'No talent required': How Roosters aim to fix attacking woes

No talent required.

It may sound like a strange philosophy for a team brimming with some of the game’s biggest stars, but Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson and his players believe the areas of the game not dependent on talent are where they are lacking.

Despite boasting a star studded backline that includes James Tedesco, Joey Manu, Luke Keary, Joseph Suaali’i and Daniel Tupou, the Roosters have the NRL’s second worst attack.

Only the bottom-of-the-table Wests Tigers have averaged less points per match than the Roosters, who have scored 153 points in the opening 10 rounds of the season.

After a review of Sunday's Magic Round loss to North Queensland, Tedesco described the effort areas of the game that the Roosters are renowned for as being “as low as I’ve seen”.

The Kangaroos, Blues and Roosters captain also admitted that the new spine combination of himself, Manu, Keary and Kiwis hooker Brandon Smith lacked connectivity.

“We are working on it but effort areas, such as pushing for each other and high supports, and that stuff … we just haven’t been doing those,” Tedesco said.

“Our attack isn’t where it needs to be, or should be. We have had new personnel but if you look at our team, we have a lot of brilliant individual players, so we are all sitting back waiting for individuals to do something.

“Our supports and those effort areas around the ball are as low as I have seen. Our push around the ball and our connection – the spine especially – just isn’t there at the moment.

We are pretty far into the year now and we need to score points.

“When we are at our best, everyone is moving for each other, 13 of us moving into space, short passes, high supports, it has been our footy for a long time now.

“I feel like our defence is there, and it is going to keep getting better and better, but our attack and what our spine is doing … obviously we have had some changes there and new guys come in, but still the connectivity … I can feel it and it is not there.”

The Roosters travel to Penrith on Friday night to face the back-to-back premiers and for once players are thankful to have a five-day turn around as they are eager to make amends for their performance against the Cowboys.

However, unless they improve in the off-the-ball facets of the game, Tedesco admitted the Roosters could struggle against the Panthers.

“We have identified it, so it is just about repetition at training, getting back that feeling and going out and executing it,” Tedesco said. "We are pretty far into the season now and we need to score points.

It is no talent required, by us pushing in support, us short passing, us just working for each other.

“They are pretty much no talent required areas and once we do that big moments will come off -  Suaali’i will start getting some ball, Joey will come up with something – but we just can’t be waiting for it every play.”

Robinson dropped a bombshell two weeks ago when he dropped boom halfback Sam Walker and moved Manu to five-eighth but Tedesco insisted the partnership between the 2022 Golden Boot winner and Keary wasn't an issue. 

“It’s a work in progress but I am enjoying playing with Joey in the halves," he said. "Luke enjoys steering the team around but he needs to get his instincts up and play footy, to play his best footy.

“I am enjoying having Joey in there and I feel like it is going to get better and better.

“It is not ideal obviously, but we are not coming last. The comp is so close at the moment, there are a lot of teams who are hot and cold but it is something we want to fix very quickly. We don’t want to leave it too long.

"It helps with the short turnaround, we can flush and take our lessons and get ready to take on Penrith on Friday."