![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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The Roosters are potentially one win away from the top of the NRL ladder, looking at a sixth-straight victory when they take on the Gold Coast Titans on Friday. Spurred on by a Round 3 thrashing to Penrith, insiders say the side is now emulating the kind of DNA that took them to their last premiership in 2019. <\/p>\n
Terms like \u2018defensive control\u2019 and \u2018emotional control\u2019 have entered the Roosters\u2019 vernacular, and a mix of old and new talent has the side primed for a run deep into the 2026 finals. <\/p>\n
\u201cI saw some things that I haven\u2019t seen for a long time in this team,\u201d declared coach Trent Robinson after Saturday\u2019s triumph over defending premiers Brisbane. <\/p>\n
The Roosters\u2019 recovery to now hasn\u2019t exactly been smooth sailing, but here\u2019s how Robinson and captain James Tedesco have managed to turn things around.<\/p>\n
A PATHWAY OUT OF POTENTIAL NRL OBSCURITY<\/p>\n
The Roosters endured a huge cleanout at the end of 2024, losing a laundry list of talent including Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Luke Keary, Joseph Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Sua\u2019ali\u2019i \u2013 not to mention the impromptu release of Brandon Smith midway through 2025. <\/p>\n
The mass exodus was made worse after several big name recruitment targets failed to materialise, prompting former club powerbrokers including Phil Gould to \u201clower the expectations\u201d for success. <\/p>\n
The loss of Waerea-Hargreaves, the club\u2019s most represented player with 310 NRL appearances, was seen externally as a big blow. The saying goes that a rising tide raises all boats, and JWH\u2019s tireless work ethic was a great demonstration of that: helping push a high standard in general. <\/p>\n
Despite all the outside noise, a different outlook prevailed internally. Waerea-Hargreaves played his final year of footy in the UK Super League with Hull KR, and fondly remembers watching the Roosters flourish without him. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a whole heap of us that moved on, but if anything it was time,\u201d the 37-year-old told foxsports.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo go to England and watch from afar, seeing the year these guys had got me that excited. I watched every single weekend seeing a style that I was really proud of \u2013 and obviously I\u2019d been at the club for 15 years. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou always have belief in your club and knowing what\u2019s going on in the background. Every time I watched the Roosters play, they played a style that a former player was proud to sit there and admire.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leniu’s Chooks future remains in doubt | 01:43<\/p>\n
YOUNG TALENT TIME: 2025 RESET YEAR AND THE NEW WAVE OF JUNIORS<\/p>\n
The Roosters have been historically notorious for buying their way out of roster deficiencies. <\/p>\n
You know the sell. The lavish dinners. Nick Politis. Television executives. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s the stuff of legend. <\/p>\n
However, Robinson has driven a shift in recent years by doubling down on the club\u2019s junior talent. <\/p>\n
Rob Toia, Suia Wong, Salesi Foketi are all Roosters Academy graduates flourishing under the guidance of club legends Mitch Aubusson and Boyd Cordner. <\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Waerea-Hargreaves has returned to the Roosters in a mentoring capacity, and is overseeing the development of upcoming SG Ball, Harold Mathews, Jersey Flegg players. <\/p>\n
JWH \u201crubs shoulders\u201d a couple of times a week with the NRL side\u2019s pack, and has been really impressed by Naufahu Whyte\u2019s ability to step up in 2026. But more than anything he likes what he sees coming through. <\/p>\n
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 10: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has returned to the Roosters in a mentoring role,.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cWin or lose, I could see the development last year, I could see certain players playing with DNA. Even in interviews, I could see players talking about certain things they needed to be talking about,\u201d Waerea-Hargreaves explained. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere was enough DNA and enough younger guys coming through our academy space through our programs that had been in the system for a number of years already. It was only a matter of time before they were going to get their shot.\u201d <\/p>\n
Waerea-Hargreaves revealed he had no regrets about leaving the Roosters when he did, admitting he felt like he would be holding younger players back by extending his stay any longer. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the biggest thing about developing players, the NRL is hard and it\u2019s hard for a long period of time,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like once these guys got their opportunity with a few good leaders and a few players in key positions, it was only a matter of time before you started seeing some good consistent footy. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just starting to see the combinations, it takes time. Now to see a brand of footy that they\u2019ve been playing is pretty cool.\u201d <\/p>\n
