Roosters coach Trent Robinson is expecting his side to find another gear when they unleash their first-choice spine for the first time in over four months on Friday.
After missing last week with a head knock, fullback and captain James Tedesco is set to reunite with halves Luke Keary and Sam Walker along with hooker Brandon Smith for the first time since Round 7, with injury and selection dramas consistently disrupting the quartet for the majority of the season.
And despite the huge blow in losing strike centre Joey Manu to a hamstring injury, Robinson is confident things have clicked at the right time for the Sydney club ahead of their must-win match with the Rabbitohs.
“The cohesion there is important. They’ve spent a lot of time together since Brandon came in over the course of the year and we haven’t been able to play consistently with them,” Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.
Roosters v Wests Tigers - Round 26, 2023
“Naturally, Brandon had a longer term injury and then Sam as well so that would have been better if it was earlier but we are where we are.
“We’re confident in the we have adapted quite quickly to some things that have come in.
“I felt like it was the right time to get Sammy [after] four months out a couple of games under his belt in a short amount of time and then a better performance.
Sam Walker slicing up the Wests Tigers defence
“And then he walked back in last week and really performed well and also communicated well as well. So let’s go up a gear tomorrow.”
The 21-year-old five-eighth has been a hot topic this season, having dropped down to reserve grade before injuring his knee early in the season.
The Roosters played with a new confidence against the Wests Tigers on Saturday, with reunited halves pairing Walker and Keary combining for one try, two assists and five tackle breaks in the 32-8 victory.
Walker shines on return
“Sammy coming back in as a new combination, he adapted to that style of play really quickly because it’s natural to him. So I feel like our system, we’ve been working on that all year," Robinson said of Walker's return.
“But we’ve also played a bit more off the cuff the last month and there’s going to be no difference tomorrow.”
History shows their bitter rivalry with the Rabbitohs doesn’t need any extra motivation, but with their season on the line, Robinson knows the occasion which awaits the Roosters at Accor Stadium on Friday.
A -38 points differential means the Tricolours must beat their arch rivals and then likely rely on the Raiders and Cowboys losing to the Sharks and Panthers to ensure they secure a place in next week's finals.
“There’s been a lot of discussion around it. We’re excited by it but we could be playing Camden Rams this week for a spot in the finals and it wouldn’t make any difference as far as opposition,” he said.
Finals Quick Fix: Roosters v Rabbitohs
"The prize has been pretty clear for us as far as the last month. Whoever is in front of us, we need to keep playing our best footy and keep winning games.
“There’s no difference tomorrow night. It just happens to be a great story and rivalry. But a lot of that has been external, we have been really clear about how we need to play.
“Four weeks ago we knew if we didn’t get the game done it was over for us and there’s no difference going in this week. There’s an excitement and a purity to these games and we want to attack that.”
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