The Roosters have the attacking brilliance to beat any team on their day, but representative hooker Connor Watson says they must find defensive consistency if they are any chance of making the finals and competing for the title.<\/p>\n
The famed Bondi Wall has been the cornerstone of the club\u2019s success since Trent Robinson took over as coach in 2013, with the Roosters only conceding 500 points once during that time in the disastrous 2016 campaign.<\/p>\n
They have made the finals every year bar 2016, with the current side sitting ninth having already leaked 451 points \u2013 the seventh-most in the NRL this season. <\/p>\n
That included a run of 119 points in four matches from round 18 onwards, but they steadied the ship and allowed just one try in appalling conditions against Manly last week \u2013 the fewest points they\u2019ve conceded in a match since round 9, 2023.<\/p>\n
The ninth-placed Roosters now face the Dolphins who are ahead of them on the table by two points but boast a vastly superior for and against, which makes Saturday\u2019s trip to Brisbane feel like a finals game in August.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d obviously like to be entrenched in the eight and playing for the top four,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the reality is we need to keep winning to make the finals. For us with a young side, it\u2019s really exciting for everyone to have these important games coming up for us to show what we\u2019re really capable of.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Dolphins have been in red-hot form and they can score points from anywhere. Last time we went up to Brisbane and played them during Magic Round, I thought we played well, but the game was probably a bit closer than what it was after halftime.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, we learn from that and defend a bit better.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though the game against Manly on the weekend, the conditions weren\u2019t great and some of the intensity came out of the footy, I thought our goal-line \u2018D\u2019 took a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the last month since Origin, that\u2019s probably the thing that\u2019s let us down the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
That defensive display against Manly where they absorbed plenty of pressure in the first half and then attacked the hosts through Sam Walker\u2019s kicking game will give them plenty of confidence, but it\u2019s only a starting point. <\/p>\n
The best defensive teams are the ones that contend for titles, and Watson accepts that\u2019s what hurt them last year when they leaked 94 points in three finals matches. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt gives you confidence, but there\u2019s also the reality of the weekend and how wet it was,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cManly weren\u2019t going to be able to attack as well as they can, so it\u2019s about understanding (our defence) was good, but we need to keep getting better and attacking with more intensity.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us to be the side that we want to be and to do the things that we\u2019ve talked about all year, it\u2019s important for us (to defend well).<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year we attacked really well but our defence wasn\u2019t good enough for us to make the grand final and win the comp.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe big thing for us this year has been our defence, but the last month has been really poor except for the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n