The Sydney Roosters’ worst start to a season in nearly a decade will come full circle when they face the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium this Friday night.
Following the 2015 season, when they finished as minor premiers for the third year running, the Roosters lost premiership stars Michael Jennings, James Maloney and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to the Parramatta Eels, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and New Zealand Warriors respectively.
That came on top of the previous season’s losses which saw captain Anthony Minichiello and Sonny Bill Williams retire and return to rugby union respectively.
Then, in January, halfback Mitchell Pearce became embroiled in the Australia Day video scandal which subsequently saw him cop an eight-week suspension, five of which has already been served, and stripped of the Roosters co-captaincy.
And if that wasn’t enough, forwards Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Boyd Cordner fell victim to long-term injuries during the pre-season.
This fateful mixture of player departures, injuries and the suspension to Pearce has contributed to the Roosters starting this season poorly, dropping to a 0-5 record for the first time since 2007.
It hasn’t been all that bad, though, and they could (and probably should) have beaten the Raiders (20-21) in Round 2, the Sea Eagles (20-22) in Round 4 and last week the New Zealand Warriors (28-32 in golden point).
The form of new halves Jayden Nikorima and Jackson Hastings, as well as that of fullback Latrell Mitchell, who had the match-winning try against the Sea Eagles denied, is also an encouraging sign that a win may not be too far away either.
All that being said, their only two poor losses came against the Rabbitohs in Round 1, which they lost 42-10, and then in Round 3 against the Cowboys in Townsville, where they were spanked 40-0.
This Friday night, the Chooks will face up to the Bunnies again for the second time in just five weeks, and will be hellbent on avenging the loss from earlier in the season which has put their season on the back foot since.
Another loss would see their season record drop to 0-6 – and from there it would be a very long way back.
No team in NRL history has ever reached the finals after losing their first six matches of the season – with the Brisbane Broncos’ comeback from 0-5 down in 1999 remaining as the last time any club has reached the finals from such a deficit.
And the last time the Roosters lost their first six matches of a season, they went on to suffer the most recent winless season by any club en route to the wooden spoon in 1966.
It would also be the worst start to a season in recent memory, with the South Sydney Rabbitohs losing their first 12 matches of the 2006 season before breaking its duck against the premiers that year, the Broncos, in Round 14.
The Newcastle Knights had to wait until Round 16 for their first win of the 2005 season, having lost their first 13 matches (with two byes in between). Despite a late-season charge in which they won six matches in succession between Rounds 20 and 25 inclusive, it was not enough for them to avoid the wooden spoon.
Thus, the Roosters will have it tough attempting to break their duck for the 2016 season – with the Bunnies having defeated the Knights and Sea Eagles on either side of losses to the Dragons (6-8) and Bulldogs (12-42) in Rounds 3 and 4.
Fortunately, the Chooks will face a Rabbitohs side still missing John Sutton and Adam Reynolds after the duo suffered long-term injuries in the opening round, but will still have to deal with Greg Inglis and Sam Burgess, among others.
So, can the Roosters turn their season around before it’s too late, or will the inevitable occur and their golden era all but come to a crashing halt sooner rather than later?
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