League: Roosters battle player exodus

Sydney Roosters rugby league coach Ricky Stuart's trademark furrowed brow may have reached record proportions as he tries to conjure a form reversal this week.

The Roosters will be without nine frontline players when they host the New Zealand Warriors at Aussie Stadium on Sunday, as the visitors try to clamber up from second last place on the National Rugby League (NRL) ladder.

It's hardly been plain sailing in recent times for the Roosters, who missed the playoffs for the first time in four years in 2005, and this year sit 11th in the NRL with just five wins.

Stuart's hand has been forced in naming what is hardly a vintage Roosters lineup, including rookie fullback Shaun Foley, 19, who is yet to play first grade or reserve grade.

Also among a fresh-faced backline are two New Zealanders -- former Wainuiomata, Warriors and Cronulla wing Vince Mellars and newly-selected Kiwis centre Iosia Soliola.

Hard-running winger Mellars scored his third try of the season in last weekend's 16-20 loss to the Melbourne Storm -- the Roosters' second successive defeat -- while former Ponsonby junior Soliola was yesterday still awaiting a release from his club after being named for the test against Great Britain on June 28.

Five-eighth Josh Lewis will also make his first-grade debut for the Roosters on Sunday.

Although they still have tough nuts Adrian Morley and captain Craig Fitzgibbon up front, the Roosters' absentee list makes the Warriors' headaches this season seem minor.

Halves Braith Anasta and Brett Finch, along with hooker Craig Wing, are on New South Wales State of Origin duty, forward Chris Flannery is in camp with Queensland, while Amos Roberts, Lopini Paea and Ashley Harrison have been sidelined by the judiciary.

To complete the list, fleet-footed backs Anthony Minichiello and Joel Monaghan are both out injured.

Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan confirmed this week that Foley was called so the club would not exceed the second-tier salary cap limit of A$300,000 ($359,410) for players not in the top-25 squad.

"It came as a big surprise, I was talking to Ricky this morning and I was pretty shocked," Foley said on learning of his selection.

"Ricky said he had the confidence in me to do the job and that he was giving a few young guys a go this week because of State of Origin.

"It's very exciting, it's very exciting and I can't wait.

"Hopefully I'll be able to handle it but who knows, we'll have to wait and see.

"I'm pretty confident I should go all right."

Foley only decided to try his hand at league last year after playing rugby at schoolboy level.

"I just thought maybe I'd try it because if I'd waited any longer it would be too late to start league at 20, so I thought I'd give it a go at 18 and see how I go."

With a youthful back division, the Roosters can expect the Warriors to test their Achilles heel this year, defending kicks.

They have already conceded 13 tries from the boot this year, the second worst in the NRL, while their completion rate and error count are also the worst in the competition.

- NZPA