2015 in review - Sydney Roosters

South Sydney were the Premiers. I still couldn't sink that in. My worst nightmare had come true. We were back in their shadow. We couldn't have that anymore. The expectations at the beginning of the season mostly turned into the Roosters being one of the teams that could potentially drop. Without captain Anthony Minichiello and superstar Sonny-Bill Williams, many fans began to worry if new faces could take the place and deliver on incredibly high expectations. The Tricolours began their season by naming a near full strength line-up for the Auckland Nines (in absolute contrast to naming an inexperienced side in 2014), and were solid during the tournament - eventually falling in the Semi Finals against the Sharks (who would eventually become the bane of their existence during the regular season).

The opening weeks of the 2015 campagin would really test out the Bondi boys. They would face their most hated away trip in the opening game against eventual premiers North Queensland (spoiler alert), which to the surprise of many they won comfortably. The much anticipated match-up against defending premiers South Sydney had the league waiting, which the Bunnies won 34-26 in a more-than-entertaining encounter. The side went up and down for the next few months. A few wins on either side of a rare four match losing streak until eventually came a winning streak that ranks up there in the history of the game. Twelve straight wins. Including at Gosford and Brookvale. I mean, that's gotta say something the premiership chances of the side. The ins and outs will be explained in better detail later on.

Everything aside, what do we all take out of this season? Three straight Minor Premierships turning into just a single Premiership. Hell, a single Grand Final appearance. The first side in the history of the sport to win consecutive Minor Premierships and fail to make the decider on either occasion. The end of the season drew comparisons to the side of the late nineties. With a powerful lineup that always seemed to not make it in the next step of the season and continually fell short. People called it a club with no passion, no soul. While the achievement of winning the Minor Premierships should be celebrated more, the fact is in the modern day it's the big one that counts.

Turning Point
There were three major turning points during the season. The first one came in Round Five against the Sharks. After winning three of their first four the Roosters were looking at taking on a Sharks side without a win and plenty of their players. It didn't end well for the Roosters, going down 20-12. This was the first of a four game losing streak.

Despite that streak ending with easy wins over the Tigers and the Origin depleted Bulldogs, it was the dominant 24-2 victory over the Melbourne Storm that really got the season underway for the Roosters. During a tough Origin period for both clubs the forwards dominated the battle for the Roosters. Despite once again losing to the bloody Sharks the next week, the side turned it on for the rest of the regular season. This was the start of "that" winning streak.

The third turning point was created by Shaun Kenny-Dowall just over a week short of the decider. Thanks for that, SKD.

The Good
Three Minor Premierships in a row. Really that should say enough. While the side didn't have it their own way, they still had to come back from six points down to run over Brisbane and North Queensland to gain the top position by the end of the season. It was helped along with a 12-match winning steak, the longest for the club since the record-holding 19-match streak during the premiership season of 1975. Winning the Minor Premiership confirmed the Red, White and Blue as the modern day benchmark, despite not having the Premierships to back it up.

On personal notes, many players stepped up and took control after slow starts to the season. After a year in the wilderness, Blake Ferguson had a mostly triumphant return to first grade football. Early season form was already causing experts to tip him for immediate Origin inclusion, before a long term injury shortened his season. Despite this, he has entered the side well and is one of the main names coach Trent Robinson is looking at to replace the departing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck at fullback for 2016.

The young bench for the Roosters continually made a name for themselves with strong performances. It's not easy following the path that Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Sam Moa and Dylan Napa lay out for you, but Kane Evans, Isaac Liu and Sio Siua Taukeiaho managed to impose themselves into games immediately more often than not. The latter two are currently experiencing their debut representative tour for New Zealand, with Taukeiaho already earning his first Test jumper.

The Bad
Early in the season the Roosters suffered their first losing streak of four matches since 2012 (you remember, back when they were a bottom four side). While losses to the Broncos, Storm and Dragons (they were in form!) were nothing to be sniffed at, it was two horrible performances against bogey team Cronulla that put the side on notice. This was obviously before the Sharks became proper premiership contenders. The fifth round match pitted the in-form Roosters against a Sharks side who were yet to win their first game of the season. With Jack Bird on debut at halfback (after playing his under 20s football at centre and back row), the Roosters looked once again like that team who relied on their own ability instead of genuine effort to win games. This mentality crept in plenty during the 2014 season and once again came to the fore in 2015.

The finals proved another bad time for the club. After a winning streak of twelve games leading into the finals the Roosters were expected to run right over the Melbourne Storm in the Week 1 Qualifying Final. This was oddly reminiscent of the way the side entered the same game twelve months earlier against Penrith. Just like last year, the Roosters were unable to take the victory, which set up a physical Semi Final against the Bulldogs. Winning that match comfortably, the Tricolours, instead of potentially hosting a Preliminary Final in Sydney, were pitted against Brisbane at Suncorp in a State Of Origin-type environment. We all know how that usually pans out for Sydney sides.

Another moment of concern for the side was the fitness of the team, and the inability leading into the finals to play competitively for eighty minutes. The Roosters dropped easy match winning leads in games against the Bulldogs and Knights. Despite eventually winning those games, they caused many headaches for coaches and fans. Coming into a season with reduced interchanges, the Roosters' faithful will be hoping those chinks are out of the armour by the time the new season comes around.

And seriously, the bloody Sharks. There was only one team the Roosters didn't beat during the 2015 season. One guess who that was.

