Jakester1288
International Regular
I've already made this thread, FFS, why do mine get closed and when someone else makes one, it goes ahead?
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**Official** NRL 2009 Thread
- Thread starter dontcloseyoureyes
- Start date
Simon
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tbf so does the person who started this thread.
luffy
International Captain
Oh... So now it starts making sense.
Craig
World Traveller
Out of interest, where do people think Melbourne will finish after losing so many players in the off-season? Very much a rebuilding year for mine, and I would be happy with a top 4 spot. Unlikely to get the minor premiership as they have lost too much experience. That said, I guess if anybody is going to find players out there to step up and fill the gaps, it is Melbourne.
Simon
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I reckon somewhere around third or fourth.
Out of interest, where do people think Melbourne will finish after losing so many players in the off-season? Very much a rebuilding year for mine, and I would be happy with a top 4 spot. Unlikely to get the minor premiership as they have lost too much experience. That said, I guess if anybody is going to find players out there to step up and fill the gaps, it is Melbourne.
Top four will be the same as 2008 except Raiders will make it instead of Roosters.
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
Tipping Roosters to come 2nd and win the GF personally. Anasta for Churchill as well.
Jakester1288
International Regular
I am a fan of the Roosters, I have a pessmistic outlook on this, when we lose so many quality players, and replace them with players of less quality, I doubt us winning. I think we will make the top 8, and probably get knocked out first round.
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
Apart from Roberts who else did you lose of quality and even that questionable.
dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
Topou.
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
Still reckon they have the players to cover those two.
dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
That's not where the worries are though. There's a lack of creativity through the halves. Anasta is really a creative lock ala Fittler was early in his career, but he'll never play there with the pack we have and Pearce is and still learning.
Assuming full fitness, our starting 17 is probably this:
1. Mini
2. SKD
3. Maubo
4. Soliola
5. Perrett
6. Anasta
7. Pearce
8. O'Meley
9. Jaubo/Brown
10. Myles/Lopini
11. Fitzy
12. Mason
13. Sa
14. Jaubo/Brown
15. Grose
16. Myles/Lopini
17. Cherrington
That's solid but not top of the league. Manly, Storm and the Broncs all have better squads imo, mainly through the presence they have in the halves. I think there's little doubt that we have the best starting pack in the comp (though losing Shillington is another big loss as we lose some size off the bench) but unless Pearce and Anasta improve their attacking play without the kick we'll be top 6 out in the second round again.
Assuming full fitness, our starting 17 is probably this:
1. Mini
2. SKD
3. Maubo
4. Soliola
5. Perrett
6. Anasta
7. Pearce
8. O'Meley
9. Jaubo/Brown
10. Myles/Lopini
11. Fitzy
12. Mason
13. Sa
14. Jaubo/Brown
15. Grose
16. Myles/Lopini
17. Cherrington
That's solid but not top of the league. Manly, Storm and the Broncs all have better squads imo, mainly through the presence they have in the halves. I think there's little doubt that we have the best starting pack in the comp (though losing Shillington is another big loss as we lose some size off the bench) but unless Pearce and Anasta improve their attacking play without the kick we'll be top 6 out in the second round again.
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
TBH though I don't think there is many halves in the comp better then Roosters outside Broncos. Inglis, Lyon/Bailey aren't much better then Anasta. On his day Pearce is a lot better then Orford, Orford more consistent though atm. Cooper got him covered, but overall they are still on par. The real difference is hookers and creative fullbacks of Storm and Broncos not the halves. Reckon Manly got you covered in that department as well even if it just marginally.
dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
Surely 2010. If he came this season we'd be right up there.
Simon
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Roosters have nooooooooooo depth, if you put every single side's strongest team on paper then I think most could have genuine claims of being top 4 or top 6, however some teams have the ability to cover origin, injuries, suspension better than others and I think Roosters are one of the worst. While they have really only lost a couple of starting 17 players, they have lost 5-6 of their next best players outside that.
Guys like Shillington may have struggled a bit but hes better than the guys behind him, having said that tipping a massive year for Anthony Cherrington, the kid is gun. A shame for the Roosters they don't have more players like him coming through.