If there’s one team I haven’t been able to get a proper read on this season, it’s the Roosters. Are they title heavyweights? Top-four material? Just make the finals? Or miss them altogether? Honestly, it could be any of those.
Before a ball was kicked this year, I thought they were a top-four team. But there are a few questions they still haven’t answered because things haven’t really clicked yet.
Considering they’ve both been at the club for a while now, it sounds strange to say, but I’m still not convinced the Luke Keary and Sam Walker combination in the halves works.
I watched Keary and Walker closely at the start of the year and there was a match against the Sea Eagles in which they looked to have too many targets in the defensive line. Keary was on one side, Walker on the other and Sandon Smith spent time in the middle. Manly teed up on them and Haumole Olakau’atu, in particular, had a field day on the edges.
James Tedesco returning from an 11-day concussion stand-down is a big boost against the Storm on Thursday night. It also means Joey goes back to the centres, and he was phenomenal last week against the Knights.
I liked the way the Roosters attacked Newcastle: simple, powerful and through the middle, making Brandon Smith a focal point. It worked really well.
The Roosters have won three of their first six games this year.Credit: Getty
But you can’t implement the same style against Melbourne. They will suffocate you. Against the Storm, you have to move the ball, even more so when you’re down your own end, to make metres.
I’ve been impressed with the Storm so far. They’ve certainly changed their style, because in previous years they put so much emphasis on defence. Craig Bellamy wouldn’t have been happy with that 34-32 win over the Broncos, despite some scintillating attacking play.
Why the Roosters are the NRL’s most perplexing team
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17.04.2024
If there’s one team I haven’t been able to get a proper read on this season, it’s the Roosters. Are they title heavyweights? Top-four material? Just make the finals? Or miss them altogether? Honestly, it could be any of those.
Before a ball was kicked this year, I thought they were a top-four team. But there are a few questions they still haven’t answered because things haven’t really clicked yet.
Considering they’ve both been at the club for a........
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