Sydney Roosters prop Dylan Napa is carrying quite a load for an NRL rookie.
The 22-year-old blames himself for the Tricolours' failure to claim back-to-back premierships last season.
Napa missed the Roosters' first two finals matches last year due to suspension as the premiers' title tilt stalled in the qualifying final loss to Penrith and the bizarre semi-final win over North Queensland, in which the Roosters led 30-0 before prevailing 31-30.
They progressed through to the preliminary final before losing to South Sydney.
"Sitting out any game is tough, but especially two finals matches for something so silly and lazy from me," Napa told AAP.
"It could have cost us getting into the grand final.
"I didn't feel it at the time but later on in the off season I started thinking more about it and I was really disappointed looking back thinking that maybe if I didn't get suspended we might have got there.
"You can always look back, and I'm not saying that I was the difference but maybe my role was a bit more important than I actually thought it was.
"It was all pretty rattling."
Napa pulled off one of the hits of the year so far on Penrith hooker James Segeyaro in the Roosters' win over the Panthers on Monday.
He missed those two finals matches last year due to a shoulder charge suspension, but says he hasn't looked to change his aggressive approach ahead of the Roosters round-four fixture against Canberra at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
"I still feel I have tackled the same way since I came into the grade," the Queensland junior representative and Cook Islands international said.
"They have penalised me a few times but I'm not going to say I have changed my technique.
"I still have the same technique and that is the way I have gone into tackles most times."
SYDNEY ROOSTERS V CANBERRA
* Canberra have won just one of their past 16 at Allianz Stadium
* The Roosters have won eight of their past 10 day matches
* The Roosters have been awarded easily the fewest penalties this season, averaging just 3.7 per game, continuing this trend from last season.
* The Raiders have conceded more run metres this season than any other team, with both the Warriors and Dragons topping 1600 metres against them in the past two weeks.
* Ricky Stuart has won just two of nine matches against his former club, both wins coming while at the Sharks.
Source: Fox Sports Stats.
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