Bruce today

[terry smith rules]

I reckon he had a flu today

He looked out of sorts and when we did see him he was really out of breath

He's a gun so hopefully back on track next week

[saintspremiers]

If he had the flu he would've been bed ridden with a fever.

Highly unlikely. Perhaps a virus or cold but not full blown flu

[tony74]

He was fine, just didn't handle the conditions. Was very humid.

[plugger66]

SP is right. Do people understand the flu. You could never play footy with the flu unless they played it in your bedroom.

[Goose is king]

I had the flue tens years ago and played footy every day for a week.
I think it was on the PS2 as I was in bed all week
Got good though

[Bluthy]

I like the way he keeps working hard with 1%ers even when its not happening for him - Rooey was on fire so he could play a secondary, support role. he seems a pretty unselfish player. Next week it might be his time to step up. And he helped stopped brissys momentum towards the end.

[Munga]

I thought he looked a little pale and was going to barf at one stage. Maybe just exhaustion.

[saintspremiers]

He was fine, just didn't handle the conditions. Was very humid.

Well tell him to get rid of that stupid manbun and shave his head!

Serious question - did they have ice vests on the bench?

[Trev from the Bush]

He had a so so day and kicked 1.2. So, what is your issue?

[SemperFidelis]

I like the way he keeps working hard with 1%ers even when its not happening for him - Rooey was on fire so he could play a secondary, support role. he seems a pretty unselfish player. Next week it might be his time to step up. And he helped stopped brissys momentum towards the end.

This. I thought he tackled well and kept cracking in even though the marks weren't sticking. He is a genuine asset down forward even on a less spectacular day out for him.

[skeptic]

He really reminds of a stronger marking Aaron Hamil

[magnifisaint]

I thought he looked a little pale and was going to barf at one stage. Maybe just exhaustion.

He would have had a barf after the game

[SainterK]

New respect for him, great recovery to play every week

[stevie]

It amuses me no end when people have a bad cold and say they have the 'flu'. I know it's just a figure of speech ingrained into us but a cold is nothing like the real influenza. I have to correct mums at school. They say 'I have the flu' and I say 'Oh you mean a bad cold'. And they sorta go, 'yeah that's what I mean' and most realise their error lol. Carry on.

Yeah Brucey did seem a bit out of sorts. A lot of our fwd thrusts cane via the wing/flank which gave the Lions time to drop numbers back in the square. He was competing a lot with Roo in packs.

[plugger66]

New respect for him, great recovery to play every week

Why? Im lost SK.

[bigcarl]

Key forwards don't fire every week and Josh just had an off day. Even Plugger had the occasional game where he looked all at sea.

I see where Rooey wants to play another two seasons after this one. The way he's playing there is no reason he can't.

Hopefully his last game is the 2017 Grand Final and he is chaired off by the two new key forwards, Bruce and McCartin, after a sterling game in a famous victory ... on the wing.

What I'm saying is we need to be vigilant about developing a forward line for the future, even if it means Rooey starting up the ground.

There is no sense in a one-dimensional kick-it-to Roo approach, nor is there any future in it

[RODOS]

bruce was getting to good spots and getting his hands on the ball, just not clunking them, luck was not on his side. Great pressure though. As far as "down" games go, that was a ripper!

[gringo]

New respect for him, great recovery to play every week

Why? Im lost SK.

I got the feeling from her report from the Amazing race night that there were some very sore players and I actually thought she might have meant Bruce. She seemed to suggest some wouldn't get up for the game. I guess it might have been now.

[saintsRrising]

As "bad" game from Bruce, it was still better than many of the "good" games we have had from many of our forward options in recent years.

He also still competed, and provided lots of opportunities for others.

Besides it was not really that bad a game. He was justa little bit off in place. ie If he had not have dived to that attempt fora great running mark, but had instead just left it to bounce and then e gathered by him, then he would most likely have had one easy goal there. with tow of his missesyou would normally have expected him to have gotten at least one.

I was at the game and it was certainly hot and humid at the start. Luckily in the last quarter it cooled off a mite and even a nice breeze kicked in. May have helped Bruce to have hada good last quarter if he was struggling with the humidity.

[saintjake]

As a Canberra native, the heat and humidity probably threw him out completely!

[plugger66]

New respect for him, great recovery to play every week

Why? Im lost SK.

I got the feeling from her report from the Amazing race night that there were some very sore players and I actually thought she might have meant Bruce. She seemed to suggest some wouldn't get up for the game. I guess it might have been now.

That was 2 weeks ago. My experience is many players are sore on the Monday and most play the next game.

[FQF]

The fact that he was on the ground contributed to Roo's dominant performance. Bruce now demands serious attention, and this alone is worth its weight in gold for Riewoldt and the team.

[plugger66]

The fact that he was on the ground contributed to Roo's dominant performance. Bruce now demands serious attention, and this alone is worth its weight in gold for Riewoldt and the team.

So we need to play Rooy mainly as a forward as any club would do.

[FQF]

The fact that he was on the ground contributed to Roo's dominant performance. Bruce now demands serious attention, and this alone is worth its weight in gold for Riewoldt and the team.

So we need to play Rooy mainly as a forward as any club would do.

I don't think anyone really thinks Roo is a winger in the traditional sense. It's a question of whether he plays as a very high CHF with a focus on being the 'connect' (to use Richo's lingo) or whether he plays as a closer to home CHF with a focus on kicking goals.

He plays both roles very well and I agree with the approach that Richo is adopting which is to use him flexibly to suit the needs of the team at any given period of any given game. So yesterday, when Bruce was quiet and we needed goals Roo played that role. But at other times, Bruce will be clunking everything and we will need the connect, and Roo plays that role just as effectively.

We need to stop being so binary about these things...

[plugger66]

The fact that he was on the ground contributed to Roo's dominant performance. Bruce now demands serious attention, and this alone is worth its weight in gold for Riewoldt and the team.

So we need to play Rooy mainly as a forward as any club would do.

I don't think anyone really thinks Roo is a winger in the traditional sense. It's a question of whether he plays as a very high CHF with a focus on being the 'connect' (to use Richo's lingo) or whether he plays as a closer to home CHF with a focus on kicking goals.

He plays both roles very well and I agree with the approach that Richo is adopting which is to use him flexibly to suit the needs of the team at any given period of any given game. So yesterday, when Bruce was quiet and we needed goals Roo played that role. But at other times, Bruce will be clunking everything and we will need the connect, and Roo plays that role just as effectively.

We need to stop being so binary about these things...

He seems to be playing pretty much how he has always been played except he does drift a little further into the backline. As long as he never plays the true wing position I will be happy. He isn't anywhere near good enough below his knees to play that role.