Victor Radley is under fire for becoming a liability with a penchant for sin bins after reports the Roosters struggle to win games every time he is sent for a 10-minute spell.
Radley is one of the most sin-binned players in the NRL and his latest brain snap cost the Roosters dearly in their 28-8 loss to the Storm in Round 6.
“Speaking of firebrands we can put Victor Radley in that category and he is earning an unwanted reputation for sin bins,” Dan Ginnane said on NRL 360.
Watch every game of every round of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
FOX LEAGUE PODCAST – LACHIE MILLER ‘COULD’VE BEEN DIGGING HOLES’
Knights fullback Lachie Miller reveals the big risk he took when he rejected a Rugby 7s contract extension to chase his NRL dream.
Dragons board divided on Shane Flanagan | 04:09
“He has had some brain explosions in the past. This is the delicate balance of trying to have the fire and have the intimidation, but not get into trouble.”
Former Manly premiership winning enforcer Mark Spudd Carroll believes Radley needs to pick and choose his moments better rather than trying to go for the big hit every time.
“The thing is with defending you don’t get penalised for hitting anyone too hard,” Carroll said.
“The thing is it is all about timing. This was silly taking Munster off the ball, but it is all about timing.
“You can’t do a game changing tackle every time you whack someone. It is all about timing and his time will come.”
Queensland Origin legend Billy Moore believes Radley needs to mature and learn from his mistakes.
“The key thing for him is the learnings,” Moore said.
MORE NRL NEWS
POWER RANKINGS: Panthers’ ominous title reminder; Dragons own worst enemy
WHISPERS: Broncos ramp up $1m bid to lock in Haas; star shuns Tigers, Bulldogs
‘DEMAND BIG $$$’: Panthers urged to keep Edwards over Luai in $1m transfer war
‘BLATANTLY OBVIOUS’: Dragons under fire for snub as Slater knocks them back
“He is now an international player and he is in the seventh year of his career.
“He is a wonderful player and I’m a massive Radley fan, but it is time for him to realise the balance between leading and having the intimidation.
“It is now time for him to go to the next level in his career and work out, ‘hey I can’t do that anymore’.”
Paul Kent believes Radley took Trent Robinson’s frustrations to heart after the Storm loss and will be better for a tough week.
“He did it pretty tough after last week and knocked himself around a little bit with what happened,” Kent said.
“I think in hindsight it is going to be good for him when he looks back on it.
“He is transitioning from a player who came on and was all effort and aggression and intimidation into a player now who is assuming that leadership role.
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
“He is a guy now along with other guys in the team like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who they look at to lead the charge and he has just got to find the balance.
“He will get there because he is smart enough to get there and he is good enough to get there. He has just got to understand it, but he will be right.”
Ginnane questioned if Radley’s reputation is a factor with the referees.
“He is probably in that category where the benefit of the doubt will probably never go to him,” Ginnane said.
However, Kent believes the referees generally get calls right and Radley just needs to be smarter to avoid sin bins.
“I don’t know, I think they get it pretty well right these days,” Kent said.
“I think in the old days blokes used to carry around reputations, but I think they get it right most times now.
Griffin under fire at the Dragons | 02:51
“He just doesn’t want to keep going down this track where he becomes more of a liability because you just can’t keep him on the field.
“The story out this week that he has had the equal most sin bins in the game and the Roosters have lost every time he has been sin-binned.
“That should be enough to make Victor Radley just sit there and go, you know what I am just going to be a little bit smarter about how I get things done.”
Carroll believes Radley needs to pick and choose his targets better.
“There are certain timings and they watch enough tape now so you know which players and how they shape up and what foot they step off,” Carroll said.
“There is ways of whacking blokes. You can’t do it every tackle and he has got to get better at that.”
Moore has no doubt Radley can get the balance right as evidence by the new elements he has added to his game.
“You see evidence with Isaah Yeo the way he goes deep into the line and offloads,” Moore said.
“That string to Radley’s bow wasn’t there 12 months ago. He is an improving learning player. he has just got to get the balance right.”
