Put a pen through them, they’re done. This was far from the worst Roosters performance of the year, but an 30-14 defeat to Melbourne condemns them to finishing outside the Finals for the first time since 2016 anyway.
With seven games left and seven wins on the board, the task is now too much. Back in 2016, they finished second last: this year, at least, it’s hard to see the Roosters being that low.
The Storm, on the other hand, cement themselves in the top four and can build from here. They were far from their best for a long time, but ran over the top of the Chooks in the end.
Trent Robinson will count the cost beyond merely the result. Victor Radley and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves – shock, horror – found themselves on report, for elbowing and tripping respectively, but found themselves only with fines when the charge sheet dropped.
Daniel Tupou did equal Anthony Minichiello’s try-scoring record, but it will be scant consolation.
“We were sitting on four points for a long time and couldn’t take opportunities when they presented, and then the game was gone,” said the coach.
“We have to have a lot of guys combine to have our moments this year. We’re not having individuals create on their own. You’ve got to come up with some moments.
“Our end of sets have been really poor. We’ve been having some good sets but the ends were as bad as I’ve seen tonight. Runs on last on short side, kicks that are five metres short of where they could be. There’s no pressure applied, no tries being scored.”
Fittingly for a game at the SCG, this had the feel of the middle session of a Test match, in which things are happening, but also meandering as if each side was waiting for the other to force the pace.
Melbourne had scored – a long-range Xavier Coates intercept – but as far as tryline action went, that was about it for half an hour.
Perhaps it was the Origin back-ups from Melbourne’s best two creative forces – Cam Munster and Harry Grant – or the absence of James Tedesco. Either way, this was, politely, one for the purists. Brandon Smith, up against his old club, was anonymous.
Eventually, it was the Roosters who made their move, sparking to the right and then all the way back to the left for Daniel Tupou. That it took the Roosters, the worst attacking side in the comp in 2023, to get this one going said it all.
After the break, however, the Storm put the squeeze on, the Chooks wilted and that was that.
Any lingering feeling that the Chooks might do something in 2023 evaporated when Jahrome Hughes crossed in the 53rd minute. It was the simplest try of the year, a halfback running one man off the ruck and scoring untouched.
It was a most un-Roosters try, the sort that would have been unimaginable in 2018 or 2019, when Trent Robinson could have been proud to say he had the best defence – and goalline defence in particular – in rugby league.
As if to put a tin hat on it, Coates scored a second on the next set and the fat lady could be heard singing all over the Eastern Suburbs.
In general, it hasn’t been the off-ball stuff that has been the problem this year, but when you don’t score any points, it’s imperative that you don’t concede soft ones.
Tonight, the Melbourne attack was far from its best and, if anything, it was the hosts who had done the best with ball in hand. Tupou’s try was the only good passage of football seen in the first half.
Today, the Roosters were decent with the ball – eight line breaks to four – but couldn’t make it count when it mattered and, after letting the Storm in, were forced to change their style to chase the game.
Late, having not made the most of their chances, they let the Storm in with little resistance. The pressure had mounted – the possession split was 66/33 against them in the first half an hour of the second half – and eventually told.
When they finally got themselves into good ball needing to score to make a contest of it, a pass hit the deck and the moment went. It’s been that kind of year.
Craig Bellamy would be well within his rights to suggest that the two points are what are important, and that performances can come. It’s that time of year with multiple players backing up from Origin.
But the overall feeling that this isn’t a vintage Storm side pervaded this performance. For a long time, they offered next to nothing with the ball and were breached several times in defence, only for the characteristic scramble to save them.
It was those principles that kept the game alive for long enough for Melbourne to win it. It’s what they’ve done for years. They tackled efficiently and slowed the game such that, in the second half, there was still a game to win.
The Roosters blinked first and the Storm barely gave them the footy back for half an hour. In that time, they were far from scintillating again, but there was a Harry Grant dummy half pushover and a Coates high catch – exactly the sort of try Melbourne so rarely concede – to see them home.
It’ll worry Bellamy that, not for the first time, the attacking plan didn’t seen to work. It’s funny to say that in a game in which they scored 30 points, but it was true until the Roosters were too tired to do anything else.
Maybe that was the plan all along. It’ll certainly beat a lot of teams in the NRL. Whether it will be good enough to defeat a Penrith or Souths in a finals game is another thing entirely.
mushi
Roar Guru
I didn't believe the premiership hype but thought top 4 was a good bet. (note to those calling "I knew it" hope you took the 8-1 to miss the 8 at the start of the year) Not saying you didn't +have liked the post now) it was a reasonable post (outside of walker :) ). For Smith I'm just pointing out that when we scratch the surface the lightning rods for criticism aren't necessarily the cause.
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Bennett would take him in a heartbeat.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Actually, I think their issue is since 2017 they decided on a certain halfback style and emphasis ideally based around a guy like Cronk. They turfed a very good and successful half in Pearce to follow that plan and won two premierships on the back of that system. Immensely supported by having Brett Morris on the wing their style was to control then cut loose with backline movements and Teddy interjecting. While they have had very good halves since - and I do rate young Flanno, he was very, very good with the Roosters, but didn't measure to Cronk's level and was tossed. The resulting loss in confidence and career damage has been sad to watch. Now the same with Walker, who should walk before his career and self esteem is destroyed as well. The only guy/half around with a game style anywhere near Cronk is Ben Hunt and the Roosters are totally daft and dropping the ball for not chasing him hard given the recent dramatics at the Red V. And given they have Dom Young coming next year to feed off some backline movements. So next year they can watch the Broncos take the shield on the back of a genius half and wonder what could have been.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Hiring Walker in 2020? How would Reynolds have gone there ?
