Roosters coach John Strange has launched a passionate defence of his side’s dominance this season saying their success is a result of a strong culture and pathways system not simply a star studded line up.

The defending premiers are currently on a record extending 14 game winning streak with three weeks left until the end of the regular season. The only team to come close to beating them were the Broncos in Round 3 who lost by just 4 points. The next closest match was by 14 points, with the Roosters average winning margin this season 21 points.

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The success has drawn criticism from some corners due to the side boasting a host of representative stars which includes three golden boot winners.

“I just think it’s natural in Australian society for people to want to pull a side down, it’s the tall poppy syndrome,” Roosters coach John Strange told foxsports.com.au

“I wouldn’t expect anything less, but I also do know that people who do come out and criticise really don’t have much of an idea about what’s going on.”

Strange believes that beyond the bright lights of stars like Isabelle Kelly, Tarryn Aiken and Jess Sergis, there’s a host of players whose impact this season often gets overlooked. Players who have come through the Roosters pathways system, pathways Strange helped create.

The Roosters coach established the club’s Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership side, the Central Coast Roosters, back in 2020 after noticing the club was losing valuable players to opposition clubs with only a Tarsha Gale and an NRLW side.

It was around the time he noticed one of his daughter’s Aussie Rules teammates, Jocelyn Kelleher. Jocelyn and Jasmine (Strange) are now both in the Roosters NRLW side but started out as teammates in the Central Coast AFL playing for the Killarney Vale Bombers.

“I talked to her (Jocelyn) about coming to trial for our Harvey Norman side and she goes, “yeah, I don’t know, do you reckon I’d be any good?” And I said, “I reckon you would be.” Now she’s killing it,” Strange said.

Kelleher had never played rugby league before but this season broke the all time record for most points scored in the NRLW and is leading the competition in goals with 35. Strange has also called her is most valuable player due to her versatility having played every position on the park from fullback to front row.

The Roosters include a host of Central Coast girls include Jaime Fressard, Isabelle Kelly, Shawden Burton and Jasmine Strange with Otessa Pule and Aliyah Nasio also progressing through their pathways. Current Dally M medallist Olivia Kernick also a product of the central coast system.

“I first started coaching her (Olivia) when she was 15 for Berkeley Vale in a 9s team that I ended up getting roped into coaching when my daughter was playing. So there’s a lot of players that are in this squad, that have just come through our pathways and developed into really good players off the back of them working really hard.”

Talk about the Roosters recruitment often focusses on the addition of Jillaroos playmaker Tarryn Aiken last season, and while her impact can’t be denied, it’s young guns Taina Naividi (who scored her second hat trick of the season against the Eels on Saturday) and Macie Carlile whose signatures have proven a masterstroke for the Roosters after they were rejected from rival clubs. Taina was in the Raiders system, Macie the Bulldogs, but neither was offered NRLW contracts.

“Taina and Marie have been great for us. They’ve been two of our most consistent players this year and they couldn’t get a run at other clubs,” said Strange.

“They actually got knocked back from other NRLW clubs. So the fact that they’ve come in, trained really hard, they’ve had the right attitude to get into our squad.

“They could have potentially gone to other clubs, but they weren’t wanted.”

Rima Butler is another player who has taken her game to another level at the Roosters and enjoying her best season yet after stints with the Eels and Knights. She’s scored four tries so far this season, having only scored three in the past three seasons. The 27 year old has also recorded 155 tackles so far (compared with 98 in 2024) and 34 tackle busts (compared with 23 in 2024).

“Rima wanted to come to the Roosters because she wanted to become a better player, they’re her words. The girls train really hard. I’m not saying they don’t at other clubs, but I don’t know what they’re doing, but with us, they work incredibly hard and they’re committed and therefore they play good footy.”

There’s no doubting the healthy culture that’s been developed at the Roosters which has also contributed to their success but Strange also believes the crippling injury toll in the league this season has also played a part.

“I think it’s the difficult thing with this NRLW season is the injuries to some of the sides which has really made it a challenge. We’ve gone through it in previous years, so I know how they feel. But, right now, us, the Broncos and Knights are pretty healthy. So, therefore, we should be, you know, going better than the opposition teams, because some of them have just been decimated.”

“So that’s nothing to do with the stars or whatever. The Dragons have got a really good side, but along with the Bulldogs and Tigers, they’ve just been absolutely hammered with injuries.”

The Roosters are, every week, edging closer to becoming just the third NRLW team to record back to back premierships. And while Strange is quick to heap praise on this players, there’s no denying the coach’s own influence and the staff around him, who he says are in it for the right reasons.

“All the staff that we have are great as well… that’s been important for me as well to have staff that are invested in the players.. I’ve been really open about that, having staff that are there for the players, not themselves,”

“People have asked me over the last couple of years, about going into the men’s game and, ‘oh, you’re doing a good job there, so you’re going to go to the men’s?’ And I just say ‘why?’ For me, I’m not coaching women, I’m coaching rugby league players. And I’m at a really good club that I like, I’m around people I like. I’m not looking to do something else that other people perceive to be more important because, for me, where I am right now is the most important place to me. And that’s where I want to be. So it’s really important to have all the staff have that mindset which they do. I love that.”