The 2022 NRL season isn’t far away so Oscar Pannifex and Jason Oliver are previewing all 16 clubs before Round 1. Up next, it’s the Sydney Roosters who will hope to spend less time rehabbing and more time playing following a horror 2021 campaign.
Sydney Roosters 2022 Season Preview:
- The 2021 NRL Season In 200 Words
- Predicted Profile In 2022
- Breakout Season Candidates: Billy Smith, Sam Verrills
- Sections Wishlist: More minutes for Butcher, Naufahu Whyte
- SuperCoach Game Theory
- Notepad: Watson’s Role
- Predictions: Peak, Pass & Pit
The 2021 NRL Season In 200 Words
We’re looking back at the Sydney Roosters 2021 Season Review for a quick recap on how it all played out.
What a year it was for Trent Robinson and the Sydney Roosters. There isn’t another team in the comp who could win 66% of their games in a season where not one, not two, but three club captains were forced into retirement while their halfback and an Origin quality prop watched from the sidelines as well.
I can’t for the life of me recall when it was, but at some point late in the season Phil Gould said something in the commentary that sums the Roosters up for me in 2021. He referenced the experienced players remaining in the Roosters’ decimated side and how they were consistently Sydney’s best players, week in, week out, simply because they needed to be.
In a side overflowing with rookies, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Angus Crichton, Josh Morris, Victor Radley, Joseph Manu and of course a bloke named James Tedesco hardly put a foot wrong all season. The Roosters’ most experienced campaigners led from the front every week and took it upon themselves to ensure the Tricolours didn’t lose their way.
The Roosters’ fifth-place finish is largely thanks to the work of these senior players and of head coach Trent Robinson, who needs to start being considered alongside names like Bellamy and Bennett.
Predicted Profile In 2022
What will the Roosters attack look like this season? We take a stab at profiling their playing style ahead of Round 1 of the 2022 NRL season.
I can’t put into words how keen I am to see Luke Keary and Sam Walker share the field in 2022. Even as a Souths supporter (Oscar, here) I’m praying for the injury gods to give us 20+ weeks with Walker and Keary in the halves so we can all sit back, grab a beer and enjoy. Both are genuine threats with a pass, kick or run, both can manage a game, both are willing defenders and both will take a leading role in organising the Roosters’ attack in 2022.
Keary gave Fox Sports their headline quote last week when he said Walker was “probably the most naturally gifted half I have come across.”
From someone who has played and trained with guys like Cooper Cronk, Cody Walker and Nathan Cleary that’s a fair wrap, and on 2021’s form, I’m inclined to agree with him. But there was a more telling quote Keary gave in that interview that points to a very dangerous Roosters attacking system in 2022:
“We won’t stick to sides. We will drift around a bit. I think we are both similar style players. We both don’t really play a side.” – Luke Keary, Fox Sports
Last year James Tedesco took on the bulk of playmaking duties as the Roosters’ halves fell around him. He played at first receiver in a ball-playing role more than he’s ever done in the past, and he still dominated in the unfamiliar, uncomplimentary position. With Keary, Walker, Victor Radley and Connor Watson on the field in 2022, Tedesco can revert back to his strengths as a runner. Easts have the personnel to free up Tedesco in attack and pass him into spaces around the field, rather than relying on Tedesco to get the ball there himself.
The luxury of having both Walker and Keary in the halves is that the Roosters can throw together any shape at any time from anywhere on the field. They’re already the best-drilled team in the competition and now they’ve got two genuine playmakers to orchestrate it all on the field. Walker can fill the halfback role whenever Keary wants to sneak down a short side and Keary can set things up from first-receiver whenever Walker looks to load up one of those harbour bridge passes to his winger.
Throw in Watson, Radley or Sam Verrills and this Roosters side is well equipped with playmakers who can shift the pill quickly into spaces across the field. It’s a roster specifically designed for the modern game. Whenever there’s a quick play-the-ball, Easts will have multiple ballplayers pushing up over the ad-line and looking to shift the ball wide where Tedesco, Joey Manu or Daniel Tupou will be waiting.
They’re never afraid to take a risk with the ball. The Roosters have finished each of the last six NRL seasons in the bottom four in set completion percentage. They trust their defence enough to throw the pass other teams would hold onto, and in recent years, that pass has connected resulting in points.
With a team perfectly suited to crashing the middle early in a set before shifting the ball wide in a hurry, expect the Roosters to once again be towards the top of the error count. Trent Robinson’s side has averaged the most errors in the competition four times across the last six years. But also expect to see plenty of those passes stick as the Roosters play with one of the best attacks in the NRL this season.
~ Oscar & Jason
Breakout Season Candidates
Some started to breakout in 2021 while others are ripe and ready to announce themselves to the NRL in 2022. Oscar and Jason highlight one player they think will take a leap this season.
