Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has promised to once again throw up a smokescreen in front of his side heading into the NRL grand final, refusing to reveal whether Jake Friend will be fit.

Just as last year the rugby league world spent the seven days leading up to the season decider speculating on whether Cooper Cronk would take the field, Robinson promised to keep Canberra guessing on their rugged No.9.

Robinson revealed that Friend missed the last several weeks because of a calf strain which pushed back his return from a fractured forearm.

Friend has now missed the last two months after going down in their round 18 win over Newcastle and it would represent a gamble for the hardy dummy-half to be rushed back in for the biggest game of the year.

“You want to prepare really well for your team and if you know the opposition then you can game plan against it,” Robinson said as he vowed to keep his cards close to his chest.

“I won’t give a head start. I’ll get questions this week but I’d like to think our club has been getting quite good at keeping that information.”

Robinson said that Friend was close to returning in Saturday’s preliminary final win against Melbourne at the SCG but pulled up sore in the final five minutes of Thursday’s training run.

“He got through all of (Thursday’s session) and trained really, really well and then it just started to tighten up. He’ll be in the 21 pushing for next week,” Robinson said.

Friend has endured a horror 2019, making just five appearances during a wretched injury run which also robbed him of a Queensland Origin debut.

He tore his bicep on Anzac Day against St George Illawarra before fracturing his forearm just seven minutes into his second game back against the Knights.

His comeback was pushed back after he suffered an infection in his forearm before injuring his calf.

Rookie hooker Sam Verrills continues to excel filling in in the No.9 but Robinson said he would be unafraid to draft Friend straight back into the starting line-up.

“If you look at precedent I’ve done it quite a few times,” Robinson said.

“Boyd (Cordner) missed eight weeks leading into ’13. You trust your players and the guy’s played a lot.

“We haven’t had our best 17 on the park all year. It’s just been that next-man-up mentality. People will throw it out but we’ve had to have it.”