Write us off at your own peril is the message from the imposing frame of prop Naufahu Whyte as the Roosters go in search of their first premiership since 2019.
The Dolphins (+152) and Roosters (+148) will finish third or fourth to guarantee themselves a double chance but their results in Round 27 will determine who they face in week one of the finals.
Picking a minor premiership winner with Warriors (+309) and Panthers (+308) locked on 40 competition points but still separated by a mere point in for-and-against, brings real suspense.
These two clubs have been dancing the two-step for the past fortnight and both face bottom-eight teams in Round 27 action – Manly and Wests Tigers respectively - and they both average around 30 points a game.
Of course, the Roosters were part of that minor premiership conversation as recently as Round 24 when they sat on top of the ladder off the back of eight straight wins.
But losses to Wests Tigers and the Dolphins have snuffed out their hopes of a first minor premiership since 2018.
With lingering doubt over skipper James Tedesco's ankle and the loss of Sam Walker to an ankle injury, the Roosters know the doubters will surface in coming weeks.
“We love that,” Whyte said.
"Personally, I love proving haters wrong and showing them what we're actually capable of.
"It's kind of crazy... coming off eight wins and everyone kind of forgets quickly about that.
"The group has just gotten stronger; we've bonded tighter.
"During these times, it's only us that's going to get us through it.
"I promise you haven't seen the best of us yet - you'll see come finals time.”
Teammate Connor Watson waves away the past fortnight’s results and is confident the Roosters can make a serious charge at the foundation club's 16th premiership.
"It's a good reality check for us, but we don't let the disappointment seep into the rest of the year,” he said.
“We're really excited about the finals. We're in a really good position where we can go and have a run at this thing.”
While the Dolphins have their gun halfback Isaiya Katoa in rare form, the Roosters have been dealt a hammer blow with Walker suffering a syndesmosis injury that looks to have ended his season.
"It's disappointing to lose Sammy but there's a reason why there's 30 players in the squad,” Watson said.
"Hugo [Savala] is going to play a little differently to Sammy as they're two completely different players but for us it's about executing our systems well.
"We're disappointed with the last two weeks - there's no shying away from that - also we've got a great opportunity ahead of us.
"We get to play South Sydney on Friday night before a full house, an opportunity to solidify our position further up the ladder, and then we've got a month of finals football ahead of us.”
Whyte said no-one at the Roosters doubted Savala’s abilities, even though he’s not yet reached 50 NRL games.
"He brings his own unique style, his energy, the way he plays the game is different due to his size and strength - he can run that ball too,” said Whyte.
"No matter how many games you've played or where you sit, as soon as you put that Roosters jersey on we back each other to do the job.
"Sammy is a big loss for us but having Hugs there we'll get the job done as Sam does. That's the belief in our team and that we've carried for a very long time.”
1st Warriors - 40 points, +309 for and against
Since joining the competition in 1995, the Warriors have finished minor premiers just once. That was 2002 when they want on to meet the Roosters in the grand final, where Stacey Jones' spectacular solo try was the highlight in a 30-8 defeat. The way the draw has fallen in Round 27, the Warriors get to play before the Panthers so the first job will be to win and then post a margin that gives them a chance of staving off the Panthers on points differential should Ivan Cleary's men beat the Tigers as expected.
This week: Warriors v Sea Eagles, Saturday September 5, 3.00pm (AEST), 5.00pm (local time) at Go Media Stadium.
2nd Panthers - 40 points, +308
The Panthers go in search of their fourth minor premiership in seven years, and first since 2023. After sitting on top of the ladder every week from Round 4 to Round 23, they were unseated by the Roosters in Round 24 before the Wahs took top spot after Round 25 and 26. Should the Warriors lose to the Sea Eagles on Saturday, then the Panthers will be in the box seat, and the decision to roll out a full-strength side with hooker Mitch Kenny back from injury and Isaah Yeo (pectoral) on the extended bench shows just how serious they are.
This week: Panthers v Wests Tigers, Sunday September 6, 4.05pm at CommBank Stadium.
3rd Dolphins - 38 points, +152
The Dolphins are hitting the straps at precisely the right time with six wins on the trot since a shock 66-0 home loss to the Sharks in Round 19. Last week's victory over the Roosters was the perfect finals tune-up as they defied the loss of two players to the sin bin to restrict their opponents to just 12 points. A win over the Titans in Friday night's first game means they can sit back and watch the Roosters slug it out with Souths and also sweat on points differential to see who finishes third and who settles for fourth. Either way it's a double chance in their first ever finals series - a remarkable achievement.
This week: Titans v Dolphins, Friday September 4, 6.00pm at Cbus Super Stadium.
4th Roosters - 38 points, +148
The Roosters are familiar with the JJ Giltinan Shield – they have won it 20 times since 1908, including five times in the last 12 years and most recently in 2018.
But they must do it without Sam Walker, albeit having a premiership-winning halfback and veteran of 375 NRL games waiting in the wings in Daly Cherry-Evans is not a bad option. After taking the decision to rest a cavalcade of stars from this week's clash with arch-rivals Souths, the Roosters could find themselves heading into a 10th consecutive finals series on the back of three straight losses after going down to the Dolphins and Wests Tigers in Round 25 and 26.
This week: Rabbitohs v Roosters, Friday September 4, 8.00pm at Allianz Stadium.
