$1.5 Million for the injured Walker? - Do the Roosters take a chance on the young half? | Fox League

CRS mate I think it's a real opportunity for Trent Robinson this year in the final series to silence his critics like if there's been one criticism of Tren as a coach it's that he's always been gifted these Star sted rosters and yes he's won three premierships and yes he's proven himself to be a champion coach but I think if you look at that roster that we just saw from the roosters and perhaps match it up against what the Bulldogs are going into a final series I still I still think the roosters have got the roster to win a competition you do I do when you well you said the other night you think the the Bulldogs can I think I think the roosters have got the Cavalry to win a comp they've just got to go out there and play to their potential and that's robo's job I think they'll latch on to what they did in last year's final series guys in the back end of last year they were you know they had to overcome some adversity with their lineup last year they'll probably pull belief from from what they were able to achieve I thought it was a pretty big effort at the end of the day crawls they haven't won a Premiership since 2019 own guys and and as you said this this this is a club that doesn't muck around with their rosters like they they build rosters to win comps and it has been since 2019 the surprise for me guys I think it's a surprise I look the fact that Joey Manu wasn't named in the halves I just I just felt as though that was the that that just straightens everything up for takes all the questions out for the young rookie sandon Smith he hasn't played since round three starting he hasn't played as a starting half of the chooks since round three now mind you that was against sou and they pumped them absolutely smashed them back back then so there's probably some confidence there for the kid and we know this is the Baton change also uh for next season Smith in for KI so clearly they they have confidence in him but for me I'm a little bit surprised they didn't go with Joey Manu in the half yeah but bra do you think that there's a chance if they don't get their job done or look impressive they can change for for next yeah I think they've G given s in the first crack because I mean last year he was impressive at the back end of the season and their intentions are for him to play there next year uh so that he gets first crack which he deserves Manu hasn't quite been in the best of form of late or up to his standard so uh but I really think that Manu swali Tesco these guys got to stand up you know they've really got to stand up and help and help the likes of sandon Smith out Ki uh we all know what Ki can do at his best and what he's done in the past uh when he's had to in big games whether he still got that or not that question marks hovers over his head and this is opportunity for him to say you know what I still do have it and I can give it one last shot before I head overseas but CR you think that this team and you said it before if you look at the roster and you look at the Players they've got are they better with this team than a lot of the other teams in the top eight maybe not a lot of the others but I I think it's an open Premiership you know you take the injuries into account Melbourne looked to be the standout team although moner's not at 100% Nathan cley we don't know where he's at how strong he's going to be when he comes back from injury manly have got Tom now under an injury Cloud there's opportunity there for this rooster Squad to go out there and do their job I also think Brandon uh sandon Smith sorry is a little bit of a like for like he's not Sam Walker but it's a little bit more of a like for like if you remember last year when they tried Manu at 6 with Kiri it didn't work it didn't work and so that would be just as big a Gamble and sandon Smith is a guy that they've you know they're relying on next year to come in and be Sam's that's a other than penth if they were fully fit and everybody was playing at 100% that's probably that's equal to the it's strong and and going back to the Bulldogs again they can beat any team on their day with this roster and so can the Bulldogs the challenge for a team like both of them and Manley is doing it for three games in a row against the best teams in the competition you know without their stars that that's going to be the big challenge now talking of the roosters stars and one of them who did his ACL the other day Sam will the RO roosters resign him and where does it leave him with all of these contract talks and the roosters offering him a million dollars but Sam apparently wanting more he's not in as strong as position now obviously Sam so what happens now oh clearly not braith and and look significant to this was that only two weeks ago Trent Robinson couldn't have been more uh matter of fact clear and concise on the fact that the the club were putting all negotiations on hold until the end of this final series and that would have worked both ways it would have worked certainly for Sam if the roosters were go to go on and win a comp but also too if it was a bit of a so so final series The Roosters could pull on some bargaining power too we'd heard that Sam wanted 1.4 1.5 million a year and we reported it on NRL 360 but for the first time we read it today that that was actually the asking price it's incredible that's incredible 1.5 some say 1.6 it's it's a lot of money when you figure that into a salary cap that's a seventh of a salary cap it's huge and and when you look at the roosters roster I I think that you know you've got to share the money around otherwise it ain't going to work I I do think that the talk is that the roosters will still go forward with the offer that they've made and that's probably around the 1 million Mark and I think the asking price is still a little bit high but I get the feeling that they will meet halfway and something will be done think a club will pay that one and a half well if they do they crucify their roster well to let's just to put it okay so to me that's a that's a state of origin winning playmaker that's a grand final winning playmaker that's a Nathan clear if Nathan clear come on the market that's probably Nathan clearing money let me put it into context this weekend the Sunday Telegraph will be revealing the richest players in the game and 1.5 million would make Sam Walker the highest paid player in the game there you go I feel sorry for Sam because this is was his real opportunity to cement or prove himself in this final series as the man you just spoke about you know as a guy like uh clear who could go out there and and dominate a final series or try to which then would have put his price up which then would have had to make the rooster's move and it would have had other interests from clubs who would have maybe paid 1.3 or four uh at the very least whereas now he may have to sign that contract but he's still a young man what is he 22 years of age he's still got 14 years left in the game potentially he's got a lifetime to sort all that out the money will come in time if his performan is on the field match it I think the best thing he could do now was would be to strike a deal with the roosters take that pressure away from him they've got a club that want to sign him give him time to get back on the field take away that emotional stress the worries there and you know they they move forward