With the Roosters losing long-term forward Angus Crichton and firebrand winger Mark Nawaqanitawase at season\u2019s end, the pipeline of future talent keeps the club\u2019s long-term prospects relatively secure.<\/p>\n
‘One of the most incredible comebacks’ | 05:20<\/p>\n
GOLDEN OLDIES FLOURISH IN MIX OF YOUTH AND EXPERIENCE<\/p>\n
The Roosters boast the fourth-oldest roster in the NRL, however their experience continues to shine in the biggest moments of matches. <\/p>\n
Captain James Tedesco is possibly the best demonstration of this. At 33, Tedesco is averaging better numbers than his run to the Dally M Player of the Year in 2025, with more metres, tackle busts, line breaks offloads, and fewer errors and missed tackles. <\/p>\n
Away from the field, the evergreen fullback has become increasingly important in ushering in new signings and ensuring the club standards remain unequivocally high. <\/p>\n
\u201cEverything he does on the field \u2013 and everyone sees the highlights \u2013 is matched by the little stuff out there,\u201d said spine partner Reece Robson. \u201cEvery ball that goes through he\u2019s scrapping at, and he\u2019s not just taking the tackle, he\u2019s taking another 10 metres every time after each contact. Most fullbacks are happy to dive on it and get the ball back. <\/p>\n
\u201cThose little plays and the big efforts he does, he just doesn\u2019t seem to get tired out there. It comes down to the individual. It\u2019s a credit to not only Teddy, but Chez (Cherry-Evans) as well \u2013 both of them, at their age, to be doing what they\u2019re doing is incredible.\u201d <\/p>\n
Elsewhere, existing senior players including winger Daniel Tupou and Lindsay Collins are driving the Roosters culture among players. <\/p>\n
For Waerea-Hargreaves, it\u2019s Victor Radley who brings the best attitude from the Roosters\u2019 this season. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe brings a hardness to the style of footy they play,\u201d he said. \u201cHe pushes the limits \u2013 as we saw on the weekend \u2013 and he went out there and enforced a couple of tough tackles. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe can influence the team physically so it\u2019s really good to see him out there playing consistent footy, and I know the players around him would be happy to have him back as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ramsey return “A special moment” | 08:28<\/p>\n
BIG-NAME RECRUITS SPICE UP THE ROOSTERS SPINE<\/p>\n
Although the Roosters did miss a couple of recruitment targets as part of the rebuild \u2013 an 11th hour renege from David Fifita being the most notable \u2013 their cupboard is by no means bare. <\/p>\n
Eighteen months on, a lifeline for 37-year-old Daly Cherry-Evans as well as the signing of Blues hooker Reece Robson has provided a fresh foundation in the Roosters spine, alongside captain James Tedesco and five-eighth Sam Walker. <\/p>\n
DCE slowly warmed to his partnership with Walker, with the pair trying different combinations in the opening rounds before landing on a structure that worked. <\/p>\n
However, the punctuation mark has undoubtedly been Robson. The 27-year-old gives the Roosters a reliable, long-term hooking option after no less than seven different players wore the No.9 jersey since Jake Friend\u2019s retirement in 2021. <\/p>\n
Both Waerea-Hargreaves and coach Robinson see a resemblance to Friend in Robson\u2019s playing style. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think you\u2019re the first one to ever ask about Reece Robson this year,\u201d Trent Robinson told Fox League\u2019s panel at the weekend. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s such a good player, we had Jake Friend there for a long time, he used to hold the middle together. [Reece] has got back to holding the middle together. You see his defensive work, but he\u2019s also very clear. His vision is very good, he attacks the ruck, he knows what the [A and B] markers are doing and he allows us to play through that zone.\u201d <\/p>\n
If Robson is the glue that binds the Broncos middle, then Cherry-Evans brings a steady hand to steer the side, according to Waerea-Hargreaves. <\/p>\n
\u201cHis calmness and what he offers with Sam Walker. Him having that leadership quality out there is so valuable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reece Robson is having an impact.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
\u2018STILL NOT WHERE WE\u2019D LIKE TO BE\u2019<\/p>\n
The side\u2019s 2026 campaign started shakily, losing two from the first three matches with an attack labelled as the fourth-worst in the competition. A 40-4 thrashing to Penrith spurred a turnaround of sorts, and the Roosters haven\u2019t looked back. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still not where we\u2019d like to be, to be honest,\u201d Robson told foxsports.com.au following the Roosters\u2019 fifth-straight win on Saturday. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s definitely getting there and that\u2019s the most impressive and exciting part for me. We\u2019ve come a long way and we\u2019re playing some good footy but I think the best part about it is we\u2019re not anywhere near where we can get to.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Roosters are using their first-half performance against the Broncos last week as a blueprint moving forward: 66 per cent of possession and field possession which limited their opposition to just 18 tackles in their half. <\/p>\n
