Sat 22 Feb: WCC: St Helens v Sydney Roosters KO 7.45pm (TV)

[John Drake]

Discuss the World Club Challenge: St Helens v Sydney Roosters here.

[Sir Kevin Sinfield]

Boyd Cordner, Sydney Roosters Captain, is to be rested for this game. 

[Manfred Mann]

Sydney Roosters are obviously short of match fitness. However they will have many more outstanding players than St Helens, by a long way. In fact I would think that only Tommy Makinson and Luke Thompson could get a place in the current Sydney Roosters team.  James Tedesco, Joseph Manu, Daniel Tupou, Brett Morris and Luke Keary are all sensational international representative backs. Jared Whaerea-Hargreaves, Siosiua Takeiaho, Boyd Cordner, Angus Crichton, Joseph Liu, Jake Friend and Victor Radley are all outstanding forwards.

Given the disparity in attacking ability, and the renowned defensive skills of the Australian club, I would expect the Sydney Roosters to win comfortably, probably by 18 or more.

[DavidM]

Saints to give it their best shot in front of their own fans but Roosters to have too much despite not having a run yet and win by 12

[Mr Frisky]

22 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

Sydney Roosters are obviously short of match fitness. However they will have many more outstanding players than St Helens, by a long way. In fact I would think that only Tommy Makinson and Luke Thompson could get a place in the current Sydney Roosters team.  James Tedesco, Joseph Manu, Daniel Tupou, Brett Morris and Luke Keary are all sensational international representative backs. Jared Whaerea-Hargreaves, Siosiua Takeiaho, Boyd Cordner, Angus Crichton, Joseph Liu, Jake Friend and Victor Radley are all outstanding forwards.

Given the disparity in attacking ability, and the renowned defensive skills of the Australian club, I would expect the Sydney Roosters to win comfortably, probably by 18 or more.

Add Roby and Big Alex and you arnt far off.

Still fancy Saints though.

Either way I'm really looking forward to it.

[graveyard johnny]

scheduled for a freezing cold sat nite in feb to keep the crowd and viewing figures down, we have a full social  life, don't do sport on a sat nite , used as as a sky sports filler? prob wont see the game at all , sunday afternoon or evening  would have been more palatable , will the rfl run out of feet or bullets first?

[fighting irish]

Where is Regan Grace? Why didn't he play last weekend? 

[graveyard johnny]

5 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Where is Regan Grace? Why didn't he play last weekend? 

he wouldn't play at all if I was saints coach, will make as much impact against the roosters as throwing a wet flannel at a wheelie bin , total chump

[Manfred Mann]

16 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

he wouldn't play at all if I was saints coach, will make as much impact against the roosters as throwing a wet flannel at a wheelie bin , total chump

I thought that Regan Grace was the fastest man in Super League., Or does that status belong to Bevan French?

[Lowdesert]

45 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Saints to give it their best shot in front of their own fans but Roosters to have too much despite not having a run yet and win by 12

I believe the Roosters are holding an open training session at Saints.

Robinson certainly shows the way in selling the game and good will.

[graveyard johnny]

3 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

I thought that Regan Grace was the fastest man in Super League., Or does that status belong to Bevan French?

grace looks the part but isn't , French is quality through and through expecting a good season from him

[Hela Wigmen]

40 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Where is Regan Grace? Why didn't he play last weekend? 

He did. He went off at half time. 

[Hela Wigmen]

Expecting Roosters to win comfortably, much like they did in 2016 at Langtree Park, but not quite as heavily as we did against Souths in 2015. 

Our backline potentially having Jack Welsby and Matty Costello in it and potentially being without Regan Grace too, worries me somewhat.

[Manfred Mann]

2 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Expecting Roosters to win comfortably, much like they did in 2016 at Langtree Park, but not quite as heavily as we did against Souths in 2015. 

Our backline potentially having Jack Welsby and Matty Costello in it and potentially being without Regan Grace too, worries me somewhat.

And also no Lachlan Coote?

If so the Roosters backs will carve up St Helens and the match will be over at half time.

[Hela Wigmen]

4 minutes ago, Manfred Mann said:

And also no Lachlan Coote?

If so the Roosters backs will carve up St Helens and the match will be over at half time.

Yeah, we’re without him but that’s expected. Grace’s injury at the weekend could weaken the backline further and force a reshuffle of the team with someone like to be playing out of position to play at centre, which worries me, as Sydney could, as you say, carve us apart inside twenty minutes. 

[graveyard johnny]

training run for the chooks, hope they take it serious 

[Manfred Mann]

Reports in the Australian press are that second rower Angus Crichton could play at left centre -- Latrell Mitchell's former position -- with the object of grooming him for a permanent move to that position in the 2020 NRL season. The Roosters had recently tried to sign Brett Morris's twin brother Josh to play in that position, but he is still under contract at Cronulla and the Sharks have refused to release him.

Crichton is apparently fast and has good footwork so he could become a very good performer at centre. If that is the case then Brett Morris, who was an outstanding performer at centre against WIgan in the WCC last year, scoring three tries, will be playing on the wing against St Helens.

I would have liked to have seen a competitive WCC game, but all the evidence suggests that it won't happen.

[Davo5]

Roosters lack of match fitness and an untried halfback partnership will see a pretty even game but the Roosters will win by 12 -14 points.

[Futtocks]

While I don't share the world-view of Manfred's usual Marvin-esque final paragraphs, a Trent Robinson team isn't going to short-change the contest and I think they will probably win this. Lots of talent across the field, and they play some good-looking Rugby.

But St Helens are quite capable of doing the job, if they click right away and play with pace and don't panic. Or they could do what they more often do in the WCC, and flatter the opposition.

[Chris22]

Good that we got some bodies back last week and they had a game in before this. Roby's return is significant and I would have feared for us going into this match without a natural starting hooker.

Welsby, despite his potential, does worry me at full back. Sydney will target him with high balls and he will have the test of his career to cope with it. But these kinds of tests will help him in the long run.

If we were to win, I think we would need our strongest 1 to 17, playing to their absolute best. Even having two players missing means it will probably be beyond us, even if we play close to our best.

I'm hoping that we are competitive, give Sydney a huge fight and the stadium is packed and bouncing. Anything else will be a bonus.

[fighting irish]

4 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

He did. He went off at half time. 

Was he injured or substituted?

[Hela Wigmen]

4 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Was he injured or substituted?

Went off injured. 

[fighting irish]

how long will he be off? 

[Maximus Decimus]

There are 3 certainties in life. 

Death, taxes and Saints getting snotted in the WCC. 

[Rupert Prince]

6 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

And also no Lachlan Coote?

If so the Roosters backs will carve up St Helens and the match will be over at half time.

If so it ought to call the death knell of the World Club Championship.