Why Roosters captain Jake Friend is just as important to his team as Cameron Smith
ROOSTERS skipper Jake Friend has copped it from the sidelines this season. But with more try assists and tackle busts than Cameron Smith this season, he won’t be changing his game.
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JAKE Friend has had more try assists and more tackle busts than his champion grand final opponent Cameron Smith this season. Not that you’d know about it.
The Roosters skipper is not as crafty as the Storm superstar or as individually brilliant as NSW Origin hooker Damien Cook.
In fact he’s been criticised for much of the season by respected old voices and premiership-winning hookers Danny Buderus and Michael Ennis on Fox Sports commentary.
Especially earlier in the year when the Roosters struggled to get their structure right under new playmaker Cooper Cronk and Friend occasionally chose some poor fifth-tackle kicking options.
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Not that Roosters coach Trent Robinson would swap him for anyone.
“He’s copped a lot off former players and hookers in the media but he’s just kept going,” Robinson said, “They’ve been into him all year. He doesn’t play pretty enough for some people.
“But the guy has stood out and delivered as a footy player every week. He’s an exceptional leader and a good man with a big heart.
“He’s also tough and can play wounded every week.”
While Smith and Cook get the glowing praise every week, Friend quietly produces his strong, steady and inspirational performances in every game.
The fact he averages 43 tackles each week can take an edge off his attacking output.
Yet the statistics show he’s superior to Smith in the key try-assist and tackle-bust areas of the game.
It’s 21 tackle busts to Smith’s 19 and six try assists to Smith’s four. Not bad considering his averaged 10 minutes a game less than his grand final opponent.
Robinson says fans at the ground and watching on television never get a full appreciation of what he actually contributes to the team.
“It’s not until we see him on eagle cam (overhead view) that you can understand a lot of the stuff that often goes unnoticed,” Robinson said, “It’s incredible.
“He’s our number one guy on eagle cam by far. He’s everywhere.
“You don’t do what we did on the weekend against Souths without Jake Friend.”
The 28-year-old hooker will be completing his 11th season in the NRL in Sunday’s decider.
It didn’t take long for halfback Cronk to appreciate Friend’s value to the Roosters.
And this is a guy who had spent his entire career alongside the greatest of all-time at Storm.
“Jake Friend puts his head in places I wouldn’t put my feet. His determination to be as good as he possibly can be for his teammates is beyond what I thought it was before arriving.
“He is a phenomenal leader of our football team, and he is phenomenal when doing his strengths for 80 minutes. He has the absolute respect of the playing group.”
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