Latest news with #Ashton-CollierMedal
Sydney Morning Herald
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cherry-Evans to the Roosters is on the cards. Phil Gould thinks it's a bad idea
Phil Gould believes the Roosters would be making a mistake in signing Daly Cherry-Evans, believing the veteran halfback's arrival could upset the development of the promising halves already on the club's books. Cherry-Evans is yet to declare where his future lies after informing the Sea Eagles he will be leaving Brookvale at the end of the season. The Maroons captain has been linked to a move to the Roosters. The Tricolours have play-making depth in the form of Sam Walker, Sandon Smith, Hugo Savala, Chad Townsend and promising youngster Toby Rodwell. Smith's stocks are on the rise after several eye-catching performances, most notably after earning the Ashton-Collier Medal as player of the match in his side's Anzac Day win against the Dragons. 'I know there's been a lot of rumours and a lot of interest in Daly Cherry-Evans from the Roosters. I can't understand that,' Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast. 'They've got Sam Walker to come back, and they've got this young fella, Sandon Smith, who I've really rated for a long time, he's a great kid and getting better. His performance on Anzac Day was extraordinary, and they've still got Sam Walker to come back yet. 'If they intended on playing Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker in the same team, one of them is going to have to change their role. One of them is going to have to play five-eighth and play left. It's not going be Daly Cherry-Evans, he's not going to the Roosters to do that at the back end of his career. 'Which means I think it inhibits Sam Walker's development as a game-managing halfback for a couple of years while he hands the reins over to Daly Cherry-Evans. They might be able to say, Daly can teach him the ropes, and he can watch what Daly does, but I don't get it. I honestly don't get it.
The Age
30-04-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Cherry-Evans to the Roosters is on the cards. Phil Gould thinks it's a bad idea
Phil Gould believes the Roosters would be making a mistake in signing Daly Cherry-Evans, believing the veteran halfback's arrival could upset the development of the promising halves already on the club's books. Cherry-Evans is yet to declare where his future lies after informing the Sea Eagles he will be leaving Brookvale at the end of the season. The Maroons captain has been linked to a move to the Roosters. The Tricolours have play-making depth in the form of Sam Walker, Sandon Smith, Hugo Savala, Chad Townsend and promising youngster Toby Rodwell. Smith's stocks are on the rise after several eye-catching performances, most notably after earning the Ashton-Collier Medal as player of the match in his side's Anzac Day win against the Dragons. 'I know there's been a lot of rumours and a lot of interest in Daly Cherry-Evans from the Roosters. I can't understand that,' Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast. 'They've got Sam Walker to come back, and they've got this young fella, Sandon Smith, who I've really rated for a long time, he's a great kid and getting better. His performance on Anzac Day was extraordinary, and they've still got Sam Walker to come back yet. 'If they intended on playing Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker in the same team, one of them is going to have to change their role. One of them is going to have to play five-eighth and play left. It's not going be Daly Cherry-Evans, he's not going to the Roosters to do that at the back end of his career. 'Which means I think it inhibits Sam Walker's development as a game-managing halfback for a couple of years while he hands the reins over to Daly Cherry-Evans. They might be able to say, Daly can teach him the ropes, and he can watch what Daly does, but I don't get it. I honestly don't get it.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sandon Smith shines as Roosters thump Dragons
Sandon Smith has ignited the Sydney Roosters' season and sent a message that he can be a long-term playmaker for the NRL glamour club after starring in a 46-18 win over St George Illawarra. Smith scored two tries and kicked seven goals to chalk up 22 individual points as he won the Ashton-Collier Medal and piloted the Roosters (3-5) to victory in front of an Anzac Day crowd of 41,021 at Allianz Stadium on Friday. The five-eighth even spent time in the sin bin for a high tackle on Lachlan Ilias but that was the sole blemish on arguably the most-impressive display of his 36-game NRL career. "His positioning was in the right spot, and you can see he has got really great vision," said Roosters coach Trent Robinson. "When he plays like that, he sees a lot. "To handle 10 minutes (in the bin) and then come back on and continue that was really nice." Like his side, Smith's performances have been up and down to start 2025. And at a time when the Roosters have been consistently linked to bringing outgoing Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans to the club, Smith could have been forgiven for feeling like he was on borrowed time. But the 22-year-old's performance will give Robinson hope that along with Sam Walker, who is set to return from knee surgery in the next six weeks, Smith can be part of a long-term halves combination for the Bondi club. Sandon Smith is having a DAY! 🔥#NRLRoostersDragons — NRL (@NRL) April 25, 2025 The pressure was on Robinson's men heading into Friday's game where a loss would have sent the Roosters to the bottom of the NRL ladder for the first time since 2016. But they hit the ground running when Smith scored in the third minute. He dug into the line to create a right-to-left spread and then backed up Daniel Tupou on the inside to receive the winger's flick pass and cross. The Dragons hit back five minutes later when Val Holmes jolted the ball loose from James Tedesco and winger Sione Finau raced 80m to score. But that was about as good as it got for Shane Flanagan's side in the first half as Mark Nawaqanitawase powered over to push the Roosters further ahead. After converting Nawaqanitawase's try, Smith added a penalty goal and then grabbed his second when he scooped up a loose ball and dummied past Clint Gutherson to give his side a 20-6 halftime lead. "The first half cooked us ... We had just 29 per cent of possession," said Dragons coach Flanagan. "I could tell at halftime we were looking for answers and we were out on our feet." Smith's dream afternoon hit a snare soon after the break when he was sin-binned for a high shot on Dragons halfback Ilias. Smith's 10-minute absence did nothing to slow the Roosters down with bench forward Blake Steep tricking Gutherson with an identical dummy. Kyle Flanagan scored for the Dragons just before Smith returned but the Roosters No.6 didn't miss a beat, setting up Tedesco straight after coming back on to the field. The Roosters fullback added his second and set up halfback Hugo Savala in the final five minutes.
