Wiser Roosters determined to keep cool
SYDNEY Roosters players have lifted the lid on their devastating exit at the hand of South Sydney last season and the crisis talks that followed as they look to keep a lid on their emotions heading into the rematch on Friday night.
The bitter rivals will return to Allianz Stadium for the first time since their explosive final last season, a game that featured seven sin-binnings and ended with a Souths victory.
The Roosters went into that game on an eight-game win streak but lost their cool and eventually the game – Victor Radley was sin-binned twice and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves once during the 30-14 defeat.
In the days that followed, Roosters coach Trent Robinson and his players went looking for answers and the outcome of those talks will get their first genuine test on Friday night.
“The review was more about how can we better control (our emotions),” fiveeighth Luke Keary said.
“At the back end of the year we were good at controlling ourselves and the game, the swings and momentum. It just got away from us.
“At that point of the year we were going so well but we went away from everything that we did well for the last two months before we did that.
“We went in the opposite direction and paid the price.”
Back rower Nat Butcher added: “It was a pretty emotional game, that last final, and pretty disappointing we didn’t get the win there.
“A couple of people went off and we felt as a team that we got a bit lost. We spoke about that – we ended up doing a review after the game.
“We should have just held our composure. We let it get the best of us. I guess we will move forward and learn.”