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The bad news for the NRL is that the Roosters have bottomed out … by dropping to sixth.
When NRL teams come off a run of three premierships in seven seasons, culminating in back-to-back titles, they normally plummet from the finals for at least a few years.
Rosters get old and clubs are reluctant to tell the players who got them to glory that their time is up, which leads to a boom-bust cycle.
It happens to most teams after just one premiership win – Souths post 2014, or the Cowboys the year after and don’t mention to any diehard Eels fan how they botched the aftermath of their 1980s golden era unless you have a spare hour or two to have your ear bashed. It’s too soon, still.
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The Storm and the Roosters, who collide at AAMI Park on Thursday night, have bucked the trend by moving players on a year too early rather than one too late but also replenishing their rosters with astute signings.
Joseph Suaalii. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Neither side has a junior base of its own to develop talent so they have had to be savvy with identifying prospects that are undervalued elsewhere.
Young winger Jaxson Paulo is the latest example of a Roosters recruit who is thriving at the club after being allowed to leave. He had a shocker for Souths late last season, in a loss to Penrith and the 23-year-old was punted after the following match. He’s been a revelation on the end of the Roosters’ backline in the opening five rounds, crossing for five tries, including a double in the wins over the Rabbitohs and Eels.
From the 17 players who outlasted Canberra 14-8 in the 2019 Grand Final, only eight remain.
Co-captains Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend, winger Brett Morris, utility Mitch Aubusson and halfback Cooper Cronk retired, Isaac Liu and Siosiua Taukeiaho took up superannuation deals at the Gold Coast and Super League respectively while Sam Verrills joined the Titans this year when the Roosters upgraded at hooker to a current international in Brandon Smith.
The only player who left who the Roosters were looking to keep was Latrell Mitchell who joined the Rabbitohs after he was disenchanted with the club’s offer to keep him long term.
Joseph Manu. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Despite his success at fullback for the Bunnies over the past few seasons, the Roosters haven’t felt Mitchell’s loss too much given the emergence of Joey Manu as a strike centre who can also shine at fullback and five-eighth when needed as well as the rise of Joseph Suaalii.
Even with Suaalii heading to rugby union at the end of next year, the Roosters have already found the closest option as far as a like for like replacement in Newcastle’s English international Dominic Young, another tall, speedy outside back who is an excellent finisher.
The Roosters’ stealth bottoming out/retooling on the run has consisted of valiant efforts to make the semi-final stage in 2020 and ‘21 when injuries and enforced retirements ruined their chances and last season’s surprise first-round playoff exit when they surged into the finals on an eight-game winning streak but brought themselves undone with an ill-disciplined display in the infamous sin-binathon against Souths.
That loss was the jolt to the system needed out Bondi Junction way.
Brandon Smith. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
After they were genuinely outclassed by a fired-up Dolphins outfit at Suncorp Stadium in their historic Round 1 clash, the Roosters have rattled off three straight impressive wins, none more so than last Thursday’s 28-20 triumph over Parramatta which was effectively a 20-point flogging made to appear respectable by the Eels’ two late consolation tries.
Despite fielding a team still loaded with veteran stars like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, James Tedesco and Luke Keary, they are smack bang in the middle of the NRL when it comes to the average age of their roster at 26.05, which shows they haven’t let their ageing roster outlive their use-by date.
With Tedesco sidelined for the AAMI Park assignment due to the concussion he suffered last week from a Bailey Simonsson high shot, Roosters coach Trent Robinson has opted for Manu at fullback in his return from suspension even though Suaalii shone in the role against Parra.
Quite simply, when it comes to the fullback position, Manu is higher on the Roosters’ … pecking order.
Victor Radley. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
“Joe Suaalii’s developed well. He’s played at the top level six games, maybe eight games at fullback now. Joey Manu has played a lot more, he’s always been our replacement there,” Robinson said at his captain’s run media conference. “It will be good for him to go back to fullback and get a bit of freedom for 80 minutes.
“He won the Golden Boot last year as the best player in the game for a reason. I think he’s one of the best players in the world, no matter what position he plays.
“If he’s playing fullback, centre, five-eighth, it’s the way that he plays the game, it’s not about a position for him.
“I think he proved that by getting that award from centre and fullback.”
Melbourne, who similarly won three titles from 2012-20, are trying to thread the same needle as far as a minor lull – a first-round exit in last year’s playoffs, before charting another path back to premiership glory.
The jury is still out on the reinforcements they’ve brought in to bolster their pack after Smith joined the Roosters and Felise Kaufusi, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich headed to the Dolphins in the off-season.
And for the first time in a long time, their early-season form was scratchy. After edging the Eels in extra time in Round 1, they were embarrassed 26-12 at home to Canterbury before losing to the Titans and toppling the toothless Tigers in unconvincing fashion.
There were reasons for this slow start – Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes have been in and out due to a broken finger and a suspension respectively while Nelson Asofa-Solomona has also been sidelined by a foot injury, denying the Storm the spearhead to their pack that they need after losing so much experience up front in the off-season.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
And the ongoing absence of Clive Churchill Medallist Ryan Papenhuyzen due to his shattered kneecap from last season means they’re lacking an attacking spark from the back.
But what’s not missing is coach Craig Bellamy’s renowned accountability which is ingrained in the Storm ethos.
And that was on full display last Friday night at Homebush when the Storm accounted for Souths 18-10 with a performance highlighted by their scrambling defence.
On three occasions in the second half the Bunnies were denied what looked like certain four-pointers as desperate defenders clad in Storm jerseys launched themselves through the air to repel attacking raids.
Bellamy is not known for dishing out overt praise and while pleased with his team’s turnaround in form, he was not reaching for any superlatives on Wednesday when he fronted the media in Melbourne.
“Our performance last week was a whole heap better. Hopefully we can build on that. We can improve in a couple of areas but certainly our effort defensively was good,” he said.
Good? It was outstanding. But you don’t have a record like Bellamy’s if you don’t keep players on their toes by demanding perfection.
“We’re defending a different team tomorrow night and we’ll have to back that effort up again.”
Both coaches were peppered with questions about Smith’s first NRL clash against the Storm as a Rooster but Bellamy wasn’t going to give his former protege any ammunition to fire up the combustible Kiwi who thrives on passion.
“It’s not easy when you lose the two Bromwiches and Kaufusi, and we haven’t got Nelson at the moment so it put a bit of a hole in us. I think the guys who’ve come in have done a really good job but we’re lacking a bit of combination at times.”