Pressuring the halves is not the way to win IMO. Like Souths, it's all in the forwards. The halves are pretty much just ball distributors and kickers. If they're pressured then the forwards will just go direct to the outside backs. The second rowers are the same. Stop the props, we win.
I'm not sure I follow ... do we agree or disagree?
For mine, the Roosters major weapons are their outside backs and RTS, fuelled by Friend, Maloney and Pearce, on the back of field position and offloads by their props.
Stopping the props is critical of course, but it has to be on the front foot, not giving them 5-10 metres of free metres on the run to our defensive line, while their halves have time and space to set their pet plays. The one where Jennings gets the ball with a little room between him and his opposition comes to mind.
Yes, stop the props for sure, but then, one or two play the balls later, the ball is with Friend and or the halves anyway and out wider it goes, and they can be so bloody slick with their execution.
When I say pressure the halves, I mean cutting down their decision making time by moving up and smashing their forwards, just like we did more than less when we beat them.
For mine, this game is won or lost by how much space and time we give their spine to do their thing, and that means us moving up quickly in a straight defensive line, not waiting for them to come to us.