Ricky Stuart could make a sailor with tourette's syndrome blush when he wound up and let fly. A spray from Phil Gould meant literally that, with Roosters players of the '90s too afraid to wipe the great coach's saliva from their face when they copped a severe dressing down.
But all it takes from Trent Robinson is the ol' stink eye, a look that could peel Dulux, and the Roosters know it's time to pull their collective fingers out and deliver, says forward leader Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
"There's just this look in his eye where you know that he's on and you know that you don't say much, you just lead by actions, "said Waerea-Hargreaves.
"You know he means business when he gets this head on."
Despite the Roosters sitting a disappointing 11th on the premiership table and losing three on the trot for the first time in Robinson's tenure, the jovial Kiwi enforcer said the second-year coach hadn't been throwing greasy looks at his charges yet, though that may change if they cannot get past NRL cellar dwellers Cronulla this Saturday.
"He's been exactly the same; very calm," said Waerea-Hargreaves.
"When Robbo talks everyone listens. It's that respect that we have for him."
And the message to the troops as the Chooks look to reinvigorate an attack that has gone from averaging 26 points a game in 2013 to only cracking double figures once in the past three weeks?
"There hasn't been much talk about changing what we do in attack... we just need to tweak a few things," said Waerea-Hargreaves.
"It's just those simple things – that's completing and not giving the ball back to the opposition.
"We haven't been doing that and therefore we haven't been getting the results we want.
The Roosters prop admitted the premiers were guilty of trying too hard in attack in recent weeks, with a number of opportunities going begging in their 14-12 loss to Parramatta as final passes failed to find their marks.
"We've been trying to score off every play pretty much and therefore we're pushing the passes and it might not be the right conditions.
"We're just trying to score off every play and that doesn't work.
"This game's all about building pressure and trying to make the opposition fail under pressure.
"We don't like making excuses but then again we wouldn't mind some dry weather footy.
"Hopefully we'll get it and we can get out there and just get some confidence and combinations going."
