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We're not satisfied: Anasta says Roosters won't leave any stone unturned Glenn Jackson
September 7, 2010
SYDNEY ROOSTERS captain Braith Anasta wants something retracted; his side is not content simply to have gotten this far. Sure, in reaching sixth position - after scoring last year's wooden spoon - the Roosters have achieved far more than what most thought. But not what he did.
''When you come from last to sixth … people are already saying it's a great year no matter what,'' Anasta said yesterday. ''I reckon that's a poor attitude to have. I knew we had a lot of talent in our system, a really talented group. I wouldn't say I'm surprised with where we're at. I'm over the moon, really proud.
''But I'm not satisfied. That's one thing I've got to drill into the guys - we can't be satisfied with where we're at. I'll be making sure that everyone doesn't get too carried away with what we've done this year. Sure we're happy and we're excited to be playing semi-final football, but you don't get these opportunities very often. It really is an opportunity to possibly win a premiership. We've got to make sure we don't leave any stone unturned.''
It is surely not just an alignment of the stars that the Roosters have been pitted against the third-placed Wests Tigers - a team that not only plays a similar brand of football but displays similar philosophies. Like their opponents, Tigers players have been oozing a ''don't know what you've got until it's gone'' mantra since reaching the finals. While the Tigers have avoided the wooden spoon since their premiership win in 2005, they have also avoided the finals.
''It's been five years,'' their skipper Robbie Farah said. ''I've waited a long time for this opportunity. We've just got to make something of it now.
''That's probably what we learnt from '05\. We were all 20, 21 back then, and we thought, 'How easy is this, winning a comp?'
''But it's not like that. Opportunities don't come around very often, and we understand how hard it is. That's what we've spoken about this year - we've got a great opportunity and it'd be a shame if we let it slip through our fingers. The hunger's there. We'll do everything we can.
''Every time you get here, you want to make the most of it.''
They will face the Roosters on their home turf, the SFS, and it seems that, as psychological advantages go, the compass is only pointing east right now. In three matches against the Tigers this year, including a pre-season trial, the Roosters have won all of them. ''Certainly the belief will be there from our players that we can beat them,'' Anasta said. ''We have. It's probably good for our younger blokes, having that fresh in their minds. We'll be going over those games to see how we beat them and we'll try and take that into the game.''
Said Farah: ''It's definitely something we'll speak about, but I don't think we've played them since round eight. We've come a long way since then.
''History and the past counts for nothing. The Roosters have had the wood over us this year, but we're two vastly different sides compared to what we were at the start of the year.''
Just with a similar motivation.
September 7, 2010
SYDNEY ROOSTERS captain Braith Anasta wants something retracted; his side is not content simply to have gotten this far. Sure, in reaching sixth position - after scoring last year's wooden spoon - the Roosters have achieved far more than what most thought. But not what he did.
''When you come from last to sixth … people are already saying it's a great year no matter what,'' Anasta said yesterday. ''I reckon that's a poor attitude to have. I knew we had a lot of talent in our system, a really talented group. I wouldn't say I'm surprised with where we're at. I'm over the moon, really proud.
''But I'm not satisfied. That's one thing I've got to drill into the guys - we can't be satisfied with where we're at. I'll be making sure that everyone doesn't get too carried away with what we've done this year. Sure we're happy and we're excited to be playing semi-final football, but you don't get these opportunities very often. It really is an opportunity to possibly win a premiership. We've got to make sure we don't leave any stone unturned.''
It is surely not just an alignment of the stars that the Roosters have been pitted against the third-placed Wests Tigers - a team that not only plays a similar brand of football but displays similar philosophies. Like their opponents, Tigers players have been oozing a ''don't know what you've got until it's gone'' mantra since reaching the finals. While the Tigers have avoided the wooden spoon since their premiership win in 2005, they have also avoided the finals.
''It's been five years,'' their skipper Robbie Farah said. ''I've waited a long time for this opportunity. We've just got to make something of it now.
''That's probably what we learnt from '05\. We were all 20, 21 back then, and we thought, 'How easy is this, winning a comp?'
''But it's not like that. Opportunities don't come around very often, and we understand how hard it is. That's what we've spoken about this year - we've got a great opportunity and it'd be a shame if we let it slip through our fingers. The hunger's there. We'll do everything we can.
''Every time you get here, you want to make the most of it.''
They will face the Roosters on their home turf, the SFS, and it seems that, as psychological advantages go, the compass is only pointing east right now. In three matches against the Tigers this year, including a pre-season trial, the Roosters have won all of them. ''Certainly the belief will be there from our players that we can beat them,'' Anasta said. ''We have. It's probably good for our younger blokes, having that fresh in their minds. We'll be going over those games to see how we beat them and we'll try and take that into the game.''
Said Farah: ''It's definitely something we'll speak about, but I don't think we've played them since round eight. We've come a long way since then.
''History and the past counts for nothing. The Roosters have had the wood over us this year, but we're two vastly different sides compared to what we were at the start of the year.''
Just with a similar motivation.
