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ROOSTERS vice-captain Jake Friend believes his team took its most previous finals campaign "for granted", declaring the Bondi boys were content to simply make the 2010 decider.
Wooden spooners in 2009, the Roosters won three sudden-death games to qualify for the big dance against St George Illawarra, where they led at halftime before being comprehensively beaten in the final 40 minutes.
The subsequent two seasons in finals exile have reminded the surviving core of Roosters players just how precious that lost opportunity was.
"I suppose we were just happy to be there in 2010,” Friend said.
“It was very exciting at the time and we just rode the wave. I didn't really think about the extremity of finals footy and how big it is to be in the finals.
"This time around I will be a lot more excited and not take it for granted I suppose.”
"Now that I look back, I was just happy to be there, whereas this year we've got a chance to do something good and we want to do everything possible.
"I was pretty disappointed to lose in 2010. If we happen to make it that will be a driving factor. We've still got a couple of tough games to go.”
The first arrives against Manly at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, which will see the Roosters attempt to contain their opposition with suspended strike forward Jared Warea-Hargreaves.
Veteran prop Luke O’Donnell, himself returning from a three match ban, is expected to start in the front row.
But in a huge blow for the visitors Manly are resigned to being without star fullback Brett Stewart, who has been struggling with hamstring problems.
Rookie custodian Peta Hiku is again expected to fill his boots.
The Sea Eagles are also bruised up front, with Brent Kite forced to soldier on with a bicep tear for the past fortnight.
Friend said the Roosters took no additional solace from winning the minor premiership last week.
"It's a big honour to finish first,” he said.
“It's great for the club, but in saying that we want to win the next couple of games and get into the grand final.
"Just not being in the finals for the last two years - a lot of the boys will be a lot hungrier. We now know they don't come around as often as you think. We're all looking forward to it.”
The tough hooker also revealed Roosters players were “upset” when coach Trent Robinson initially left the club at the end of 2010 to pursue a head role with Les Catalans Dragons.
Robinson was the assistant of former coach Brian Smith and developed a strong personal rapport with younger players such as Mitchell Pearce, Boyd Cordner, Friend and Warea-Hargreaves – all of whom have now been appointed leadership deputies to skipper Anthony Minichiello.
"He was here in 2010 and when he did leave a lot of boys were upset,” Friend said.
It showed a bit over the next couple of years, because we missed him.
“It was great to have him back. Everyone just really loved him as a bloke and as a coach, we missed how we got on with him."
Pretty reassuring stuff. The Roosters did fluke their entry into the 2010 Grand Final, opposed to this time where we are at the top of the crop.
Robinson must be some kind of a human!
Wooden spooners in 2009, the Roosters won three sudden-death games to qualify for the big dance against St George Illawarra, where they led at halftime before being comprehensively beaten in the final 40 minutes.
The subsequent two seasons in finals exile have reminded the surviving core of Roosters players just how precious that lost opportunity was.
"I suppose we were just happy to be there in 2010,” Friend said.
“It was very exciting at the time and we just rode the wave. I didn't really think about the extremity of finals footy and how big it is to be in the finals.
"This time around I will be a lot more excited and not take it for granted I suppose.”
"Now that I look back, I was just happy to be there, whereas this year we've got a chance to do something good and we want to do everything possible.
"I was pretty disappointed to lose in 2010. If we happen to make it that will be a driving factor. We've still got a couple of tough games to go.”
The first arrives against Manly at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, which will see the Roosters attempt to contain their opposition with suspended strike forward Jared Warea-Hargreaves.
Veteran prop Luke O’Donnell, himself returning from a three match ban, is expected to start in the front row.
But in a huge blow for the visitors Manly are resigned to being without star fullback Brett Stewart, who has been struggling with hamstring problems.
Rookie custodian Peta Hiku is again expected to fill his boots.
The Sea Eagles are also bruised up front, with Brent Kite forced to soldier on with a bicep tear for the past fortnight.
Friend said the Roosters took no additional solace from winning the minor premiership last week.
"It's a big honour to finish first,” he said.
“It's great for the club, but in saying that we want to win the next couple of games and get into the grand final.
"Just not being in the finals for the last two years - a lot of the boys will be a lot hungrier. We now know they don't come around as often as you think. We're all looking forward to it.”
The tough hooker also revealed Roosters players were “upset” when coach Trent Robinson initially left the club at the end of 2010 to pursue a head role with Les Catalans Dragons.
Robinson was the assistant of former coach Brian Smith and developed a strong personal rapport with younger players such as Mitchell Pearce, Boyd Cordner, Friend and Warea-Hargreaves – all of whom have now been appointed leadership deputies to skipper Anthony Minichiello.
"He was here in 2010 and when he did leave a lot of boys were upset,” Friend said.
It showed a bit over the next couple of years, because we missed him.
“It was great to have him back. Everyone just really loved him as a bloke and as a coach, we missed how we got on with him."
Pretty reassuring stuff. The Roosters did fluke their entry into the 2010 Grand Final, opposed to this time where we are at the top of the crop.
Robinson must be some kind of a human!
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