Titans: Matt Rogers signs with Titans

[titansroostersfan]

Return to league is bad news
By Mick Daly
December 29, 2006 SO Mat Rogers is set to be a Gold Coast Titan next season. Well hip, hip bloody hooray. It's certainly not a win for the code or the Titans.

Forgive the cynicism, but Rogers' return to rugby league is good for one organisation only - the Australian Rugby Union.

Since Rogers announced he was quitting the 15-man game, various NRL stakeholders have hailed it a "win" for league.

Sorry, I just don't get it.

Rattle off as many excuses as you like, but some blokes just can't help themselves. Rogers is one of those.

Just look at his off-field record. Drink-driving, nightclub scuffles, constant brushes with officialdom. And they're the incidents we know about.

Is anyone else sick of hearing about his so-called personal problems?

Rogers has had more than his fair share of personal tragedy with the loss of both parents and his brother overdosing on drugs.

But sport, just like life, is filled with heart-warming tales of athletes, such as former Brisbane Bronco Kevin Walters and cricket's Glenn McGrath, who have pushed through unimaginable private pain to achieve success.

On each occasion, they have done so with dignity, class, courage and humility.

Rogers, two months shy of his 31st birthday, now simply needs to get on with it.

He needs to prove his experiences have made him a stronger, better, wiser person.

Rugby league has plenty of loose cannons. It hardly needs another. But that's exactly what the code's about to get.

When Rogers sported a shocking bleach blond hair-do during the 2000 league World Cup, it was embarrassing enough.

You'd have hoped his five years alongside union's private school brigade would have inspired him to clean up his image.

How the Titans believe his signature is a coup is a deadset mystery.

Sure, he will attract plenty of publicity, but what type?

And do they really want a mullet enthusiast with feral tattoos, stud earrings and a seeming desire to ride Route 66 on a Harley as the face of their debut season?

"Oh, but he's a talent. He's a leader. He's got big-match experience. He's just what the Titans need." Really?

To many, Rogers remains a footballing myth, an over-rated and overpaid one, at that.

As an attacking weapon, his best ability in rugby was to use his speed and acceleration to swerve and beat a slow defender one-on-one on the outside.

But the last forwards seen on a league field with the athletic prowess of Matt Dunning or Ollie Le-Roux were trudging on for Deception Bay Bombers in the Brisbane Second Division Northside 2 competition six years ago.

Rogers thought that he was a ballplayer, a playmaker, a creative spark who deserved to wear the Wallabies' No.10 jersey. But he was wrong.

It doesn't help when you catch the ball on your chest, take your first steps sideways, spray your kicks, can't pass from left to right, disregard game plans and arm tackle in defence.

And how many NRL games will he actually complete?

The league season is twice as long as Super 14 and, some would argue, a trillion times harder.

It's a brutal game of survival, played by the finest of physiques, the toughest of hombres, the fiercest of forces.

If the injury-prone Rogers, with his scrawny teenage skateboarder's body, manages more than a dozen NRL appearances, I'll be stunned.

Don't get me wrong. Rogers will offer spurts of value.

He'll score a few tries, kick a few goals, get a few wraps from ordinary league journos who use the scoresheet as the sole indicator of a player's contribution.

But while he might be the Titans' biggest signing, he just could be their greatest weakness.

So welcome back, M-Rog. Hip, hip bloody hooray

Where does this guy get off. One thing i know he wraps the broncos and sticks up for them when they screw up or turned a blind eye or two. I hope rogers has a huge season and really shut's up this so called reporter. He should stick to one thing this reporter to keep his mouth shut.

[bruski]

Well hopefully this will only spur Matty Rogers on if he does play next year, I know it would me...... I wouldn't get too upset over this, remember Mick Daley is a pro Bronco reporter who like to see the Broncs do well and other teams not so well.

In the end they are only word's and who knows some parts of it may ring true but either way I hope he is chewing on his words at the end of next season, the year of the Titan!!!

[Grimmace]

Threads merged.

just another Critic Matt Riogers will silence and what a coincidence its a pro bronco writer.
I wonder if hed writethe same story if he signed with the broncos i think not.

[SuperCliffy#01]

An open letter to Titansroosterfan.

I have lost both my parents and my only brother to suicide around 8 to 10 years ago and i am still traumatized by it, and to say "get on with it" is arrogant and insulting to those who have gone through deep psychological depression, me in point i am still going through deep depression and i am being going through both intense individual and group therapy, i have in the last two years have attempted suicide at least three times.

What i am saying is this when your whole world collapses and you are left alone with no family support which in my case is the fact on both sides of my family i have been abandonned (Ihad no family members comforting me when my family got wiped out) i had to fend for myself and with that people can take many, many years to recover and their behaviour can be self destructive. It is obvious to me you sound like a young person that has yet to go through a tragedy i hope it is many decades before you go through that.

People aren't perfect, people react to situations differently, so unless you speak from some authority of having gone or currently going through depression i condemn your flippant comments as arrogant and uneducated.

Supercliffy#01.

P.S If you don't like what Matt Rodgers has done bugger of back to the Roosters (Or should i say the Rorters).

[Grimmace]

Cliffy

TitanRooster did not write that article Mick Daly did all he did was post the article no need to attack him perhaps you should read the bolded part.

[Future Star]

Matt Rogers is more than just a fast guy who dodge slow peeps.

He's experience, he has great footwork, he's not to bad a tackler, he has a great pass on him, and he has a knack of finding the Try-line in big games.
He will make a huge impact in League, proablly a few early, quiet games - but thn he will be back.

[Cowboys_Rabbit_Fan]

^^ Also is a goalkicker

[Future Star]

^^ Also is a goalkicker

Yeah - forgot about his mad kicking skills

[DeeGan]

Stopped reading when I saw the name: Mick Daly in reference to the article.

Each to their own.

[Capital_Shark]

Is that bloke for real?

Seems like his major problem with Rogers is his look. Bringing up his hair in 2000 is ridiculous, for starters he did that for a cancer charity, what a mongrel eh?

As for him being over paid .. Name a union player that isn't grossly over paid in comparison to League.

I also don't remember Rogers bringing up his personal problems too often, apart from cutting his deal with union off early. Other than that it was brought up in the media after his father Steve died. Telling him to get on with it and move on? Thats what he's doing by going to the GC . A move back to Cronulla would be more like not moving on with his life.

[Titan_Matchu]

Matt Rogers is more than just a fast guy who dodge slow peeps.

He's experience, he has great footwork, he's not to bad a tackler, he has a great pass on him, and he has a knack of finding the Try-line in big games.
He will make a huge impact in League, proablly a few early, quiet games - but thn he will be back.

I wonder if you defend him the same if you disliked the Gold Coast Titans and or Rugby Union in general.

[Future Star]

I wonder if you defend him the same if you disliked the Gold Coast Titans and or Rugby Union in general.

What?? I dont go for the Tites, Raiders4Life.
and Rugby Union in general - wtf?

[Capital_Shark]

I wonder if you defend him the same if you disliked the Gold Coast Titans and or Rugby Union in general.

What do the gold coast titans have to do with rugby union?

[Robbie_Dee]

What do the gold coast titans have to do with rugby union?

I'm pretty sure he was talking about the fact that Matt Roger's played Union and is coming to the Titans...so maybe he thought the only reason why future star thought he was good was because either he went for the titans or like union... :bored: :noidea:

I don't know if that made any sense :noidea:

[Future Star]

:roll: Im really confused :roll: