Roosters coach Trent Robinson isn’t dreaming about making history as the first team outside the top four to win a title in the NRL era, but the ongoing reconstruction of the famed Bondi Wall could turn it into a reality in just a few weeks.
A spot in the top eight seemed unlikely when the Roosters lost 34-30 to the Storm in round 21, capping a rough month where they conceded 119 points in four games.
But something clicked that night and they’ve allowed just 28 points in their past three matches to surge up the ladder on the back of three-straight wins.
Defence has been the key to Robinson’s success over the years, but he insists that while the foundation has been laid, it’s going to take a few more bricks to declare the Bondi Wall is officially back.
“You want to have the desire to build that. The desire is there, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said ahead of Saturday’s showdown with the Eels.
“There have been some things that we’ve needed to improve from a structural point of view about how we’ve formed our line and in some of the technical parts.
“That’s a never-ending puzzle for you to finish off, but there’s also a mindset about how we attack those changes that we want to make.
“It’s nothing new, but it’s the first time in a long time that I’ve seen them love that side of the ball, and we’re in the middle of creating a habit. But it’s going to take a few weeks of really high desire to get that done.”
Star forward Victor Radley doesn’t think there was a specific moment where their defence clicked into gear, but he knew something needed to change after a couple of uncharacteristically loose performance.
“It was just mentally getting up for each game,” he said.
“I feel we weren’t completely mentally there for the Cronulla game a month ago, and that was our biggest achilles heel coming in and out of games.
“It was about making sure that regardless of what the media said, we play with the same mindset every week.
“You can’t change your mindset week in, week out, especially this time of year, so we’ll keep going after it.”
The Roosters can move four points clear of the chasing pack if they win and the Sea Eagles defeat the Dolphins on Saturday, but a fourth premiership with the club isn’t on Robinson’s radar right now.
History suggests you have to finish in the top four and be one of the top-two defensive units to win the competition, but the Roosters and Panthers have the talent to defy past results.
“I’m not past Saturday. The belief is really, really high and I believe in them on Saturday night,” Robinson said.
“We can’t get dreamy about what’s going to happen in the future. We need to earn the right, and that’s all that matters.
“You can get dreamy in whatever walk of life you’re in or whatever job that you’re in about what’s next, but the dreams (here) haven’t got past the weekend each week for us.
“It’s burn the boats and let’s go on Saturday night.”
Originally published as ‘Burn the boats’: Trent Robinson not thinking about historic premiership tilt as Roosters look to build on defensive dominance