Oscar: Billy Smith
Die-hard Roosters fans and footy guys with their ears to the ground will already know this kid is special. Smith’s had a horror run with injuries but only needs to stay on the field to have a breakout year for me in 2022. He’ll have to beat Adam Keighran and Paul Momirovski to the vacant centre position but Smith’s ceiling is higher than these two and he just needs a chance to show it.
At 191 cm, 99 kg and 22 years of age, Smith certainly profiles as a specialist centre. With Joey Manu a lock on the right edge, the Roosters need someone at left centre who can bring try scoring freak Daniel Tupou into the game like Latrell Mitchell did so effectively during his time at the Roosters. It’s worth noting that Smith was the guy Trent Robinson had planned to replace Latrell Mitchell with in 2020. That alone tells us he’s quality and I’m keen to see what he can do in 2022.
Jason: Sam Verrills
It has been quite the start to his NRL career for Sam Verrills.
He performed admirably when starting the 2019 NRL Grand Final only 14 games into his career, scoring a try as the Roosters beat the Canberra Raiders 14-8. Playing only 19 games since lifting the Provan-Summons Trophy, the 22-year-old’s progress has somewhat stalled. However, 2022 shapes as a huge season for the hooker as he prepares for the arrival of Brandon Smith in 2023.
The Roosters are desperate for some consistency in the #9 jersey and Verrills can provide it if he can stay healthy. There are no concerns for him defensively and he isn’t simply going to feed his halves the ball because they ask for it – they’re always asking for it. Instead, he plays what is in front of him and isn’t afraid to dart out from behind the ruck himself if he sees the signs – defender on the ground, a slow peel, the A defender too wide.
We saw Jayden Brailey take a leap for the Newcastle Knights to begin last season. He played his big blokes onto the ball and took a little bit more control of his side. While I don’t think Verrills will be constructing sets himself with Keary, Walker and Radley there, I do anticipate a similar level of improvement overall.
The most important thing is he stays on the field, though.
Section Wishlist
Whether it be likely or unlikely, good or bad, Jason and Oscar have a couple of players on their selection wishlist in 2022.
Oscar: More minutes for Egan Butcher
I’m going a little left field here and picking out who I think will be a genuine star of the future. Egan Butcher has played limited minutes in first grade so far but was asked to over-deliver in 2021 as the Roosters pack was decimated by injuries. He barely put a foot wrong.
Egan’s still just 21 years of age and at 187 cm and 96 kg, he still has some growing to do as an NRL forward. He’ll never be a giant but he’s a powerful runner of the ball with a great motor and some mobility about him. Word from the Roosters system is Egan is the better of the two Butcher brothers and my hope is that he gets a consistent bench role in 2022.
The Roosters have plenty of depth in the backrow with Victor Radley, Angus Crichton, Sitili Tupouniua, Connor Watson and an incoming Brandon Smith all options at lock or on an edge. The front row stocks are less established.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Siosiua Taukieaho aren’t getting any younger, Isaac Liu has moved on and Lindsay Collins is returning from a serious injury in 2022. A few years ago Trent Robinson used Crichton in the middle as he fought for a spot in this Roosters pack and I won’t be surprised if he does something similar with Egan this year. The Roosters do succession plans better than most teams and Egan is profiling as the next crop coming through based on last season’s efforts..
Jason: Naufahu Whyte
Moving over to the Sydney Roosters from the Waitemata Seagulls in Auckland, Naufahu Whyte is towards the top of my NRL watchlist. A Kiwi kid who played for a club relatively local to me featuring in the NRL is always going to catch my eye.
And so did this:
Whyte is huge. NRL.com has the 19-year-old listed at 192 cm and 106 kg, but I can be convinced he has grown taller and put on more size since they took those measurements. More encouraging still is his ability not only to move his feet to beat defenders, but stay on his feet through contact. Coaches are looking for a little bit more lateral quickness in their edge players these days and Whyte appears to blend that quickness with strength.
Ignoring last year, the Roosters are typically patient with how they introduce younger players into the NRL. We all saw how ready Sam Walker was for first grade last year but they had no intention of playing him at all before the season kicked off.
While I don’t want to see another injury-ravaged Roosters season, I’d like to see Whyte given a few chances to add to his three NRL appearances in 2022.
SuperCoach Game Theory
RLW is venturing into the fantasy space this year and Oscar will be keeping a rolling watch list from week-to-week. Not everything translates from field to fantasy but if something catches my eye or there’s value hiding somewhere, it’ll go on the list.
