It was the double-bluff to back-up the single bluff.
Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson revealed he had planned to use Mitchell Aubusson at halfback if Cooper Cronk had not played in Sunday’s grand final.
The Roosters had known all week that Cronk had fractured his shoulder blade, instead of the “severe” rotator cuff injury the club said during the week.
Robinson then named Aubusson in the No.7 jumper for the first time in his career, instantly creating speculation over who would play in Cronk’s absence.
However, Robinson later explained post-game how he had prepared his team to play without the veteran playmaker.
“Plan B was the double-bluff that Mitchell Aubusson was going to defend three on the right,” Robinson said.
“Isaac Liu was going to play right edge back row, but Mitch Aubusson was going to play like Cooper did on short sides.”
He said Luke Keary was always going to be his main man in attack, while his centres would be shifted in to create the extra number.
“Luke was going to run the game with (James Tedesco) and our centres were going to move as an extra pivot from left to right,” Robinson said.
“So our centres were going to take a fair bit of load and run extra plays. Latrell was going to kick on the left.
“All this, the boys went: ‘Sweet, we’re going to do all this’.
“We knew it all, and we also knew if Cooper wasn’t going to get there, that that was going to be the case within the game.”
Instead the planning was for nought as Cronk defied injury to orchestrate the team’s attack despite touching the ball just 18 times compared to Keary’s 71.
Robinson also hailed a defence that had proven why there was no better team in the competition this year at keeping their line intact.
It was the second time this year they had limited the Storm to just one try.
“It takes a long time to build the defence like that,” Robinson said.
“It takes everybody that comes through. You pick them on attack and build them into a defensive team.”
He hit back at critics who were questioning the Roosters’ slow start to the season, when they had won just four of their opening eight games.
“Different people had their opinions on building our house, laying the foundations, and the foundations were defence,” he said.
“Under the biggest moments, those foundations come to the fore, that’s what you perform under pressure, the stuff you know really well.”