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The Sydney Roosters have been unable to field their best side for nearly five years, prompting coach Trent Robinson to describe his club’s astonishing injury and suspension sequence as “wild.”
They won’t seek reasons for not having won a grand final over the past four years but here’s a doozy of an excuse.
Fox Sports Lab has revealed the last time Sydney Roosters actually played with a full strength side was the 2019 grand final.
Over the next four seasons and four rounds, the Roosters have been without top-line players for 466 games through injury and suspension.
Despite this, the Roosters have finished in week two of the finals three times and week one once during that time.
Who knows whether Penrith would have experienced such grand final dominance had the Roosters been at full tilt?
And the Roosters won’t be back to their best until at least round ten, when prop Spencer Leniu return from suspension.
Fox Sports Lab compiled the best players from each season before revealing the number of games each has missed.
No other club in the NRL has endured such a horrific long-term injury run.
Robinson was stunned when told, saying: “Look, I didn’t know that but that’s what it’s felt like at different times.
“It’s been wild at different times, the guys that have been in and out over the last few years. We have twice had two ACL’s in the one game. We’ve had punctured lungs, concussions. We’ve had suspensions.
“I have felt really proud with how the guys have adapted, a lot of the time.
“It would be nice to get a run where we get 1 to 17 week on week and we’d like to keep players on the field more.
“We want to get our team on the field and perform better than what we’ve done in the last few years. We’ve had our reasons and it felt like we could have been better.
“We think if we can get our best players on the field then we can play well this year.”
Aside from Leniu, Roosters prop Lindsay Collins has a hamstring injury and remains in doubt for a game against Canterbury this Friday night at Accor Stadium.
Robinson said injuries weren’t always about “bad luck.”
“Whether it’s been through injury or suspension, we’ve got a role to play in that,” he said
“I don’t think they are just accidents, I don’t think all injuries are just by chance. The way that you prepare players, the way they prepare themselves, if you just say it’s not our fault then you can’t do anything about it.
“Whereas I feel you’ve got to take some responsibility and try to improve the way you’re doing things.
“We all know some things do happen and we can’t control them but if you just say you can’t control any of them then you’re not going to improve the way that you train or prepare.”
ROOSTERS' INJURY WOES
Games missed by top-17 players
2020: 89
2021: 148
2022: 83
2023: 139
2024: 7
TOTAL: 466 weeks
Breakdown:
2020: 89
15: Victor Radley
15: Sam Verrills
9: Boyd Cordner (injury-forced retirement)
7: Angus Crichton
7: Daniel Tupou
5: Mitch Aubusson
5: Brett Morris
4: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
3: Lindsay Collins
3: Jake Friend
3: Isaac Lui
3: Josh Morris
3: James Tedesco
2: Kyle Flanagan
2: Luke Keary
2: Siosiua Taukeiaho
1: Joey Manu
2021: 148
25: Jake Friend (injury-forced retirement)
23: Luke Keary
20: Lindsay Collins
19: Brett Morris
12: Sam Verrills
10: Victor Radley
7: Nat Butcher
6: Angus Crichton
6: Josh Morris
5: Lachlan Lam
4: James Tedesco
3: Joey Manu
3: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
3: Siosiua Taukeiaho
2: Sitili Tupouniua
2022: 83
18: Billy Smith
10: Sam Verrills
9: Lindsay Collins
9: Sitili Tupouniua
7: Siosiua Taukeiaho
6: Victory Radley
6: Joseph Suaalii
5: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
3: Luke Keary
3: Daniel Tupou
4: Connor Watson
2: Joey Manu
1: James Tedesco
2023: 139
24: Connor Watson (season)
18: Sitili Tupouniua
16: Sam Walker
13: Angus Crichton
11: Billy Smith
8: Daniel Tupou
8: Jared-Waerea-Hargreaves
5: Egan Butcher
5: Joey Manu
5: Victor Radley
5: Brandon Smith
5: Joseph Suaalii
4: Matthew Lodge
4: James Tedesco
2: Nat Butcher
1: Lindsay Collins
2024: 7
8: Spencer Lenui – 8 (served 3)
2: Angus Crichton
1: Lindsay Collins
1: Luke Keary
1: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
1: Dominic Young
The Sydney Roosters have been unable to field their best side for nearly five years, prompting coach Trent Robinson to describe his club’s astonishing injury and suspension sequence as “wild.”
