Braith Anasta says the Roosters may live to regret their decision to pick Chad Townsend at five-eighth over Sandon Smith against the Sharks, believing the consequences “could be severe”.
Townsend was selected at No.6 in the Roosters’ 31-18 defeat to the Sharks, but Anasta was bewildered as to why Smith was overlooked.
Smith has been named to return for the clash against the Storm on Thursday night at Allianz Stadium.
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“I thought it was strange, I really did. I was surprised by it. I thought, why?” Anasta said on NRL 360 on Tuesday night.
“I thought Sandon must be injured.”
Anasta believes Townsend, who guided the Sharks to a premiership in 2016, is finished as an NRL player.
“No disrespect to Chad, but I think his days in first grade are gone,” Anasta added.
“I hate saying that because he’s a great guy and he’s had a great career.
“Sandon is a quality player. Yeah, they may not be keeping him next year given what’s happened with DCE and all that.
“But that was a critical game. It was one that they really needed to win against a side they could have beaten.
“It was a big risk and I think, obviously it was a failure.
“The repercussions of that in a few weeks’ time could be severe.”
The Roosters now sit in 10th spot on the ladder, on 22 competition points, having lost two of their last three games.
Panellist Andrew Webster said the Roosters were a team that other sides were concerned about “not that long ago”.
“It is funny though how their run has died,” Webster said.
“Not that long ago, I know other clubs, all of them, privately, were saying that that’s the team they actually fear.”
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The Roosters are one win outside the top eight, but have an inferior points differential to the three teams above them, the Sea Eagles, Sharks and Dolphins.
Co-host Dan Ginnane added that the Roosters will be in a world of pain if Manly can land an upset victory over the Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
“If Manly knock off the Dogs on Sunday, that makes life very, very hard for the Roosters, because they’ve still got to get two more wins than them at least,” Ginnane said.
The Roosters will play the Storm (Round 21), Manly (Round 22), Dolphins (Round 23), Bulldogs (Round 24), Eels (Round 25), Storm (Round 26) and Rabbitohs (Round 27) in a difficult run home.
