Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson hopes he has found the answer to managing his NRL club through the difficult State of Origin period.
Eight players will feature between the Roosters and Cronulla in Saturday’s heavyweight clash, just 11 days before next Wednesday’s series decider in Brisbane.
Sharks coach Shane Flanagan admitted on Friday his five representative stars had seemed distracted in the build up to Saturday’s clash in Gosford.
But Robinson was confident his three fit Origin players – Mitchell Pearce, Blake Ferguson and Dylan Napa – were re-focused on the Roosters after sitting out club training until Thursday.
“Their focus has been good,” Robinson said.
“They’ve been talking Roosters and ready to play.
“They know Origin is coming and I’m sure it’s in the back of their mind but that hasn’t crept into their talk in the last few days.”
The Tri-colours sit second on the NRL ladder, but scored three second-half tries to send last week’s match against Melbourne in Adelaide into golden point, before Pearce piloted them home with a stunning field goal.
“We played poorly because of some of the preparation we had,” Robinson said.
“It’s more last week you’ve only got a couple of days prep, you don’t know who is going to be in or out.
“This week …. I haven’t felt that this week.”
While co-captain Boyd Cordner is out injured, each of the Roosters representative players will have their match on the opposite side of the field.
Napa will match up against Andrew Fifita in a tantalising front row Origin preview, while Ferguson has Valentine Holmes in the opposing backline.
Pearce meanwhile will have his own Origin halves partner, and former Roosters teammate James Maloney, against him.
And Flanagan identified the Sharks five-eighth as one primed to explode against his former club, after his lacklustre performance last week typified the Sharks’ Origin stars output in their 35-18 loss to Manly.
“He’s due for a big one,” Flanagan said.
“He’s one of those players that in the back of his mind he’s got a big job to do in Origin. The challenge is re-focusing and getting the job done four us.”
STATS THAT MATTER
* Cronulla have won their last five matches against the Roosters.
* The Roosters have won just one of their past nine at Gosford.
* The Roosters have not been beaten when they have scored 18 or more this year.
Source: Fox Sports Stats