NRL

By any measure the Sydney Roosters are one of the most successful teams of the NRL era.

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The Tricolours have won four NRL premierships and featured in 21 finals series since 1998.

It’s a record most clubs can only dream of.

Of all their visits to the post season, the Roosters have made it to the preliminary final an equally impressive 13 times, reaching the NRL grand final on eight occasions — second only to the Melbourne Storm with 15 appearances for 10 wins.

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At home the Roosters have proven virtually unbeatable on the penultimate weekend of the season with seven wins and just one loss against the Cowboys in 2017. That’s a win rate of 87.5 percent.

However, away from home it’s a very different story.

Of their five away prelims the Chooks have lost four, including an embarrassing 48-18 demolition at the hands of the Storm at AAMI Park the last time they made it this far in 2024.

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Yes, yes, we know. Matches are won on the field and not on stats sheets. 

But history tells a story nonetheless, and it’s one the Roosters will need to rewrite if they’re to halt the Dolphins at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium on Friday night.

To do it Trent Robinson’s men must win their first away preliminary final in 16 years.

To put that in perspective, Mitchell Pearce and Todd Carney were in the halves that year, Jason Ryles was prop, Braith Anasta was lock and Robinson was an assistant to head coach Brian Smith.

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Daly Cherry-Evans was also yet to make his NRL debut.

Sydney Roosters: Preliminary Finals in the NRL era

Home record: 8 played, 7 won, 1 lost (87.5% win rate)

Wins:

• 2000 (vs. Knights, 26-10)
• 2002 (vs. Broncos, 16-12)
• 2003 (vs. Bulldogs 28-18)
• 2004 (vs. Cowboys, 19-16)
• 2013 (vs. Knights, 40-14)
• 2018 (vs. Rabbitohs, 12-4)
• 2019 (vs. Storm, 14-6)

Loss:

• 2017 (vs. Cowboys, 16–29)

Away record: 5 played, 1 won, 4 lost (20% win rate)

Win:

• 2010 (vs. Titans, 32-6)

Losses:

• 1998 (vs. Broncos, 18-46)
• 2014 (vs. Rabbitohs, 22-32)
• 2015 (vs. Broncos, 12-31)
• 2024 (vs. Storm, 18-48)