Coach Trent Robinson has urged his Sydney Roosters players to wallow in their record-breaking NRL defeat to Melbourne, as the three-time minor premiers desperately attempt to salvage something from their sinking season.
The Roosters were humiliated 46-0 by the Storm at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, in their heaviest loss to the Victorian outfit.
The eight-tries-to-nil defeat represents the nadir in Robinson's association with the foundation club he joined four seasons ago and has led to three-successive minor premierships and the 2013 title.
The Roosters (3-10) sit 15th on the NRL ladder, ahead of only Newcastle, and need to win nine of their last 11 games to ensure an unlikely finals appearance.
It is a position the Tricolours are unaccustomed to being in under Robinson and the premiership-winning mentor urged his players to embrace the hurt of their shellacking to ladder leaders Melbourne.
"I'm not sure how you turn it around," Robinson said.
"Some honesty starts and some guys looking to work hard, and it takes a fair bit after that.
"But sometimes when you get thumped by that much coaches and players need to think on it, that is what we have to do."
The Roosters travel to Auckland to face the resurgent Warriors on Sunday, a game they will be forced to play without their State of Origin stars Blake Ferguson and Aidan Guerra.
The suspended Dylan Napa will return but Boyd Cordner remains sidelined and Mitchell Pearce and Shaun Kenny-Dowall are no certainties to play.
"It is tough with numbers out due to Origin, but we want to play better than we did against the Storm," Robinson said.
"If you want to wear the jersey and coach a team like the Roosters you want to do better than that."
The win was the Storm's seventh in a row and the third time they have kept a side scoreless over that period.
They will likely keep their place at the top of the NRL ladder at the end of round 14 on percentages, even if Cronulla defeat North Queensland at Shark Park on Monday.
Share