Sydney Morning Herald
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Fittler, Anasta ... Smith: Sandon joins Roosters greats with Anzac Day masterclasses
Loading Sandon Smith walked onto Alllianz Stadium as the smallest of all 34 players, but marched off with 22 points and a place in rugby league's Anzac Day history after leading the Roosters to a 46-18 demolition of St George Illawarra. Staring down last-place on the ladder if they had been beaten, the Tricolours made the most of a mountain of first-half possession, with Smith bagging two runaway tries in the opening 40 minutes. In front of a 41,021-strong crowd, Smith joined famed Roosters five-eighth performances from Braith Anasta in 2007 (when he gave Dragons opposite Richie Williams a bath after being called out in the press) and Brad Fittler's stepping and swerving Anzac Cup match-winner in 2004. Smith's double even had shades of Fittler's runaway effort, albeit the 176cm half moved roughly twice as fast as Freddy did in his autumn years. He was in everything and the most deserving of Ashton-Collier Medal as player of the match. By the time the first half stanza was over, Smith had helped himself to 16 points and a try at either end of the half, selling Clint Gutherson a dummy as he raced 40 metres from broken play just before the break. Smith was in everything. Almost all of it was good, but there were 10 nervous minutes when he was put on report and sin-binned early in the second half for collecting Lachlan Ilias in the head with a lazy swinging arm. Trailing 20-6, the Dragons couldn't convert with the extra man. Instead, it was Roosters rookie forward Blake Steep bagging a 60-metre runaway try, once again dusting Gutherson with a dummy that rookie forwards just shouldn't throw.
West Australian
25-04-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Sandon Smith shines as Roosters thump Dragons
Sandon Smith has ignited the Sydney Roosters' season and sent a message that he can be a long-term playmaker for the NRL glamour club after starring in a 46-18 win over St George Illawarra. Smith scored two tries and kicked seven goals to chalk up 22 individual points as he won the Ashton-Collier Medal and piloted the Roosters (3-5) to victory in front of an Anzac Day crowd of 41,021 at Allianz Stadium on Friday. The five-eighth even spent time in the sin bin for a high tackle on Lachlan Ilias but that was the sole blemish on arguably the most-impressive display of his 36-game NRL career. Like his side, Smith's performances have been up and down to start 2025. And at a time when the Roosters have been consistently linked to bringing outgoing Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans to the club, Smith could have been forgiven for feeling like he was on borrowed time. But the 22-year-old's performance will give Trent Robinson hope that Smith and Sam Walker, who is set to return from knee surgery in the next six weeks, can be a long-term combination for the Bondi club. The Roosters went in knowing that a loss would have sent them to the bottom of the NRL ladder for the first time since 2016. But Robinson's men shrugged off that pressure and hit the ground running when Smith scored in the third minute. Smith dug into the line to create a right-to-left spread and then backed up Daniel Tupou on the inside to receive the winger's flick pass and cross. The Dragons hit back five minutes later when Val Holmes jolted the ball loose from James Tedesco and winger Sione Finau raced 80m to score. But that was about as good as it got for Shane Flanagan's side in the first half as Mark Nawaqanitawase powered over to push the Roosters further ahead. After converting Nawaqanitawase's try, Smith added a penalty goal and then grabbed his second when he scooped up a loose ball and dummied past Clint Gutherson to give his side a 20-6 halftime lead. The playmaker's dream afternoon hit a snare when soon after the break he was sin-binned for a high shot on Dragons halfback Ilias. Smith's 10-minute absence did nothing to slow the Roosters down with bench forward Blake Steep tricking Gutherson with an identical dummy. Kyle Flanagan scored for the Dragons just before Smith returned. But the Roosters No.6 came back on set up Tedesco straight away. The Roosters fullback added his second and set up halfback Hugo Savala in the final five minutes.
