The Roosters are hoping history can repeat itself, with James Tedesco drawing a striking parallel between Daly Cherry-Evans' arrival and the move that helped turn the club into a premiership powerhouse.
The Roosters had been searching for that extra spark since their last premiership in 2013.
They came perilously close to the other end of the ladder in 2016, finishing second-last and narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon, before bouncing back to finish second in 2017.
But when it came time for the finals, the Roosters needed something more.
Enter Cooper Cronk.
The veteran halfback arrived at the Roosters ahead of the 2018 season and helped deliver exactly what the club was looking for, leading them to back-to-back Grand Final victories in 2018 and 2019.
Now, seven years on, similarities are emerging once again.
The Roosters have made the finals every year since their 2019 victory but have been unable to truly make an impact and progress all the way to the big dance.
Now, enter Daly Cherry-Evans.
The former Manly captain made the move from the Northern Beaches to the Eastern Suburbs at the start of the season, with his experience proving invaluable alongside the emerging Sam Walker.
While Cherry-Evans and Cronk are vastly different players, Tedesco, who played alongside Cronk during those premiership-winning campaigns, believes the influence they have on a team is strikingly similar.
“They're both different players, but I think their mindset, their clarity of how they control the team is very similar and that's what you need,” Tedesco told Zero Tackle.
“With Sammy as a young half, you need that experience in one of the halves. Daley being so experienced, icing big games, kicking field goals, it's all going to come in handy.
“The way Daly communicates to the team, it's like having another captain for me. I have really enjoyed his presence and his communication.
Cherry-Evans' arrival has already coincided with a significant shift for the Roosters, who finished fourth and now have a genuine opportunity to push through to another grand final despite losing Walker to injury.
And there is perhaps no better indication of their development than their Round 24 victory over Penrith.
The Roosters stunned the Panthers 12-6 at CommBank Stadium, with Cherry-Evans scoring a double, handing them a major confidence boost heading into the finals.
It was a stark contrast to their most recent finals meeting with Penrith, when the Panthers cruised to a 30-10 victory in Week One of the 2024 finals.
But Tedesco insists there is little value in looking back at those defeats given just how different this Roosters team is.
“Most finals, before this year, they had beaten us pretty well,” Tedesco recalled.
“I think when we won against them a month ago it was a big thing for us. I wasn't playing then, so that was a big confidence boost for the boys to beat them without me.
“It is hard to go off previous years because we are in such a different spot this year with a different team, and I am really confident and have a big belief in our team at the moment that we can win this premiership.
“Top four obviously helps, but I think it's our personnel and our young guys developing really well.
“I think Nafahu has been outstanding, and guys like Salesi Foketi have come through and become regular first graders. Then with the addition of Daly and Reece Robson, it has been huge for the spine and big game experience.
For Tedesco, the Roosters' premiership credentials are about more than simply finishing inside the top four.
The development of their young players, combined with the arrival of experienced campaigners such as Cherry-Evans, has given the skipper belief that this side is equipped to finally turn regular-season success into a deep finals run.
And if Cherry-Evans can have the same impact Cronk had seven years ago, the Roosters could soon have the last laugh and a very familiar message for their doubters: we did it again.
