From the coop: Sydney Roosters face test of character in remaining rounds of NRL season

IT’S hard to fathom that a team with so much talent would succumb to a team down on troops and with more problems than Australian politics.

Mitchell Pearce of the Roosters off loads the ball during their round 18 NRL match between the Parramatta Eels and the Sydney Roosters at Pirtek Stadium. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

It was another disappointing loss for the Roosters. Up by twelve points and seemingly cruising against a team with two players off injured, suffering fans felt like it was finally time to have a beer and celebrate a rare win.

The players must have had a different script. Silly errors, late tackle penalties and poor goal line defence sealed an unlikely win for the Parramatta Eels.

It’s hard to fathom that a team with so much talent, minor premiers less than twelve months ago, would succumb to a team down on troops and with more problems than Australian politics.

In eight games this season, the Roosters have lost by four points or less. Quite an amazing statistic when you think about it. You could safely say that they have been robbed of victory in at least three games also.

So there is potentially enough points to have the Roosters well entrenched in the top eight and marching towards the finals. An unthinkable possibility when all things are considered.

However, could have, would have, and should have, gets you nowhere in life and the same theory applies to the Roosters.

We can whinge all we like about missed opportunities, bunker decisions clearly gone wrong, horrific injury tolls, off field dramas, State of Origin players missing, and sour oranges at half time, and so on.

The reality is that the Chooks sit just off the bottom of the ladder. If it wasn’t for a Newcastle Knights team in a massive rebuilding phase and Parramatta being docked points for cheating the salary cap, things could be even more disastrous.

The Roosters now face a treacherous run of matches against the leading teams. Three games in eleven days will test not only the players on the field but those brave enough to watch it unfold.

This Monday sees the tricolours take on the high flying Cronulla Sharks. This will then be followed by a Saturday game in Melbourne against the Melbourne Storm. The third leg of this horror run ends with a Thursday night fixture against the Brisbane Broncos.

The next few weeks could get ugly, if that is possible given the current state of affairs. It will also give us an insight to where the players are at. Do they want to finish the season off in a positive manner, giving themselves and supporters much hope for a positive 2017 season? Only time will tell.

Easts to win.