Have The Roosters Exposed Their Biggest Premiership Problem?

Joel Johnston

Editor

Last updated: Tue 25 Aug 2026 15:09

Joel Johnston 1 hour ago

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Roosters' shock loss to Tigers raises doubts about their attacking consistency.
Defeat makes their path to the finals tougher and exposes vulnerability.
Upcoming Dolphins clash is crucial to re-establish premiership credentials.

Mark Nawaqanitawase of the Roosters celebrates scoring a try. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

Have The Roosters Just Exposed Their Biggest Premiership Problem?

It's the old proverb, a week is a long time in rugby league and boy doesn't it ring true right now.

Have The Roosters Just Exposed Their Biggest Premiership Problem?
This Wasn't Just A Loss To Forget
The Roosters' Attack Still Has A Question To Answer
Their Finals Path Just Became Much Harder

After beating Penrith, the Roosters looked ready to make a serious run at the premiership and there were plenty willing to put them right alongside the Warriors as the team to beat. Then they had a long turnaround, came up against the Tigers and produced one of their worst performances of the season.

Losing one game doesn't suddenly mean the Roosters can't win the premiership they are still 2nd favourites in Premiership Odds, particularly after the run they've been on. But losing that game, in that fashion, exposed the question that has followed them for much of this season.

Can this attack consistently deliver when a game doesn't unfold on their terms?

This Wasn't Just A Loss To Forget

You'll hear the argument that maybe the Roosters needed a loss before the finals. Better to get the bad performance out of the system now rather than in an elimination game, right?

I'm not buying that one and the reason is, if you're going to have a reality check, have it against Penrith or the Warriors in a brutal game between premiership contenders. Losing to the Tigers when you're fighting for the minor premiership and a home final is completely different.

There wasn't much excuse for the performance either. The Roosters had a long turnaround and while James Tedesco didn't play, he was also missing when they beat Penrith the previous week.

What concerned me was how early you could see that they simply weren't there. The Tigers were turning up defensively while the Roosters looked disjointed, particularly when they got into attacking territory.

The Roosters' Attack Still Has A Question To Answer

The Roosters can absolutely destroy teams when they get on top. We've seen them pile on points quickly this season and once momentum starts rolling their way they have enough talent across the park to make an ordinary afternoon turn ugly very quickly.

The problem is what happens when they don't get that momentum and it played out in front of our eyes. Despite sitting near the top of the ladder, their attack hasn't consistently matched their position and their red-zone football against the Tigers was poor. That's the concern heading into September because the easy opportunities disappear in finals football.

There is enough talent there that has never been the issue. The question is whether they can consistently turn that talent into a functioning attack when an opposition is willing to stay in the fight.

Their Finals Path Just Became Much Harder

This is also why writing the result off as one bad Sunday doesn't really work because the Roosters were in the hunt for the minor premiership and potentially a much friendlier path through finals. Instead, the loss has dropped them down the ladder and opened the possibility of having to do things the difficult way.

That makes their upcoming clash with the Dolphins absolutely crucial. The Roosters now need to respond against another genuine contender and we'll probably learn considerably more from that performance than we did during some of the big scores they've put on weaker opposition.

I'm still not writing them off because beating Penrith showed what this side is capable of when everything comes together and there are far too many quality players in this team to dismiss them after one loss.

But the Tigers performance is exactly why I've remained hesitant to put them ahead of the Warriors and Penrith in the premiership pecking order.

The Roosters can win the competition but before I'm prepared to call them the team to beat, I want to see them prove they can win when the game refuses to be played on their terms.

Sydney Roosters vs Dolphins will kick-off at 5:30 pm AEST on Saturday 29th August.