Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson admits his side's defence through the middle was "very concerning" in their 26-14 NRL loss to South Sydney.
A week after standing up against Cronulla, the Roosters' big men were dominated by the Rabbitohs' pack and around the ruck at Allianz Stadium on Thursday.
Co-captain Boyd Cordner was the only Roosters forward to reach triple figures in terms of running metres, while Thomas Burgess, Damien Cook and John Sutton each made first-half line-breaks through the middle for Souths.
"It was very concerning to start with," Robinson said.
"It opened the game that way and it was really concerning. It stemmed the flow and we did it to them.
"But like they didn't capitalise we didn't capitalise in the end in that second half."
Sio Siua Taukeiaho's knee added injury to insult for the Roosters and they are still waiting on scans.
Taukeiaho was injured late in the warm-up on Thursday night, leaving him as a last-minute scratching for the loss.
Any long-term absence would be a significant blow to the Roosters, whose forwards have been criticised at times this year.
Taukeiaho, though, has impressed since moving into a starting front-rower role, and was missed by the Roosters on Thursday night after totalling near 160 running metres against Cronulla last weekend.
The 26-year-old had surgery on a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in 2016, but the suggestion out of the Roosters' camp on Thursday night was that the latest injury is not a repeat incident.
