Watching the professionalism of the Roosters reminds me of the way the Storm have been going about their business for the better part of 15 years.

That should make Friday night's meeting between the two teams a must-watch.

There are three main things that have caught my eye. They are areas where the Roosters look to be catching up to the things the Storm have been doing better than anyone for almost a generation.

First of those is the ability to be able to concentrate 100 per cent of the time. The lower-placed teams just can't do that.   

It's not just the leaders, it is all 13 players on the field and particularly the back five. Everyone has ownership of what's going on, keeping an eye out for opportunities when they are not involved in the play and relaying that to the playmakers.

Second is being able to run the right attacking shape so you always have options, not just playing one-out footy.

 

The Roosters now snap into position quickly. That's what the Storm do when there has been some broken play or their opponent is on the back foot and there is a chance to press home an advantage.

Thirdly, because they've got the shapes there to call on, they're always looking up and playing the high percentage plays consistently at a high level.

At AAMI Park it's going to be a case of who can do those things the best between the two teams. We know what Melbourne will bring - can the Roosters go with them and do the same?

 

One thing you notice watching the Storm is that when they attack they might have a few hit-ups coming out of their half but they're never just walking behind the ruck.

Their work off the ball in all positions is always very good. They've always got eyes-up shape in attack.

For every play, there are always two or three options they can take which makes their block plays so effective.

 

They run the same play again and again and again.

But each time is just a little bit different, a little bit wider or straighter, and the ball player gets better at picking the right option each time and they play high percentage football because eventually you get the right play and someone goes through the line.

Other teams run very similar block plays but because their lines aren't as good, no matter who you hit they still get tackled because you're not committing people in the right shape.

 

The Roosters over recent years have had a lot of success without the same level of consistency; they'll be great one week but average the next and the difference between their best and worst games has been much greater than Melbourne's.

What stood out to me when they beat Brisbane in round four is that anywhere they were attacking they were bouncing into shape.

The centres and wingers were standing wide as an option which pulled the Brisbane defence really wide and the forwards were rolling through the middle with options for a tip-on or a pass out the back.

It put a lot of stress on the Brisbane defence.

They were really playing eyes-up football, counting numbers in front and going from to side with a numerical advantage and if you do that enough times eventual you get on top if you hold the ball.

That's the essence of what the Storm have been doing for years – they strangle teams, play high percentage football and wait for you to crack under pressure.

Roosters weren't as good against Cronulla last week because their execution was down but if you looked at the players off the ball, you still got the feeling they were trying to get their shapes and if they had executed better they had options everywhere.

Listening to the way Trent Robinson speaks and looking at the way they play, it comes down to their ability to focus throughout the whole 80 minutes. The scoreboard is irrelevant.

There will be a big focus at the Roosters on building some of these combinations around Luke Keary because Cooper Cronk won't be there forever.

The things Keary is doing now with Latrell Mitchell or James Tedesco is looking good. They are running off him, tipping him in terms of opportunities they've got in front of them. It is really building.

 

Last year it was working out their structures and where they wanted to get to on field. They were winning ugly and playing very structured because they were still learning to play together, at least through the first two-thirds of the season.

It was a case of learning the shapes to have them at their disposal, then it was a case of playing what's in front of you. That's where it got to at the end of last year and they've carried into this year.

But with all that work behind them they have started this year at a much higher level. It will be interesting to see which of these similar styles of play comes out on top on Friday night.

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  • It would be a mistake to try and play like the Storm. It's fine to try and emulate their attitude,  particularly to defence, but you will only out-storm Melbourne unless you have the characters to do it, and we do not. 

    The Chooks don't copy the Storm either. Their attack has always been less structured and more flamboyant. The storm constantly play in auto pilot carrying out premeditated moves. When a team has their measure (which is rare), they lack the ability adapt and play ad-lib footy.. That's why the Sharks and Chooks have been so successful against them and, before that,  Manly under Des Hasler. 

    • You cannot run out an play ad Lib footy against good teams - most of the time you will lose.

      First you need to wear down your opposition until they are tired and your chance of success increases substantially- so that the odds are now in your favour.

  • The Storm and Roosters were actually two of the most high risk teams last season.

    They finished equal last in completion rates (76%).

    Both had less than a 50% possession rate

    They had two of the worst errors rates (both averaging more than 10 per match)

    So it's not like they're risk-averse. Quite the opposite. But what they do very well is defend their mistakes, use the ball when they have it, force repeat sets and score when the opportunity presents. If you can defend three sets on your own line then with one shot score, you've effectively earnt yourself a 12 point turnaround.

    • Game management is not about knowing when to take risks and when to play safe

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