Why Sydney should get behind the fairytale story of the Roosters

SYDNEY is finding it hard to fall in love with the Roosters but their fairytale rise back to the top should warm your heart.

SO YOU ask Boyd Cordner if Sydney can learn to love his Roosters?

“Nah,’’ he says. “Everyone hates us.

“Have done since 1908.

“Dunno why, but even you media blokes feel the same ... it’s why you laughed asking the question.”

And, sure, maybe we did giggle a little.

But can you blame us?

For when The Daily Telegraph quizzed Sydneysiders this week on their likelihood of cheering the Roosters against North Queensland come Saturday night, 60 per cent voted ‘no’.

Said give us the Bananabenders, instead.

The Roosters have turned things around after a horror season in 2016.

Which is some whack.

And for so many reasons — think Ronnie Coote, The Transit Lounge, even Bryan Fletcher’s salary sombrero — fair enough.

Still, a Roosters premiership would be some story.

Dare we say it, an NRL fairytale.

Don’t believe us?

Well, consider that no team has ever won the competition after finishing the previous year 15th.

Which is exactly where these boys from Bondi Junction sat last September.

After Mitchell Pearce celebrated Australia Day, Cordner snapped his pectoral and James Maloney was exiled to Cronulla.

Which worked out OK for Jimmy.

And the Sharks.

Yet the Roosters, well, they didn’t beat home anyone not named Newcastle.

“So going from second last to second,’’ says Cordner, “it’s pretty big”.

Pretty big?

Sydney should get behind the Roosters.

We reckon its one of 50 reasons to love your Tricolours right now.

Specifically, at No. 34 in our long list of arguments for joining the Bondi bandwagon this weekend.

For who expected you here back in January?

Certainly not the TAB, who had you blokes wound out to $15 in premiership betting.

Down on the eighth line with Canterbury and Manly.

Forget a title threat.

Most judges reckoned you’d be flat out making an eight headed by the likes of Canberra, the Warriors, Cronulla and Penrith.

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“But we’ve never concerned ourselves with outside noise,’’ centre Mitch Aubusson insists. “Although the hurt from last year, it has been driving us”.

Better, so has Trent Robinson.

That Roosters head coach who back in summer, with so many peers whining about the Auckland Nines, quietly gathered his squad and said, ‘hey, we’re going to go win this thing’.

Just as he reminds them before every opposed session against the reserve grade side how, given they’re wearing Roosters jerseys, they better be ready to compete at every contest.

“Robbo stresses that whenever you put the jersey on, you win,’’ Aubusson attests. “We did it in the Nines and it’s the same whenever we wear the jumper into scrimmage stuff.

“When you put that jersey on — doesn’t matter who you are — you’re expected to go out there and have a crack.

Can the Roosters go all the way?

“Go after a game.

“It’s all about winning.”

So what chance this new run at history then?

According to the Fox Sports Laboratory, only two teams from the NRL era have finished outside the top eight one year, then won a Grand Final the next — the 2005 Wests Tigers and 2013 Sydney Roosters.

While the Tigers, led by Benji Marshall, came from ninth, the Roosters most recent triumph followed a finish of 13th.

And, yes, old timers will recall Western Suburbs going from wooden spooners to premiers in 1934.

But that was in league of eight teams.

All of which leaves the Roosters pushing for potentially the longest comeback run ever.

Yet as for Sydneysiders embracing it?

“It’d be nice,’’ Cordner grins. “And I hope they do.

“But still, I’m not expecting much.”