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I'm very pleased to see that there is an acknowledgement that our defence needed to be prioritised. From msn,com (Ted talks: Sydney Roosters' top priority after exodus)
James Tedesco has vowed to ensure the Sydney Roosters put an emphasis back on defence, labelling it more important than overcoming any attacking impacts of the club's player drain.
The Roosters face the biggest challenge of any of last year's top-eight teams in 2025, losing a combined 1279 games in experience at the end of the 2024 season.
Most of those have been in key attacking positions, with five-eighth Luke Keary and centres Joey Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii all gone.
Halfback Sam Walker and hooker Brandon Smith will also miss the first third of the season, after suffering ACL ruptures in the same game late last year.
That leaves Roosters captain Tedesco as the last man standing from their first-choice 2024 spine.
Regardless, Tedesco is adamant the Roosters' attacking structures do not need to change.
Instead, it is defence that has been a bigger focus in the summer.
"We scored a lot of points last year, I think we scored the most tries, but our defence wasn't up to standard," Tedesco told AAP.
"That's how we win big games.
"The main focus for us has been the defence, getting that right, and then our attack can build off the back of it.
"That structure doesn't need to change either. A couple of guys are learning the system a bit.
"But it is more (about) getting more steely on our line and not leaking as many points, and then letting our attack come good at the end of the year."
Tedesco hailed the impact of Chad Townsend as an experienced voice in the halves, likely to partner Sandon Smith at the start of the season.
He also believes Robert Toia can be an out-and-out star at the club for several seasons, with the 20-year-old to get his chance at centre after back-to-back ACL ruptures.
The Roosters had their best attacking year of any of their 12 seasons under Trent Robinson in 2024, ranking first in the NRL with 30.75 points per game on their way to a preliminary final.
But their defence is a long way from what it was when the Tri-colours were top-two regulars between 2013 and 2019.
The club have conceded more than 400 points in each of the past four seasons, after only doing so twice in Robinson's first seven years at the club.
That has shown to be more problematic against fellow front-runners Penrith and Melbourne, who the Roosters have leaked 28 points per game to since 2020.
"You look at the premierships in 2013, 2018 and 2019, our attack wasn't the greatest at the start of it and it got better in the middle," Tedesco said.
"But the defence has to be on from the start.
"That progress has been our main focus. Obviously we are working on combinations in attack, but it's not our sole focus."
James Tedesco has vowed to ensure the Sydney Roosters put an emphasis back on defence, labelling it more important than overcoming any attacking impacts of the club's player drain.
The Roosters face the biggest challenge of any of last year's top-eight teams in 2025, losing a combined 1279 games in experience at the end of the 2024 season.
Most of those have been in key attacking positions, with five-eighth Luke Keary and centres Joey Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii all gone.
Halfback Sam Walker and hooker Brandon Smith will also miss the first third of the season, after suffering ACL ruptures in the same game late last year.
That leaves Roosters captain Tedesco as the last man standing from their first-choice 2024 spine.
Regardless, Tedesco is adamant the Roosters' attacking structures do not need to change.
Instead, it is defence that has been a bigger focus in the summer.
"We scored a lot of points last year, I think we scored the most tries, but our defence wasn't up to standard," Tedesco told AAP.
"That's how we win big games.
"The main focus for us has been the defence, getting that right, and then our attack can build off the back of it.
"That structure doesn't need to change either. A couple of guys are learning the system a bit.
"But it is more (about) getting more steely on our line and not leaking as many points, and then letting our attack come good at the end of the year."
Tedesco hailed the impact of Chad Townsend as an experienced voice in the halves, likely to partner Sandon Smith at the start of the season.
He also believes Robert Toia can be an out-and-out star at the club for several seasons, with the 20-year-old to get his chance at centre after back-to-back ACL ruptures.
The Roosters had their best attacking year of any of their 12 seasons under Trent Robinson in 2024, ranking first in the NRL with 30.75 points per game on their way to a preliminary final.
But their defence is a long way from what it was when the Tri-colours were top-two regulars between 2013 and 2019.
The club have conceded more than 400 points in each of the past four seasons, after only doing so twice in Robinson's first seven years at the club.
That has shown to be more problematic against fellow front-runners Penrith and Melbourne, who the Roosters have leaked 28 points per game to since 2020.
"You look at the premierships in 2013, 2018 and 2019, our attack wasn't the greatest at the start of it and it got better in the middle," Tedesco said.
"But the defence has to be on from the start.
"That progress has been our main focus. Obviously we are working on combinations in attack, but it's not our sole focus."
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