Roosters for forty odd years and he's one of the best club men we've ever had- on and off the field. Good luck to the Tigers. He wont let them down just as he has never let us down.

I find the public announcement of Anasta's move to the Tigers - MID-SEASON - appalling. Sure, you can't stop players signing mid-season to another club. But to go on with all the publicity is disgraceful. Keep that until season's end. None of the people involved in this public sham of Anasta changing clubs mid-season have shown any class or admirable qualities whatsoever.

Braith has fantastic leadership qualities and is a concrete block in defence. Anything he provides in attack after that is a bonus. Lock is his best position and this was proven when he had his best year in 2010 playing on the fringe outside of Carney and Pearce. Braith's issue is that he hit the scene as a gamebreaker and set the expectation too high. When everyone worked him out and he was no longer able to produce the big play, the public turned on him. I look on Braith's time at the Roosters as a good stint. He kept the joint steady when it was falling around him and gave absolutely everything to the cause. You can't fault the man. The only thing lacking would've been him imposing himself on games in attack more, but I just think its a lack of capability in this area that killed him. He busted his gut trying though. He has to play in the back-row at Wests. That's his spot now; blocking up the edge and providing the occasional piece of ball work on the back of his bread and butter which should be running the ball.

The Roosters have the BEST recruitment Officer in the league why are they still trying to 'Buy' a team... food for thought!.

If the roosters have signed SBW, as all the so called experts are saaying this is proof of, Why is being kept secret?

I also am a rooster fan and have mixed feelings about it but if im not that concerned or angry then i agree with the writer that it was time to move on. Braith has been a good player and captain but what i liked most about him was he was the figure head of the roosters and imo he was exellent in that role. What the roosters need is a coulpe of strike players, namely a centre and a fullback.

Mitchell '1 in 7 origin wins' Pearce came into first grade as the future kangaroos number 7 halfback talk about him. He has one good season where Todd Carney carried him into a grand final. He has a good right foot step and little else. His passing game is close to rubbish. Braith Anasta has given 100% to the Roosters and should be admired for that. His loss isnt a huge one given he is towards the end of his career. Another excellent article by this writer.

With the salary cap (I think that is still relevant with the Roosters) t's really a matter of how much he is paid relative to his talent.

Ryan has put his assessment of Braithe Anasta nicely! This player has all the skills but to my mind he has not been used to his potential There a number of factors for this, pehaps his head swelled, perhaps he would not follow instructions, I have no idea why? But for whatever reason, as Ryan said, he would be far better utilised at lock than 2nd row with the skills he has

Anastas move to the tigers is beneficial to everyone concerned (roosters and tigers) At the roosters, Maloney will come in, and you would think that "Money Bill" will sign for the tri-colours as well. At the tigers, I like to see Anasta at lock. Along with his experience and kicking game, he will take alot of pressure off Benji and Farah.

Yeh He's much better than this column claims and if the writer is a sample of rooster supporters support for him he is right to get out of there as soon as possible.He will take a lot of pressure of Marshall and give the Tigers huge options either side of the ruck.You will get a great welcome from the Tigers den Braith and you will find real support from Tiger fans and head office.

Though he's getting a little past his prime, I think the move to Wests may do Anasta a lot of good. The problem with Briathe is that he was expected to be another Fittler and take on that role at Sydney City. He was being expected to be their main attacking weapon. Did you notice his performance improved significantly when Carney was in the team and took that responsibility off him. Braithe was over rated but is still a very good player whose role should be primarily as lock and second string distributer (a bit like Glen Stewart's role at Manly). With Benji at Wests, he doesnt have to try to be something he isnt, a major strike weapon. He is a solid, clever behind the play organising type and infrequently was used in such a manner at Sydney City. With Benji as their main strike weapon, Wests I think picked up a bargain and solid support for Wests outstanding attacking Benji, hooker and centres.

My sources tell me that the Tigers players are absolutely over the moon with the signing of Anasta. That gives an indication of how highly regarded he is there. I think Brian Smith has a lot to answer for. Braith played a lot of second row for the Roosters, which I think is crazy. Lock, I could understand, but second row? I think it blunted Anasta's attacking skills, and certainly makes me agree with Tiger Tez that a change of scenery could do the world of good for Anasta. He's not the greatest player in the comp, but he's very good.

Mel, if I could be so rude, I'd like to comment by quoting an article I wrote about Anasta at about this time last year. Granted, Anasta has tapered off a touch since the Roosters made the 2010 grand final, but I still feel the same. . . ". . .And so we come to The Anasta Theory, which is attributed to athletes who were/are so horribly overrated, that they actually become underrated. The theory comes about because the majority of fans are so ruthless in their appraisal of players that there appears to be no grey area when judging them. Essentially, we seem to rate athletes as either great or garbage. There is no middle ground. This type of thinking is what gave birth to what I have coined The Anasta Theory – named after Sydney Roosters captain, Braith Anasta. Anasta has quietly become one of the best players in the NRL, but he hasn’t become THE best player in the NRL, like many predicted when he was just a teenager. He was unfairly labelled “the next Brad Fittler”, and at the time “Freddy” was probably the best rugby league player in the world. So you can understand why many thought Anasta fans were perhaps prone to a touch of hyperbole. When Anasta failed to reach the heights that many expected of him, he was immediately dubbed “overrated” and ended up wearing that tag for a few seasons. He wasn’t great, so he was therefore garbage. As expectations lowered, other potential superstars emerged and the media concentrated on these other players. Anasta was left to develop out of the spotlight, and quickly became one of the most complete players in the game, with no weaknesses. But not only does he have no weaknesses, he has tremendous strengths: a brilliant short kicking game, a mighty boot (no one kicks the ball further off line-goal drop outs!), deft passing, tight and tough defence, and amazing leadership skills. He hardly has a bad game, and has also developed into a crunch-time performer: with the game on the line, there are few other players’ hands that I’d want the ball in. Right before our eyes, Anasta made the transition from overrated to wildly underrated."