This is on the news site of the Club, written by the Daily Telegraph
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Roosters 36 - Newcastle 8
Author: Barry Toohey - Daily Telegraph
Sunday, 14 September 2003
SYDNEY Roosters are refusing to let the magnitude of their win over Newcastle, or their new status as firm premiership favourites, affect their quest for consecutive titles.
Less than 24 hours after their demolition job on the Knights, the Roosters were yesterday at pains to play down Saturday night's performance, which earned them next weekend off and safe passage through to the preliminary final.
"We're in an elimination [situation] now. That's all it serves up," coach Ricky Stuart said after the reigning premiers earned next weekend off with a clinical 36-8 qualifying win over Newcastle on Saturday night.
While the players were put through a light 40-minute pool recovery session at Aussie Stadium yesterday afternoon, Roosters football manager Brian Canavan said no-one at the club would get carried away.
"It was fairly obvious to us the Knights were out of sorts and a bit busted [injured] on the night," Canavan said.
"People are talking us up, which is fine. But we aren't getting carried away.
"The bonus for us is that it was certainly an easier night at the office than we expected – and we now have a week off, which the boys will appreciate.
"The other significant thing is we came through the game without any injury dramas."
Stuart yesterday rewarded his players for their effort in thrashing the Knights 36-8 by giving them two days off.
"But we're just looking at it as a week at a time. The grand final seems so near, but it's so far away," Stuart said.
"We've already won next week now. That's the bonus of not playing next week. We've won that game. We're through it. We don't have to play.
"We don't have to worry about injuries. We can have rehab now on our injuries – more so than worrying about injuries next week."
The squad won't reassemble until Wednesday.
It is unclear how Stuart will approach the week off from a training point of view although Canavan indicated the players will probably be given next weekend off.
"Ricky has given them the next two days off. But at this stage I don't know what he has planned for them after that, although the weekend will probably be R&R [rest and recreation] time," he said.
One player certain to enjoy the rest is Roosters captain Brad Fittler.
Fittler is carrying a shoulder injury but was still a major contributor against the Knights, throwing the final pass for four tries in an inspirational display before being rewarded with an early mark by his coach.
Despite suggestions before the game that he might not play, Fittler said that was never a consideration and he believed he was now better equipped to deal with the discomfort.
The Knights had planned to target Fittler during the game, with their secondrower Steve Simpson assigned to have a go at the Roosters captain at every available opportunity.
"He was sort of carrying it a bit and we were going to test it out," Simpson said.
"That was the plan but the mistakes we made in the first half put an end to that."
While Fittler and hooker Craig Wing earned many of the accolades on the night, the form of the Roosters' English import Adrian Morley is another factor contributing to the Roosters' premiership favourites status.
Morley set the tone for the game at the start when he smashed rival prop Josh Perry from the kick-off.
Perry was hardly sighted for the rest of the game.
:x :twisted: :roll: 
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