On the final day of the Sydney Roosters' arduous trek of the Kokoda Trail, captain James Tedesco rallied the squad for one final pep talk before the 17-strong crew set off for the finish line.
He told his team that the lessons from the 92-kilometre hike are “going to carry a lot of weight throughout the year”. Little did the team know how important the climb would be for their premiership ambitions.
In the pre-Christmas stage of the Roosters pre-season, a group of senior players, young playmakers, along with coach Trent Robinson and general manager of football Mitchell Aubusson, walked the Kokoda Trail. The journey is a significant one across the Owen Stanley Range, retracing the steps and sacrifices taken by Australian soldiers in World War II.
Members of the trek included Tedesco, forward leaders such as Victor Radley, Naufahu Whyte and Lindsay Collins, whilst Daly Cherry-Evans got used to his new surroundings, building combinations with halves partner Sam Walker, while also mentoring young halves Toby Rodwell and Reece Foley.
Since their premiership years of 2018-19, which saw the tri-colours claim back-to-back titles, injuries and other factors have cruelled the club's chances of returning to the premiership summit.
But this year, something feels different; there's a sense of hope and optimism among the playing group.
With the additions of Cherry-Evans and incumbent NSW hooker Reece Robson, much was expected of the foundation club as they looked to challenge the likes of Penrith and the Warriors for the 2026 title.
Robinson, as a coach, has been criticised by some for failing to make it to the first Sunday in October since the glory of back-to-back premierships.
Having completed several arduous climbs, such as Mt Kilimanjaro in 2019 and to the base of Mt Everest in 2023, there was one climb with significant cultural meaning, that being Kokoda. This time, he was bringing his senior players to impart the lessons learned from the trek back to the junior players when the going got tough in 2026.
The three-time premiership coach explained the importance and significance of the trip to his side upon completion of the week-long trek. “You do uncomfortable things, because great things come from uncomfortable things”. Cherry-Evans himself admitted after the trek that "every day there is no other option but to keep moving forward.
Now that we're a fair way through the season, it's important to look back and see how the side has used the trip to influence their goal to lift the Provan Summons Trophy.
When looking at the campaign to date, it didn't start well for the Roosters; a one and two start and conceding 100 points in their first three games, plenty of questions started to be asked about whether they could reach the premiership summit.
There were even calls by the armchair coaches to sack Robinson, three games into a season where it seemed only the Panthers had a jump on the momentum driven by changes to the ruck infringement rules. Now that teams like the Roosters have gotten used to the changes to the speed of the game, the premiership heavyweights are charging with intent.
But since their bye in Round 5, the Roosters have only lost three matches (one of which was a blowout during Origin) and have been undefeated since Round 16. What's been especially significant so far is the Roosters' ability to come from behind in matches. In at least half of their 16 wins this season, the Roosters have been down at some stage in the second half.
Why is that important? Well, in past seasons, the side would shortcut their way to come back in games they were losing, with mixed results seeing several frustrating losses. Whilst this still happens on occasion, the team has a knack of being able to bite down on the mouthguard and come from behind in matches this season.
In and amongst that, there has been significant growth from players that weren't expected as quickly. Naufahu Whyte has quietly emerged as a leading front rower in the NRL. Setting the pace thanks to his strong carries and ability to generate post-contact metres, leading the competition in that statistic.
He described the mentality of "to keep going no matter what" on the track, and that has been a lesson that has been carried over by every member of the squad that has taken the field this season.
The ability of players such as Whyte and Radley to take control of the middle third and suffocate opposition defences on both sides of the ball in their final stints is testament to the lessons learned on the Trail. In addition to that, the calmness of Cherry-Evans and Tedesco next to an emerging playmaker like Walker has reduced the high-risk plays going haywire when behind.
Those lessons in resilience and mental fortitude learned on the Trail have been significantly lacking at the Roosters since the start of the decade.
Whilst it's easy to look at the class of players and assume that's the guiding reason behind the Roosters' rise in 2026. It's only when you dig deeper and discover the bonds and the camaraderie built on that trek becoming a direct correlation to fixing several of the Roosters' problems in recent seasons.
With the Roosters on top of the table and claiming victories over previous bogey sides Melbourne and Penrith, there is high optimism for their fans for the first time in several seasons. Whether it's enough for the Tricolours to reach the top of the premiership mountain remains to be seen, but so far, it's been high times for the club after years of indifferent finishes.