Best Players
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's departure announcement was met with shock and sadness from Roosters fans early in the season. But quickly, comments such as "for $800,000 they can have him" quickly emerged. How wrong we all were. Tuivasa-Sheck entered his first season as a full-time fullback with intrigue more than anything. It showed the quality of the player, when even after announcing his departure after five games, his season continued to improve. He didn't just beat the record of most metres run in a season, he completely shattered it. By over 1,000 metres. His work in attack also proved deadly, especially during the late-season winning streak.

Boyd Cordner has earned himself plenty of critics too. Following a barnstorming start to his career with instant success, the fact he has maintained such high standards during the start of his career speaks volumes. His season started particularly slowly but found his way back into the groove quickly to end the season in career-best form. Adding more New South Wales and Australian jerseys to his tally, Cordner is looking to continue his role as a senior player in the new season. His form for 2015 was utlimately rewarded with the Jack Gibson Medal as the club's best player.

Disappointing Players
After a breakthrough 2014 season which included debut jerseys for Queensland and Australia, Aidan Guerra was expected to take his game to a new level. However he looked continually out of energy and unable to reach the standards of the previous season.

But to single out one player for the issues with the side however just doesn't work. When the side was down, plenty of players played below their peak. There is a reason names like Daniel Tupou and James Maloney were quickly ruled out of contention for State Of Origin jerseys.

Rookies
Coming with a squad boasting plenty of first grade experience, not a single player made their first grade debut in 2015. But two players who had a combined three games experience between them have very quickly gone from fringe players to key matchwinners.

Jackson Hastings had a fantastic year brewing in the Under 20s competition. Whilst continually earning call-ups onto Trent Robinson's bench, Hastings played continuous match winning roles in the lower grade competition. The fall from the side when he wasn't present was noticeable. Half-way through the season the bad news came true for Roosters fans when James Maloney made it official that he signed a three year deal with the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. This left a massive gap that someone needed to fill. While Hastings was always the player primed to take the position, few Roosters fans believed that he was truly ready to command the position of the number six jersey at such a young age.

Halfback Mitchell Pearce was rested for the Round 22 match against the Newcastle Knights, giving Hastings the chance to take eighty minutes to prove himself. While he did himself no harm on that afternoon during a 38-22 triumph he found himself taking the position full-time when Pearce was injured two weeks later against the Brisbane Broncos. Hastings was brought into the game much earlier than expected in a game where the Minor Premiership was potentially on the line. That night at Allianz Stadium was the night Hastings proved himself in the top grade with a stellar performance. He managed to back it up with strong showings leading into the finals.

To the surprise of many fans, some were even calling the Maloney-Hastings combination the best the Roosters could field in the finals, Hastings had matured far quicker than anybody could've guessed. This has given the fans the confidence that he may well succeed in the starting side next year.

The other player worth mentioning is Sio Siua Taukeiaho. How good was he this year? People learned how to pronounce his name flawlessly. Sio made his first grade debut for the Warriors in 2013 before spending last season playing reserve grade. Strong performances off the bench for the first six rounds of the competition lead the way to Sio taking the starting lock forward position at the expense of the mistake free Isaac Liu. The impact Sio continued to give the Roosters side whether it was from the starting side or coming from the bench enabled him to be a key member of the feared Bondi Brick Wall. The form he produced this season was eventually rewarded in November, gaining his first New Zealand representative jersey in the First Test against England.

Chances
Coach Trent Robinson is adamant that despite the loss of two spine players the club will once again be successful in the new season. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck's fullback position cannot be filled so easily after the record breaking year he had. Multiple names have come up as potential successors, including Blake Ferguson, new signing Joe Burgess and young gun Latrell Mitchell. While Mitchell has been seen as a long term future prospect, at just the age of eighteen it looks highly unlikely that he will be thrust into such a key position at such a young age. It looks like Blake Ferguson will slot into the position, for next year at least. As for James Maloney's five-eighth position, well, we've already covered that one. Both positions will also have Jayden Nikorima as a potential suitor after his high profile late season signing from the Brisbane Broncos.

Joe Burgess looks to be the lone high profile signing for the new season. His first act as a Rooster will be heading back up to England as they take place in the World Club Series competition against the side the Roosters' two World Club Challenge victories have been against - St Helens. While the early season trip may put a similar toll on the players that the 2013 World Cup did, the side will need to enter the new season fresh and prepared.

Best line-up for 2016

1. Blake Ferguson
2. Daniel Tupou
3. Michael Jennings
4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall
5. Joe Burgess
6. Jackson Hastings
7. Mitchell Pearce (c)
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
9. Jake Friend (c)
10. Sam Moa
11. Boyd Cordner
12. Aidan Guerra
13. Sio Siua Taukeiaho

14. Mitchell Aubusson
15. Isaac Liu
16. Dylan Napa
17. Kane Evans

Ins: Joe Burgess (ESL - Wigan), Mitchell Frei (QLD ISC - Wynnum Manly), Ian Henderson (ESL - Catalans), Ryan Matterson (Eels), Jayden Nikorima (Broncos), Paki Afu

Outs: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors), James Maloney (Sharks), Nene Macdonald (Titans - 2015 mid-season), Nathan Stapleton (KPR, UK - London), Scott Drinkwater (Storm), Taane Milne (Dragons), Suaia Matagi (Panthers)