Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson has revealed he believes the Brisbane Broncos are a chance of winning this year's NRL premiership, but isn't giving up on his own side's hopes yet after a loss at the Gabba on Thursday evening.
The Roosters' loss leaves the club likely needing to win all five of their remaining games to qualify for the top eight, with the club falling 32 points to 10 at the hands of Kevin Walters' Brisbane outfit.
As it stands, the Roosters have won just 8 of their 19 games so far this season, with the likely mark to play finals football being 13 victories.
Asked whether the Roosters' season was over, Robinson said they would continue fighting to make the top eight until there was a zero per cent chance.
"My job is to plan longer than next week. There is always belief. Until someone says there is zero per cent chance, you attack it," Robinson said during his post-game press conference.
"And so it'll be no different there. We will keep attacking it. We go home to the SCG [next week].
"It's an important reunion for ten years for our 2013 team, so we look forward to it, but you have to look at these games and ask what we have to improve, not just cross your fingers and have a good game next week.
"So, the belief in who the players are and what our system is, it's there, but the execution of that... Yeah. We need to get our lessons and ask why, and make a fist of it from here on in."
The Broncos' performance wasn't lost on Robinson though, with the performance leaving the coach to suggest the Broncos are in the premiership discussion.
โYeah, definitely,โ Robinson said.
โThey've got a very athletic team and then they've got a guy (Reynolds) that pulls the strings through the kicking.
โThe kicking is really important to them and they're staying in the game for longer periods which was again a real positive for them tonight and has been this year.
โThey're one of a few that have got an opportunity at the moment and we'll see when it gets to the big time.โ
The win for the Broncos leaves the club at the top of the table and with a bye up their sleeve during the closing weeks of the season.
The Broncos will likely only need one more victory to lock up a top-four finish and a valuable double chance, while another two wins would likely secure a home qualifying final.