Connor Watson ($515,500) – He’s not cheap but it’s a gamble that could pay off massively. Needs to win the starting hooker role off Sam Verrills before he’s a SuperCoach buy for mine, but there’s no denying the upside of Watson playing in the Roosters’ system. Watching very closely.
Luke Keary ($528,400) – It’s a crime that we didn’t get to see more of Keary playing with the new rules in 2021. He’s one of the best in the comp at playing over the ad line and he would have made a mockery of the six-again rule last season. That rule may have been tweaked but I’m still keen on Keary in 2022. He had seven try assists in his first three games last year and if he returns well from injury he could be one of the better SuperCoach halves by this season’s end.
Joseph Suaalii ($259,500) – Needs to return from injury before I start looking to bring him in, but I think Suaalii is in for a big year. He’s my pick for the Roosters’ vacant wing position and if he can lock down that position he’s going straight in my team.
Billy Smith ($294,600) – If injuries were kinder Smith would probably have 50 NRL games to his name by now. Obviously needs to stay on the field to become SuperCoach relevant but is a very cheap option with serious upside if he keeps fit. Watching closely.
Angus Crichton ($653,200) – Crichton posted career-high running metres and tries last season after a disrupted 2020 campaign. I’m waiting to see how Keary and Walker line up before making a call on him but I think Crichton becomes a focal point for the Roosters in 2022 and I’m not sure there will be too much between him and David Fifita by season’s end. Should score boatloads of SC points playing in what I’m expecting to be a very dominant Roosters side.
2022 NRL Notepad
Jason has pulled the wrapper off a fresh notepad and has a few pages filled already with the 2022 NRL season in mind.
Watson’s Role
“I’m mostly focused on nine and 13 and then if there’s an injury at six, seven, one, three/four – front row! – whatever it is, I’ll jump in there.” – Connor Watson via NRL.com
The utility position has grown in importance over the last few NRL seasons and few players fit the role better than Connor Watson. It sounds as though he will split time between hooker and lock – spelling Sam Verrills and Victory Radley throughout the game.
I assume that will be in one stint either side of halftime provided there aren’t any injuries to cover but it will be interesting to see how it plays out, nonetheless.
If there is any injury anywhere – really, anywhere – the Roosters will be able to fill it in one way or another. Even if Watson isn’t a direct replacement for the injured player, he can spot up somewhere to allow somebody else to move.
Following a season of what felt like weekly injuries early into games, Watson is the ideal player for Robinson to carry on his bench.
The 25-year-old is typically quite assertive with the ball in hand. He looks to create things himself and is desperate to move forward with the ball. That isn’t always going to be what the Roosters want, especially when he is filling in for Radley in the pivot spot. It may take a few games to see Watson thrive in his role at the Roosters but I have no doubt that he will in the end.
Peak, Pass, Pit
Oscar and Jason give their predicted peak for the Roosters in 2022 along with a pass mark and worst-case scenario.
Peak
Premiers: I’m not usually a futures better but I’ve already got some coin on Sydney to win the thing in 2022. Trent Robinson is the smartest coach in the business for mine and he’ll have two of the best halves in the competition to employ his gameplan on the field this year. Gameplan’s aside, between Keary, Walker, Tedesco, Radley, Watson and Manu the Roosters have playmakers who can beat the defence with a pass or a run, and I can’t wait to see the highlight moments they produce in 2022. ~OP
Premiers: They’re my pick for the premiership at the moment. Ignoring last year, the Roosters list is the best in the competition. They’re stacked at key playmaking positions, have a pack made for rugby league in 2022, and a coach that always has this team prepared to deal with whatever comes at them. They’ll be in the premiership conversation all year if they’re healthy. ~JO
Pass
Preliminary Final: I can’t see a world where the Roosters don’t enter the finals series with a double chance this year. A top four finish feels inevitable which means at worst the Roosters have to play in Week 2 of the finals against a team that finished 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th. They should win that game easy which means an appearance in the preliminary final is the pass mark for me in 2022. ~OP
Top 4: There is some congestion towards the top of the NRL ladder but I expect the Roosters to put it all together throughout the regular season to finish in the Top 4. There is no risk of this group taking it easy and cruising towards September. They’re rebuilding in a sense following their injury-impacted 2021 season. ~JO
Pit
Miss Top 4: It would take a disastrous drop in form over the Origin period for the Roosters to not finish in the top four this year. Their depth in key positions is better than most clubs could ever dream of and even if they are hit with another injury toll like last year, the Roosters have shown they can cover it and beat all but the top teams. ~OP
14 Wins: The Roosters won the NRL Minor Premiership with 16 wins in 2018 so asking them to repeat the 16 wins they picked up to finish 6th in 2021 is a big ask. Winning 14 games should put them comfortably into the Top 8 so I don’t anticipate them losing more than ten games all year. ~JO