ANALYSIS: The old man and the Cheese: How the Roosters ignited their fire
abc.net.au/news/sydney-roosters-south-sydney-rabbitohs-fight/102114478For the first 25 minutes of Friday's match against South Sydney, the Roosters looked a lot like they have through the first two matches of the competition.
The Kiwi duo have not had beginnings to remember in 2023. Smith's first two games for his new club after his high-profile move from Melbourne have both ended early.it was a microcosm of why the Roosters were beaten to the punch all day. They were out-muscled and out-fought.
"In that scuffle he grabbed a few of the boys and said ‘it’s all good, it’s all good, keep calm’ and he was telling us to control our emotions and when he’s saying that... When someone like that is saying that... While Waerea-Hargreaves ran for 150 metres from 15 carries, the most of any forward on the field, his true value hasn't been measurable on a stat sheet for some years now. Just know that when he came on the field, something changed and everyone felt it.
Like so many players, Smith's greatest weakness is the underside of his greatest strength. He runs on high-octane fuel and explodes from dummy half like few others can, but he's more of a sprinter than a marathon runner.