Panthers
Roar Rookie
I watched Brad Arthur say something about no intent by RCG in sliding in knees first into a tackle . Then none by Sivo with his high hit. Sivo did the high hit & it was pretty bad. RCG’s knees in was all about intent & he easily could have just dived onto the tackle . So lots of coaches come up with crap.
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Maybe I do with Walker? That’s fair. I just didn’t see him as the type of halfback that the Roosters would usually take on. Especially as the first grade halfback. No first grade experience when he went there, just a reputation. I don’t see him as the Roosters halfback in a couple of years. Still, I’m often wrong & no expert . I did believe some hype about the Roosters doing well this season. I also said some reasonable things about why the Roosters may not have done as well as they’d have expected this season. I’m also not completely sold on the Panthers as GF winners , or even that they’ll make it to a GF this season. Anyone of a few teams can easily win it in 2023. Then their ( Penrith’s ) window for GF’s is probably shut for a while after this season. Take away Crichton, Leniu . What’s going to happen to Martin & Luai? To me keeping Martin is vital .
mushi
Roar Guru
To be fair on Smith, (I also had your guys the favourites) he’s a lightning rod for the criticism at the roosters but I looked at his on/off field numbers before he went down injured and the team was definitely better with him on the field. He was a + to even during a few losses. You love overplaying the walker thing. From reports directly from him he understood, he was second guessing himself in the two games prior it’s a perfectly reasonable management tactic to give him some easy personal wins against the reggies at his age. Getting injured at training I think wasn’t part of that plan.
mushi
Roar Guru
So your response to headless chook behaviour is to just tear everything up with no discernible plan? Firing Robbo for "losing the dressing room" then advocating a clean out for a rebuild is odd as you've then got a different "dressing room".
mushi
Roar Guru
With Keary and walker we were 3-3 and -3.66 pts a game F/A playing 5 top 8 teams. Post that we're 4-7 and -7.64. Clearly they were not the problem. Walker's kicking and decision making went hay wire in the last 120 mins hence the stint down a grade but that was supposed to be a bounce back. Our problem is offensive spark and, in particular, support play. Replacing one of walker or keary with a big guy with a big boot just doubles down on the issue. We're fine early set for set, we just can't turn any decent move into points they could be from a mix of: - the Broncos mistake of not priorising what the yanks would call a "football player" in the lower list - it's hard to learn the skill when no one else is doing it. - radley taking the Dylan Napa route where he's just indecisive about everything - the position shuffle that the manu / js fullback talk began and injuries have continued. There's similar issues on kicks dropped balls. We're not getting many of the scrappy tries because they bottom 7-8 guys on the roster don't anticipate. Our issue is not defence or early game armwrestle, it's picking up the cheap points.
mushi
Roar Guru
Really? That's the takeaway. 7 of 10 of our losses were by more than 10 points. In one of the others we kicked 100 %. The others we missed 1 kick each game. If goal kicking is on the first page of things we're looking at I hope they fire everyone, even the receptionist.
mushi
Roar Guru
We apparently extended him didn't we? I wanted him out last year when he was playing better. Now criticising him feels like kicking an angry puppy he's that rubbish and out of sorts.
Cam
Roar Rookie
Ever since Robbo and the NSW media cartel made a song and dance about Radley being reffed differently due to his long, long, loooong rap sheet, the games adjudicators have predicably overcompensated. Victor mostly gets a free run now.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
I wouldn't be surprised if Walker goes.
Albo
Roar Rookie
And not sorting out the "cancer" that appeared in this team in 2023.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Dragoons and maybe Tigers. And maybe Dogs or Sharks if Fitz has a connection. Seems he had better discipline when Fitz was there.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Hard to work out how the fines are calculated. Radley has been hit with $3K or two games, But he earns $500K per season = $20K per game. If the incident warrants a two game suspension surly the fine should be closer to $40K ?
Panthers
Roar Rookie
At the start of the season, Brandon Smith was going to be the player to take them to the GF versus South Sydney. According to many. He really hasn’t rated too many mentions during the season. The Roosters took on a rookie halfback in Sam Walker , in 2020. Who played first grade starting in round 4, 2021. He hasn’t kicked on as well as they’d have liked since , including some injuries this season. The Roosters rarely drop a player to NSW Cup level , then bring them back to being a regular first grader later on. Will he be at the club long term? Tedesco can still be brilliant, yet it’s natural that he’s been worn down a bit with age . He looks to do so much. So 3 key spine positions, not as good as they’d have liked . Keary still does lots of good things. Yet that backline has been moved around due to injuries. Then Manu , is not a regular 5/8 . Despite all the chat that he is. He’s a centre or fullback.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
I read somewhere that the Roosters are 4-20 versus Melbourne, Penrith and South Sydney since 2020. There's your problem, they can't beat the teams that matter.
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
They didn’t break any records whist Ryles was onboard. Early days for the newbies plus no Sam Walker.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Robbo's biggest mistakes 2023 IMO are: 1) Sacking Sam Walker; 2) Keeping $uaalii playing while his heart/mind and bank account are elsewhere; 3) persevering with a liability like Radley; 4) not managing Tedesco (something must be happening within the club to affect such a talent on the field)