Paul Gallen urges battered Roosters to make 'tough call' for bitter NRL clash with Souths

Already decimated by injury to three key players, the Roosters have been urged to weaken their side even further to enhance their prospects of making an impact in the NRL finals. Premiership-winning ex-Sharks skipper Paul Gallen believes the Tricolours would be better off resting a number of stars from Friday night's clash with arch-rival South Sydney to prevent further carnage.

He fears the hatred between the two clubs could spill over and result in a battered and bruised Roosters limping into play-offs. Souths have nothing to lose and will be desperate to send off club greats Damien Cook and Tom Burgess with victory over their bitter rivals.

And if they could inflict more damage on their despised neighbour along the way, even better. By removing a number of players from the line of fire, Gallen insists the Roosters will be in better shape for a crack at the premiership when the play-offs begin.

Trent Robinson's team – reeling from the loss of Sam Walker, Brandon Smith and Victor Radley to injury - can finish anywhere between second and fourth depending on results from this weekend's final round. They will play either Penrith, Cronulla or Melbourne in week one of the play-offs.

Paul Gallen thinks Roosters should rest some stars

Gallen told WWOS: "I don't think they need to risk playing against South Sydney – the Book of Feuds, the hatred there - and losing a (Luke) Keary, a (James) Tedesco, a (Sitili) Tupouniua. The Roosters have to make the tough call to rest all their stars and potentially sacrifice a game to their worst enemy.

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"The two clubs hate each other and that feeling tends to spill onto the field pretty much every time they meet. Do you think every time James Tedesco or Luke Keary gets the ball the Rabbitohs won't try to belt the crap out of them?

"And if one of those blokes did get injured before finals, you can pretty much kiss a Roosters premiership goodbye." But former Roosters coach Phil Gould dismissed Gallen's proposal, backing his old club to overcome the loss of several frontline players and make a noise in September.

"They've got enough talent to still win this competition. It's not as though the Panthers and Storm and Sharks are shooting the lights out at the moment," Gould said. "No one has really put their hand up in the last couple of weeks and said they want to be premiers.

"I know they're (the Roosters) missing ones that they'd like to have (playing), but they can still put a side on the field that can win. They’ve got a roster deep in talent."