2022 Preview: Sydney Roosters

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Adam Huxtable looks at the season ahead for the Tricolours as our 2022 NRL club preview series nears its end.

Roosters look to prove that the best ability truly is availability

The Roosters have long been considered one of the benchmark teams of the NRL, having missed the top 4 only twice in the last nine seasons. 2021 was one of those "down" years for the chooks, finishing fifth and bowing out of the finals in week two for the second time in a row.

While many clubs would look at the overall season the Roosters had last year and deem it a success, those involved with the club would certainly see it as falling short of the ultimate goal - winning a premiership. While the tri-colours 16 wins and 8 losses in 2021 looks great on paper, they finished a dismal 1-7 against opponents higher than them on the ladder (incl. finals), a trend which Trent Robinson will be keen to address in 2022.

However, it may be unfair to judge the Roosters season based solely on those facts. Injuries were a huge hurdle all season for the Red, White and Blue, using an NRL equal-high number of players (33) throughout the season and key players such as Brett Morris, Luke Keary, Lindsay Collins, Victor Radley and Billy Smith all missing significant time on the field due to injury or suspension. They also lost club stalwarts Jake Friend and Boyd Cordner to retirement early in the year. 

For the Roosters, 2022 is set to be another year of premiership contention. Not only are the injured players set to make a return and hopefully stay on the field, but the absences of 2021 gave first grade experience to those who otherwise wouldn't have sniffed an NRL jumper until much later, star rookie half Sam Walker being a prime example. 

Why they'll win it

Come finals time, do you trust anyone more than James Tedesco and Luke Keary to deliver the play for the match winning try? Anyone more than Jared Waerea-Hargreaves or Victor Radley to come up with the big hit and jar the ball free from the opposition? Anyone more than Joseph Manu to create something out of nothing in the last 5 minutes when the whips are cracking. 

There's a reason I used those players; they were all there in 2018 and 2019 when the Roosters went back-to-back. The Roosters have perhaps the most big-game experience of any team in the competition, they know what it takes not only to make it to those games, but to win them. I didn't even mention Trent Robinson, the man who many credit for the Roosters still being competitive last year despite the historic injury toll. Imagine what he could do with a fully healthy team loaded with talent. Oh wait, we don't need to, we've already seen it. Multiple times.

Why they won't

Sure, the triumphs of 2018/19 were great. They really were. But it simply isn't the same game anymore, and the Roosters haven't truly looked like the same team since then. The Roosters of yesteryear don't concede 42 points in a win or go home finals match. Hell, they were lucky to even be in that position, if Patrick Herbert had passed the ball the week prior, they would've been knocked out by a 10-14 Titans team. 

It's easy to simply say that with the return of key players, everything will be fixed, and the Roosters will win the premiership. That scenario could play out, but it is far from a guarantee. Defence is and always has been the most important part of Rugby League.  The Panthers averaged just 10.5 points per game in last year's finals series, but were still able to emerge as premiers due solely to their elite defence that always kept them in the game. The Roosters conceded an average of 25 points per game against top 8 teams last year, and it is hard to say with any confidence that the famed "Bondi Wall" will be returning. There are still question marks around Sam Verrills' ability to fill the defensive void left by Jake Friend, and Sio-Siua Taukeiaho took a noticeable step backwards last year. The Roosters backline is also fairly inexperienced, having to replace the ever-reliable Morris twins.

Key players

Luke Keary is by far the most significant inclusion for the Roosters in 2022. The two games he did play in 2021 were superb and gave every indication he was going to continue to play his best footy. An ACL tear in Round 3 ended his season prematurely and was the first in a long line of "what if" events for the club. Now, Keary is set to return alongside rookie sensation Sam Walker, and how successful their combination proves will be a critical factor in determining how the Roosters fare. 

Victor Radley would be the first to admit that the last two years of his career haven't gone exactly to plan. He spent parts of 2020 and 2021 sidelined with an ACL injury, and when he did eventually return, he got himself suspended for a further 9 games for various incidents against the Broncos. It was a huge blow for Radley, but an even bigger one for his team, who sorely missed the star lock's ability to create through his ball playing. When Radley is playing well, there are few better, but he simply must stay on the field this season if he wants to get his respect as well as contribute like we know he can to this Roosters team.

Breakthrough player to watch

I touched on him briefly earlier; Sam Walker has the potentially to truly go to the next level this season. While we saw flashes of his brilliance last year, there were times when the lights were simply too bright, which is not unexpected of an 18-year-old who's been thrust into first grade ahead of schedule. This year, he's had a full offseason to bulk up and further ready himself for the brutal week in week out contact of an NRL player, while the re-addition of Keary will only create more opportunities for the 19-year old as he looks to cement not only his status as the Roosters starting halfback going forward, but as one of Rugby League's elite number 7's. 

Best 17

1. James Tedesco (c)
2. Daniel Tupou
3. Paul Momirovski
4. Joseph Manu
5. Billy Smith
6. Luke Keary
7. Sam Walker
8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
9. Sam Verrills
10. Lindsay Collins
11. Angus Crichton
12. Sitili Tupouniua
13. Victor Radley

14. Connor Watson
15. Sio Siua Taukeiaho
16. Egan Butcher
17. Nat Butcher

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