Roosters aim to fix second-half woes

Apr 10, 2017 - 5:33 PM The Sydney Roosters are desperate to overturn a horror second-half record this NRL season ahead of their Good Friday clash with Newcastle.

Despite going undefeated through the opening month, the Roosters are the only team not have to have got the better of their opponents in the final 40 minutes so far this year.

Earlier in the season that was largely put down to complacency, as big half-time leads allowed them to cruise through the second 40 against the likes of the Gold Coast and Canterbury.

However, their tendency to fade out was exposed in Thursday's 32-8 loss to Brisbane, where they conceded 20 unanswered points to go to a combined aggregate score of 76-32 against them in the second stanzas of this season.

"It's not a great (stat) to have," Roosters captain Jake Friend said.

"You pride yourself on second-half performances and that's where you win a lot of your big games."

The loss was the latest in a streak of 16 that extends back to 2015 after trailing at half-time.

The Roosters have not overturned a half-time deficit since they came from behind to beat Parramatta in round 23 of that year - a fact Friend finds most worrying.

"For us it's that effort areas and it's that attitude," Friend said.

"You're fresh in the first half and in the second half it's a lot harder. They're the times you just have to turn up."

Source: AAP