James Tedesco has declared any premiership run by the Sydney Roosters would be one of the most courageous in memory with almost 1000 games of NRL experience missing long term.
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The Roosters will enter Saturday's Magic Round clash with North Queensland down to their fourth-string hooker and a new halves pairing after again being battered by injuries.
This year the Roosters have lost co-captain Jake Friend to retirement due to concussions, while fellow leader Boyd Cordner is yet to play due to similar issues.
Brett Morris's pursuit of the all-time try-scoring record has been ended by an ACL injury, while everything from detached retinas to punctured lungs have ruled Sam Verrills and Drew Hutchison out.
Halfback Luke Keary's year-ending knee injury is arguably the club's most costly, while Lachlan Lam will only this week return from his own knee issue.
Queensland State of Origin prop Lindsay Collins is another gone for the season, with a knee injury.
It makes for 980 NRL games, 304 tries, 35 State of Origins and 44 Tests worth of experience sidelined long-term.
"It's massive. The effort is huge," Tedesco said, with the Roosters still fifth.
"You can see it every game we play, the effort is huge.
"It's probably not the glitz and glamour of our team, it's more about being tough and digging in.
"We've lost leaders in key positions but we're still fighting really hard for each other ... with the heart and desire we are showing, I'm pretty proud to be captain."
Tedesco on Tuesday reiterated calls for referees to us the sin bin, after Hutchinson was only released from hospital on Monday after copping Dylan Brown's knees in Friday's loss to Parramatta.
When asked if any run this year would be the gutsiest Tedesco had ever seen, he was emphatic in his response: "Yeah, 100 per cent it would.
"There are a lot of reasons why we shouldn't go too well, but we don't think of it like that.
"We don't think of who isn't in our team, we just think whoever is in will do a good job for us.
"There are no excuses."
Nowhere is the Roosters' spirit more evident than in Ben Marschke, who had barely trained with the team before his debut in round four.
He is now the starting No.9 for at least the next few weeks with Victor Radley (concussion) and Freddy Lussick out, after the club missed out on snaring All Blacks half TJ Perenara.
"(The system) through Roosters, Norths (in reserve grade) and under-20s, so it makes for a pretty easy transition," Marschke said.
"It was pretty confronting ... (but) they're an inviting club and one that makes it feel like home."
Australian Associated Press
