The Roosters made a shock transfer this week, dropping halfback Sam Walker, however Braith Anasta believes a number of the blame ought to be positioned elsewhere.
After dropping their final two video games, Roosters coach Trent Robinson shifted 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner Joseph Manu from the centres to five-eighth with Luke Keary transferring into halfback.
This left Walker because the odd man out, however NRL 360 co-host Anasta, who performed 147 video games for the Roosters, thinks hooker Brandon Smith’s play deserves to return beneath scrutiny as nicely.
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“There was a moment there on the weekend where they had a chance to win the game and the service out of dummy half was poor,” Anasta mentioned Tuesday night time on NRL 360.
“He’s probably the best dummy half from ten metres out but in terms of service and taking away from the quality of the six and seven, you always want the ball out in front, you want the ball on the run that gives you more time and space.
“I still think Smith is struggling with his service out of dummy half, and I think that has to be looked at as an impact to the halves and their performance this year.
“The Roosters needed a genuine number nine last year, they needed that and they chose to go down this path.”
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Anasta’s co-host Paul Kent mentioned that the Roosters knew what they had been getting when signing Smith, believing that the New Zealand consultant “needs some coaching”.
“I don’t think Brandon Smith’s dummy half service has ever been what you’d call exceptional,” Kent mentioned.
“Even as a dummy half coming through at Melbourne he was never regarded as that classic playmaker that hold up markers in the Cameron Smith or Harry Grant mould.
“I think they (Roosters) backed themselves to be able to teach Brandon Smith that part of his game.
“It’s going to take a lot of coaching to turn this around. He (Robinson) is a great coach but clearly the dummy half needs some coaching in a certain area and now the halves are changing.”
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The Daily Telegraph’s Brent Read interjected that he thought “Brandon Smith is an elite hooker though. Are we saying he isn’t?”
“For what they need Ready, for the halves to blossom and for them to win a premiership, the service out of number nine has to be better,” Anasta responded.
“If the service still isn’t what it needs to be (even with Manu and Keary in the halves), maybe nothing changes. Time is going to tell here.”
In his first season for the Roosters, Smith has performed in all six matches this season, beginning at hooker in 5 of these and averaging 55 minutes a sport.
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He got here off the bench on the Storm behind beginning hookers Cam Smith and Harry Grant and outlined final yr why he moved on to the Roosters
“I wanted to play hooker and that was sort of clouded by the re-signing of Harry,” Smith mentioned in May of final yr.
“We never had a problem with each other … The decision was solely because I wanted to play hooker.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
