‘We’re ready for them’: Roosters must overcome awful Storm record to book spot in grand final

The Roosters were at their brutal best last week against Manly, but they now face the toughest test in rugby league as they look to snap their horror record in Melbourne.

The Storm has dominated their rivalry with the Roosters, but senior figures at the club are confident they can defy history when they travel to Melbourne for Friday’s preliminary final. Picture: Kelly Defina/Getty Images

The Roosters’ shocking recent record against the Storm has dominated the narrative leading into Friday’s preliminary final, but veteran five-eighth Luke Keary has declared “we’re ready for them” as they prepare for a trip to AAMI Park.

Very few teams can say they that they regularly match it with Melbourne, but the Roosters don’t fit that category having lost seven of their past nine games at AAMI Park, while they’ve won just one of their past 11 meetings with the Storm.

That includes an 18-13 loss in week two of the finals last year when Will Warbrick flew high to steal victory in the dying minutes to end the Roosters’ season.

The Storm also won both matches this year, but revenge won’t be motivating the Roosters as they look to defy history and book a spot in the grand final.

The Storm eliminated the Roosters from last year’s finals series. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

“They’re different seasons and different teams, we’ve got different players and they’ve got different players (so revenge isn’t on our minds),” Keary said.

“You don’t really think about previous seasons (when you play them again), but we know it’s going to be a big challenge. We know what finals footy looks like down there in Melbourne, and it’s a tough, tough place to go.

“We’re definitely ready for them.

“(The record) is not daunting. We’re ready for the challenge.

“Since we got back last year and started pre-season, this is what we’ve been waiting for. We wanted to be in these games at this time of year, and it just so happens to be down there.

“We’re excited, we’re ready and we’re going to go down there and walk straight into it.”

Keary concedes his side missed the kick the last time they played the Storm, with discipline costing them dearly as Victor Radley and Connor Watson spent time in the sin bin against a team missing some of their biggest stars.

It’s now the Roosters who are without Sam Walker and Brandon Smith, but skipper James Tedesco says they still have the cattle to produce the upset against this year’s minor premiers.

The Roosters must match the intensity they played with last week in their big win over the Sea Eagles. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“They’ve been the most consistent team all year,” the fullback said after he starred in the win over Manly.

“I think their spine is the most dangerous in the comp. Jahrome Hughes has done an awesome job for them all year and has been the stable guy who has played most of the year.

“They’ve got a lot of guys who do their job so well, and they’re just so consistent because they don’t make many errors and they don’t give you many opportunities.

“When they do, you’ve got to make the most of it. That’s on us to give ourselves opportunities and get them off their game a bit.

“Down there in a preliminary final, you have to do all the little things right like execution, completions and kicking well.

“They go a long way to winning games, and it’s those moments in between (that decide it). I think they nailed a moment last year down there at the end to win the game, and that’s what it comes down to in those games.

“It’s on us to execute and nail those moments when it means the most.”

Sandon Smith played with a lot more confidence against Manly a week after he had a poor night in Penrith. Picture: NRL Photos

That could come down to halfback Sandon Smith who bounced back brilliantly against Manly with a stunning solo try a week after he missed 11 tackles in the loss to Penrith.

His teammates don’t want him to play like Walker and are confident he can back up last week’s effort in Melbourne.

“It’s testament to the person and player he is,” Keary said.

“He would have copped a fair bit of criticism last week and you could see that he was hurting at the start of last week because he didn’t play the way that he wanted to.

“But we have so much trust in him and we’ve had him here for four or five years, so we’ve seen him train and go through different types of adversity throughout his career.

“It wasn’t surprising to see him step straight back up, and I thought he played really well.”