Defence is the foundation, according to their coach. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you can control your defence for long enough in these games, you\u2019re going to win a lot \u2013 especially with the points that are getting scored this year,\u201d Robinson said. <\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s the Roosters\u2019 other key focus area: decision making. The side was disappointed with their lapsing discipline and repeat sets in the second half against the Broncos, but say discipline has otherwise been stellar through their run of victories. <\/p>\n
The stats say the same: in the final 20 minutes of their past five appearances, the Roosters have won the collective contest 51-18. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kicked in a lot over the last five weeks, we\u2019ve been very good at scenario [building] the end of games and these guys have made lots of really good decisions from 60 to 80 minutes,\u201d Robinson told foxsports.com.au. \u201cIt\u2019s been a real feature of their game and we\u2019ve added some experience there to make those decisions as well.\u201d <\/p>\n
Within that, there\u2019s an argument to say the Roosters\u2019 biggest advantage from 18 months ago is that of experience. Robinson\u2019s decision to stick with his roster, rather than a fully-fledged rebuild, is now paying huge dividends. <\/p>\n
Prop Spencer Leniu has curiously been pushed to the outer at the club, with limited minutes in recent weeks, but insiders say he will get more minutes in the coming weeks as he finds his mojo once again. <\/p>\n
Furthermore, the immediate future is bright, with Titans, Cowboys and a bye making up their next three appearances. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat opening 50 minutes against the Broncos was pretty damn dominant, it was great footy to watch,\u201d said Waerea-Hargreaves. \u201cMore of that please.\u201d <\/p>\n
Experience, both on and off the field, is what will steer the Roosters through any turbulence, according to players. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe confidence that Trent puts in you, knowing that you\u2019ve practised something and to do it, ticking small boxes and being a smart footy player. The things that he does makes you smarter,\u201d said Cody Ramsey following his emotional club debut last week. <\/p>\n
\u201cThen there\u2019s the things that Teddy does. The confidence that he gives you from day one, sitting you in the video room, coffees, chats, any questions \u2013 there\u2019s never not a question answered from him. It\u2019s a great place to be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"From being urged to \u201clower expectations\u201d to climbing into the NRL top four: the Sydney Roosters are defying…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6355,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7712,23,133,7698,7695,621,99,7728,7718,7723,7701,7702,7724,7699,7732,638,779,7726,7708,7706,7690,290,7691,7730,7719,7689,369,805,7727,7731,7703,7715,624,7704,7722,7721,7705,7687,7711,7692,7717,355,7700,288,120,1453,796,7694,7720,656,2834,7686,7710,7713,7716,685,7709,7729,7697,7714,7688,247,788,4146,7725,7707,7696,3509,7693,738,7733],"class_list":{"0":"post-6354","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sydney","8":"tag-academy-space","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","11":"tag-big-name-recruits-spice","12":"tag-boyd-cordner","13":"tag-brandon-mychal-smith","14":"tag-brisbane","15":"tag-brutal-roster-exodus","16":"tag-club-figureheads","17":"tag-club-legends","18":"tag-club-powerbrokers","19":"tag-club-standards","20":"tag-coach-spoke","21":"tag-consistent-footy","22":"tag-dally-m-player","23":"tag-daly-cherry-evans","24":"tag-daniel-tupou","25":"tag-david-fifita","26":"tag-defensive-control","27":"tag-emotional-club-debut","28":"tag-england","29":"tag-europe","30":"tag-firebrand-winger","31":"tag-first-half-performance","32":"tag-footy-player","33":"tag-fourth-oldest-roster","34":"tag-fox-league","35":"tag-gold-coast-titans","36":"tag-gun-recruit","37":"tag-health-battle","38":"tag-impact-player","39":"tag-jake-friend","40":"tag-james-tedesco","41":"tag-jared-waerea-hargreaves","42":"tag-joseph-manu","43":"tag-key-focus-area","44":"tag-laundry-list","45":"tag-leadership-quality","46":"tag-line-breaks-offloads","47":"tag-lord-gould-of-brookwood","48":"tag-luke-keary","49":"tag-new-south-wales","50":"tag-nick-politis","51":"tag-northern-europe","52":"tag-oceania","53":"tag-panel-debate","54":"tag-penrith-panthers","55":"tag-punctuation-mark","56":"tag-recruitment-targets","57":"tag-reece-robson","58":"tag-richard-dobson","59":"tag-roosters-academy","60":"tag-roosters-spine","61":"tag-roster-deficiencies","62":"tag-rubs-shoulders","63":"tag-sam-walker","64":"tag-senior-players","65":"tag-single-weekend","66":"tag-spice-up","67":"tag-spine-partner","68":"tag-stunning-revival","69":"tag-sydney","70":"tag-sydney-roosters","71":"tag-tackle-busts","72":"tag-telegraph-pic-desk","73":"tag-television-executives","74":"tag-tireless-work-ethic","75":"tag-trent-robinson","76":"tag-uk-super-league","77":"tag-victor-radley","78":"tag-young-talent-time"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6354","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6354"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6354\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6354"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6354"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6354"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}