Mistake Robbo must avoid as Cronk reveal ‘ingredients’ to win it all — Roosters 2024 Verdict

NRL great Cooper Cronk believes the Roosters have all the “ingredients to be lifting that premiership” in 2024, but says they will have to change their approach in the first half of this season after a slow getaway last year.

Beginning the season as premiership favourites in 2023, the Roosters’ campaign was off to a shaky start with an upset loss to the Dolphins in Round 1.

While their defence was solid, their attack never really got out of gear for much of the season, with good performances few and far between for the first 20 rounds of the competition.

At that mark, the Tricolours had won seven and lost 10 – a disappointing record for a team loaded with talent all across the park.

Their season was on the thinnest layer of ice possible.

Most pundits had written them off or labelled it a lost year, before a five-game winning streak to end the regular season catapulted the Roosters into the top eight.

When their backs were against the wall, they played a brand of football they were always capable of and put together a string of performances that Robinson always believed throughout the season would come.

While they would fall short in a semi-final against the Storm (despite a decimated backline), to end up two wins away from a grand final after being 14th on the ladder at the end of Round 20, was some sort of effort.

Cronk, who won a premiership in 2019 with the club, says his former side just need to do the basics right much earlier in the season and “build” momentum.

“I think they are genuine premiership threat,” Cronk told foxsports.com.au.

“I think for me, last year they were playing too much like what September and October looked like but to start the season you really need to put one foot in front of the next and build your season.

“The years that Trent Robinson has been successful, he has built his season throughout the year.

“Last year they left it way too late, didn’t build and were chasing their tail.

“They found some form at the back end of the season but probably ran out of steam and energy to win that game against the Storm.”

The Roosters added two excellent players in the off-season in winger Dom Young and rampaging forward Spencer Leniu.

Cronk says they’ve “recruited well”, noting that Leniu will add plenty to an already decent forward pack.

However, the three-time premiership winning half says how well Roosters spine work together will be especially key, considering the team’s struggles in attack last year.

“They lacked points last year so if that combination of Luke Keary, James Tedesco and Sam Walker can really get that strike power in the backline going and the back rowers can be in sync then I think absolutely they can (win the comp).

“It comes down to individual accountability and delivery on game day because everything else is there for the Roosters to do what they need to do and want to do.