Headless chooks hardest team to support
March 28th 2009 00:46
Being a Sydney Roosters fan is like being in a relationship. The amount of ups and downs one can go through in an entire season, let alone 80 minutes, is enough to challenge the principles of marriage itself.
You only need to look at Friday night’s loss against the Wests Tigers to know why Brad Fittler’s men are now the most frustrating club to support in the NRL.
For a side to score 12 points in the opening moments of the first half and end up conceding 40 after eighty minutes, raises huge concerns about the Roosters ability to stay focused in contests.
During the opening 11 minutes of the first half, the Roosters were all class and continued in their rich vein of form that started during last week’s comprehensive performance against the Canberra Raiders.
Two tries to Mitchell Aubusson should have laid the foundations for a solid showing against the Tigers.
Unfortunately though, it was just one of the many smokescreens the Roosters provided during Friday nights tussle.
After racing out to a 12-nil lead, the Roosters looked like a side that had completely forgotten the massacre against the Rabbitohs two weeks ago.
They were playing with enthusiasm, confidence and for a second there, adopted the mindset that has made teams such as the Storm and the Sea Eagles so successful these past couple of seasons.
The Roosters however could not keep the pressure up, and against a Tigers side that can score points in the blink of an eye, it cost them dearly.
Key Roosters forwards Willie Mason, Nate Myles and Mark O’Meley once again looked forlorn in defence to stop the point scoring rout that was coming their way.
Quick tries to Dean Collis and Chris Lawrence eventually saw the Tigers eat up 10 of the 12 points the Roosters scored earlier.
Just as the chooks were beginning to rival the disgraceful efforts in round 1, some much needed class by Mitchell Pearce and Braith Anasta allowed Kiwi winger Shaun Kenny Dowall to score in the corner.
Craig Fitzgibbon gave the chooks an eight point lead heading into the break but it should have been more.
After a delightful 40/20 kick from hooker James Aubusson, Fitzgibbon knocked the ball from the first tackle in what effectively summed up what the Roosters are currently all about.
A consistent side like the Storm or the Sea Eagles would have had no troubles putting teams to bed when it mattered the most.
The Roosters however failed in their attempt to put a nail in the Tigers coffin on the stroke of halftime.
To the Tigers credit, the wonderful form of Benji Marshall made the Roosters pay in the second half.
Marshall’s magnificent offload out the back to set up Taniela Tuiaki’s try effectively put the Tigers in a match winning position, which they took with aplomb.
Despite a try to Anasta early in the second half, the Tigers still displayed the necessary skill and composure to put the Roosters to bed.
Tries to Tuiaki, Moltzen and Lawrence put an end to the night of a Roosters side, that from Friday night’s effort, have become the hardest team to back in any game of football.
Even For a coach as loyal as Freddy Fittler, he should now know that relationships do have their breaking points.
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