The Roosters have been decimated by injury to the point that they have nearly an entire first grade team sidelined and are continually redrawing game plans.
Yet that's still no excuse for not winning a premiership three-peat, says superstar fullback James Tedesco. Not within Trent Robinson's team.
The toll is now so extreme that it's impossible to ignore. The many casualties were discussed by players over the weekend, when the Roosters conducted their mid-season camp; on home turf, to ensure biosecurity compliance.
But the Roosters won't allow themselves to use the setbacks, lumped on top of massive personnel losses like Cooper Cronk and Latrell Mitchell, as a crutch. Call it a championship mentality from the back-to-back NRL premiers.
"It's been huge for us this year ... it's just been a variety of different injuries, too, and some very serious ones and to big names," Tedesco told Wide World of Sports.
"All the guys we've got out through injury, it's pretty much a starting team. We spoke about it and we don't want it to be a reason or an excuse for us not to play good footy.
"There's a lot of big-game players there that we're going to hopefully get back for the end of the year, so that's the most pleasing and exciting part, that they're going to be coming back into our finals [games]. I think our best footy's still ahead of us."
Yet things are near breaking point in the eyes of sounds judges like Nine's Peter Sterling.
"We keep talking about the health of your roster towards the end of the season and compared to some of the other sides around there, they're looking very shabby in that department," Sterling told Wide World of Sports on Sterlo's Wrap, with the 9-5 Roosters sitting fourth behind the Panthers, Storm and Eels.
Luke Keary (broken rib), Lachlan Lam (syndesmosis damage) and Mitchell Aubusson (wrist ligament tear) were added to the injured list in Thursday's loss to Melbourne. It's at the point where the Roosters are almost bewildered at the incessant blows, having used 27 players through just 14 games.
Tedesco has never experienced anything this bad. The reigning Dally M Medallist figures that disrupted training and the relentless new six-again rule has contributed.
"It is [the worst] for the calibre of players that are injured and the amount of players," Tedesco said.
"I remember back at the Tigers we used 30-something players one season and I think we might be up around there for this year as well.
"The game's just gotten quicker, we've had the shortened pre-season ... I don't know what you can put it down to but it's obviously a bit of a problem for us at the moment.
"I think it all sort of plays a part (the differences this season). There's a lot more head knocks as well; the game's faster, everyone's running a lot more and at a faster speed.
"But then some injuries are just from guys getting caught in tackles as well. It's just a contact sport, I guess.
"I'm hoping over the next few weeks we'll get a lot of those key guys back and hit the ground running."
Below is the Roosters injury toll following last week's Storm defeat; their second to Melbourne this season. It is staggering, equating to about $4 million of the club's $9.5 million salary cap.
https://twitter.com/NRLonNine/status/1294111534319316995?s=20Losing both halves, Keary and Lam, in a single game was a nasty blow for a team that was forced to rethink a major element of its attack just seven rounds in, with no possibility of respite.
Lock Victor Radley had gradually developed his game to become a third playmaker, a first-receiver option who brought fellow forwards on to the ball and was especially useful to Kyle Flanagan; a young halfback in his first season at the club, replacing a legendary No.7 in Cronk.
Radley, also a feared defensive enforcer, ruptured an ACL against the Dragons during June, as did back-up hooker Sam Verrills. Season over.
A possible knock-on effect was seen recently, with Flanagan dropped in favour of Lam; despite the former Cronulla Shark being the NRL's leading point-scorer. Tedesco himself has been trying to paper over the absence of Radley.
"Rads is massive. You look back at how he played at the start of the year, he was about our best player," Tedesco said.
"Just that connection he had with our forwards, he'd have that ball-playing ability and then he'd come up with some big shots [in defence].
"We've been missing that ball-playing connection through the middle. We got a lot of forwards who can do strong carries but Rads just has that touch and sleight of hand around the ruck. We've definitely been missing that and he's a big part of our team.
"Even for myself, he'd put me in space and get quick play-the-balls. For myself, I've sort of tried to do his role a bit where I'd stand up and play that first-receiver and ball-playing as Rads would do.
"I think he had an effect on everyone. Flanno and our halves, where he'd have a middle [reception], go to the line then get it out the back to one of those guys. He'd create that space through his direct running and hands. It's affected everyone [having him out."
It was already a different sort of year for Tedesco, the first in which he's carried the mantle of being the game's best player. Winning the Dally M puts a target on your back; you are immediately front of mind for every rival coach and player in the NRL.
Tweaks to his game enforced by the Roosters' injuries have been a burden that's shown up in the stats, with the fullback scoring just four tries from 12 games this season (0.33 per game) against 18 from 24 games last year (0.75 per game). His try assists are steady, at one every second game.
Most importantly, he's ever-optimistic rather than kicking stones. Tedesco has come a mighty long way from the boom Wests Tigers rookie whose career began with an injury disaster, when he infamously tore his ACL 30 minutes into his NRL debut.
"Everyone holds you to higher regard after winning the Dally M and having a really big year," Tedesco said.
"I think it's been a hard year. A lot of injuries has affected the flow of our attack, we haven't really had that connection; where last year we were just flowing and a lot of points were scored.
"It's been a different year, been a bit harder losing Rads and some key guys; it hasn't been as easy. My best footy's still ahead of me. I'm really having big efforts and putting myself in good positions every week.
"Obviously the tries haven't been there but that's not a worry for me. I know they'll come if I keep putting myself in good positions and playing good footy. It's exciting ahead."
Now Keary is gone, the general of the attack and 2018 Clive Churchill Medallist. He ranks right alongside Tedesco as one of the NRL's most influential players and again, Robinson is back to the drawing board trying to cover a major absence.
"Robbo's big on this but: We know we've had a lot of changes but that shouldn't be an excuse for us not to play our best footy," Tedesco said.
"I think over the past month or so, we haven't been playing our best footy. We've won a couple but against some good teams like Storm, we're not up to that [level].
"We spoke about that over the weekend. We know where we want to get to: We want to win a grand final. We've got to get everyone on board and have that goal for the next few months.
"We never make that [injury] excuse. [Nearly] all the main guys that are out with injury are due to come back and hopefully they can hit the ground running.
"We've got Sonny [Bill Williams] coming in too, so we've got a lot of boost to end our year. I think our best footy's still ahead of us, so it's exciting going into the end of year and going into finals, where you want to play your best footy."
Aubusson's injury was a hard one to cop. His value to the Roosters is hard to quantify; he is the heart and soul of the dressing room and played his 300th game for the club the week before hurting his wrist.
"When he is fit and available, he is in Trent Robinson's 17 every day of the week; so that's a terrible sight, Mitch Aubusson leaving the field like that," Sterling said.
The club is hoping that he won't need season-ending surgery.
"Fingers crossed he doesn't but even that was a weird one; he had his hand down and all the weight sort of fell on top of him," Tedesco said.
"Aubo is a great leader for us, on and off the field, and if he's not playing it definitely leaves a hole."
from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/sydney-roosters-injury-crisis-james-tedesco-peter-sterling/9b8a754a-d178-45b3-8cb1-4e6be5177f58
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