THE GRAND FINAL VS ROOSTERS ❤️💙❤️💙❤️

Not sure if mentioned elsewhere but mac jones is opening as a live site. Free entry but need to register and get free ticket through ticketmaster from 10am thursday. Food and beverage will be in operation aswell.
 
McCarthy really looks to be in our plans for next year now.
He consistently performed well above last years form at centre in reserve grade all year, but with the rise of Hunt and Winter, clearly wasn't seen as a firstgrader.
In one game of reserve grade they decided to see how Hunt went at second row, so they had Hunt starting at left second row and McCarthy at left centre. Hunt had a shocker, so at halftime they swapped Hunt to centre and McCarthy to second row, and McCarthy looked pretty good.
A few games later they gave McCarthy a full game at second row and he had one of his best games of the year, particularly in defence.
Since that game he has been in the extended top squad every week.
He is taller than Crouch, Croker, Saulo and Mooney - only shorter than Hopwood and Saifiti in the forwards - but he is only 93kg, so lighter than Tom Cant by 3 kg and 10 to 15 kg smaller than most forwards.

Anyway, I think he'll bulk up and be a decent forward next year.
 
Here we go Here we go.
I am To scared to say we will win easy.
In saying that i believe we will win.
Ponga will have the best game of his life on Sunday.
Gagai and Frizell are going to play their guts out. Last chance for them both and I am so happy for Friz.
Manuleleua and McEwen will have the best games both are superstars in the making.
Graham is a good hooker and can play 80 min.
You can go on and on about every player in this team. The ones I picked are the ones that will make the winning difference.
 
Last edited:
I believe McCarthy slots into the 19 by default as he has the lowest jersey number on the existing reserves.

As insane as it would be, I really think Hagan ends up in the 19 slot as an absolute worst-case contingency. If Graham gets knocked out in the first tackle we can't execute the attacking philosophy that got us to the Grand Final with Tom Cant playing 50+ minutes at Hooker and we can't afford to shift Sandon from 7.

Holbrook could've named Mat Arthur if he was vehemently opposed to debuting a player in a Grand Final.
 
option 1: Graham 80, cant 20 for Croker 60
Option 2: graham 60, cant 40 for Croker 60
Option 3: Graham 60, cant 20, Lucas 20 for croker 60
Option 4: Graham 80, Lucas 20 for croker 60
Option 5: Graham 60, cant 20, croker 80

Mins variable but you get the point. Lucas already 20, can he play 40?

Crossy subbing for Croker is going to be harder than Graham taking his spot, he’ll do well - it’s the croker rest, who takes that spot is our worry. Cant 40 mins I’m not a fan of so I’d rather option 3.
 
Might not be able to make the game, but glad to say this little beauty showed up!

IMG_5221.jpeg
 
RedBlue said:
option 1: Graham 80, cant 20 for Croker 60
Option 2: graham 60, cant 40 for Croker 60
Option 3: Graham 60, cant 20, Lucas 20 for croker 60
Option 4: Graham 80, Lucas 20 for croker 60
Option 5: Graham 60, cant 20, croker 80

Mins variable but you get the point. Lucas already 20, can he play 40?

Crossy subbing for Croker is going to be harder than Graham taking his spot, he’ll do well - it’s the croker rest, who takes that spot is our worry. Cant 40 mins I’m not a fan of so I’d rather option 3.
Click to expand...
Lucas is going to have to play more minutes you would think, he played 22 i think across 2 stints last week.
 
PingaPonga said:
Hate that I'm saying this, but with Roosters forward pack, I'm not opposed to Can't starting for the first 15/20mins to take the sting out of the game before Graham plays out the rest of the game.
Click to expand...
Problem with this it rules out Hunt (crouch Lucas Saulo Graham guaranteed) hoping our back seven are good for 80 mins…sure Lucas could help in centres but he has 40 mins in him max.

It’s Graham. Too risky
 
RedBlue said:
option 1: Graham 80, cant 20 for Croker 60
Option 2: graham 60, cant 40 for Croker 60
Option 3: Graham 60, cant 20, Lucas 20 for croker 60
Option 4: Graham 80, Lucas 20 for croker 60
Option 5: Graham 60, cant 20, croker 80

Mins variable but you get the point. Lucas already 20, can he play 40?

Crossy subbing for Croker is going to be harder than Graham taking his spot, he’ll do well - it’s the croker rest, who takes that spot is our worry. Cant 40 mins I’m not a fan of so I’d rather option 3.
Click to expand...
Best option I think is 2, Cant on for Graham, half time Graham back at 9 and Cant for Croker.
1 Sub 2 rested with Cant on bench in case cover for Graham required, Lucas covering fwds/backs
 
I'm pretty sure Lucas being kept in reserve till the second half is already Justin accounting for the possibility of having to replace an outside back.
 
More and more anxious/sick/nervous the closer we get!

I don’t know if it helps or hurts being so surprised that we made the GF let alone out of week 1.

I am worried about the amount of attention on the team. Despite being the underdogs we certainly aren’t flying under the radar. Seems all the pressure is on us not the Roosters.
 
IDK that there's any flying under the radar in a Grand Final.

The Roosters are expected to win, but we've proven, by the way we've fought through adversity all season, that we deserve to be there and can win it.

I'm not even bothered by Gee as ref, as I think he'll let the players decide the result.

IMO, the longer we keep it close, the more pressure on the Roosters...same as it was for the Panthers. The key will be keeping Sam Walker quiet, as the Blues did in Origin Game 3.

Go Knights.
 
KINGY221 said:
More and more anxious/sick/nervous the closer we get!

I don’t know if it helps or hurts being so surprised that we made the GF let alone out of week 1.

I am worried about the amount of attention on the team. Despite being the underdogs we certainly aren’t flying under the radar. Seems all the pressure is on us not the Roosters.
Click to expand...
Roosters haven't missed the finals since 2016, there's an assumption they will give themselves more shots in future years being the nature of the team and expectations. As it was mentioned in other threads here, you never know when you may or may not make another GF again so the team has to go for it now. We haven't been to a Preliminary since 2013, and a GF since 2001.

There is literally nothing that is that special about them this year or with their run in the finals that makes me think they are head and shoulders above us. In previous years they've just run into good teams (Melbourne a few times) and even the year they won in 2002 they played us without Joey and ran into an overrawed happy to be there Warriors. This year they've caught a bit of a break with their run. It was no surprise they were able to make another 2x GF but they also played teams who may be weren't sure they'd make another one in Penrith and the Bulldogs and they both played like it. That's a bit of a danger, knowing you're likely to be able to run it back in future years. Having already won one as well. Sea Eagles in the 90s etc...
Maybe that's why the Storm have lost a lot of those Grand Finals, to Sharks in 2016, and Broncos in 2025 with the same mentality as well.

There is obviously without a doubt the real possibility of losing, and if the team goes down swinging, that's okay. I just hope the players enjoy the week with the fans and are able to stay loose like they have been these last 3 weeks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top