They won’t seek reasons for not having won a grand final over the past four years but here’s a doozy of an excuse.
Fox Sports Lab has revealed the last time Sydney Roosters actually played with a full strength side was the 2019 grand final.
Over the next four seasons and four rounds, the Roosters have been without top-line players for 466 games through injury and suspension.
Despite this, the Roosters have finished in week two of the finals three times and week one once during that time.
Who knows whether Penrith would have experienced such grand final dominance had the Roosters been at full tilt?
And the Roosters won’t be back to their best until at least round ten, when prop Spencer Leniu return from suspension.
Fox Sports Lab compiled the best players from each season before revealing the number of games each has missed.
No other club in the NRL has endured such a horrific long-term injury run.
Robinson was stunned when told, saying: “Look, I didn’t know that but that’s what it’s felt like at different times.
“It’s been wild at different times, the guys that have been in and out over the last few years. We have twice had two ACL’s in the one game. We’ve had punctured lungs, concussions. We’ve had suspensions.
“I have felt really proud with how the guys have adapted, a lot of the time.
“It would be nice to get a run where we get 1 to 17 week on week and we’d like to keep players on the field more.
“We want to get our team on the field and perform better than what we’ve done in the last few years. We’ve had our reasons and it felt like we could have been better.
“We think if we can get our best players on the field then we can play well this year.”
Aside from Leniu, Roosters prop Lindsay Collins has a hamstring injury and remains in doubt for a game against Canterbury this Friday night at Accor Stadium.
Robinson said injuries weren’t always about “bad luck.”
“Whether it’s been through injury or suspension, we’ve got a role to play in that,” he said
“I don’t think they are just accidents, I don’t think all injuries are just by chance. The way that you prepare players, the way they prepare themselves, if you just say it’s not our fault then you can’t do anything about it.
“Whereas I feel you’ve got to take some responsibility and try to improve the way you’re doing things.
“We all know some things do happen and we can’t control them but if you just say you can’t control any of them then you’re not going to improve the way that you train or prepare.”
ROOSTERS' INJURY WOES
Games missed by top-17 players
2020: 89
2021: 148
2022: 83
2023: 139
2024: 7
TOTAL: 466 weeks
Breakdown:
2020: 89
15: Victor Radley
15: Sam Verrills
9: Boyd Cordner (injury-forced retirement)
7: Angus Crichton
7: Daniel Tupou
5: Mitch Aubusson
5: Brett Morris
4: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
3: Lindsay Collins
3: Jake Friend
3: Isaac Lui
3: Josh Morris
3: James Tedesco
2: Kyle Flanagan
2: Luke Keary
2: Siosiua Taukeiaho
1: Joey Manu
2021: 148
25: Jake Friend (injury-forced retirement)
23: Luke Keary
20: Lindsay Collins
19: Brett Morris
12: Sam Verrills
10: Victor Radley
7: Nat Butcher
6: Angus Crichton
6: Josh Morris
5: Lachlan Lam
4: James Tedesco
3: Joey Manu
3: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
3: Siosiua Taukeiaho
2: Sitili Tupouniua
2022: 83
18: Billy Smith
10: Sam Verrills
9: Lindsay Collins
9: Sitili Tupouniua
7: Siosiua Taukeiaho
6: Victory Radley
6: Joseph Suaalii
5: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
3: Luke Keary
3: Daniel Tupou
4: Connor Watson
2: Joey Manu
1: James Tedesco
2023: 139
24: Connor Watson (season)
18: Sitili Tupouniua
16: Sam Walker
13: Angus Crichton
11: Billy Smith
8: Daniel Tupou
8: Jared-Waerea-Hargreaves
5: Egan Butcher
5: Joey Manu
5: Victor Radley
5: Brandon Smith
5: Joseph Suaalii
4: Matthew Lodge
4: James Tedesco
2: Nat Butcher
1: Lindsay Collins
2024: 7
8: Spencer Lenui – 8 (served 3)
2: Angus Crichton
1: Lindsay Collins
1: Luke Keary
1: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
1: Dominic Young
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