Mark Levy is the host of 2GB's Wide World of Sports radio show. Tune in from 6pm-7pm, Monday to Thursday!
It was only 12 months ago that the rugby league fraternity was questioning if the Roosters could make it back-to-back premierships for the first time in a unified competition since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992-93.
The Chooks ignored the doubters and went on to lift the Provan-Summons Trophy.
Fast forward to today and the same sceptics are pointing to the fact no team has ever won the grand final after conceding 50 points - but we're talking about a football side that's continually silenced its critics and the Roosters will probably do it again in 2020.
I've never been a fan of the Bondi club and I often find myself poking fun at the 'salary cap sombrero', the 'latte sippers' and the 'supporters who refuse to turn up to the games'.
However, there's still a mutual respect for what they've been able to achieve.
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https://omny.fm/shows/wide-world-of-sports/wide-world-of-sports-full-show-september-29/embedGrowing up as a South Sydney supporter, I was always taught to hate the Roosters, yet I maintain the current group of players make the Chooks one of the best teams I've seen in the modern era. Their record speaks for itself and it's hard to ignore.
I'm sure there are plenty of Rabbitohs supporters hanging on to last week's 60-8 drubbing of the Roosters a week out from the finals series, but who's going to remember that if the reigning premiers bounce back and go on to win the comp again?
It's much like the Penrith Panthers, who have claimed their third minor premiership. The mountain men were presented with the JJ Giltinan Shield on the weekend, but can you name the last 10 teams to finish on top after the regular season?
There is only one prize that matters in the NRL and that's the Telstra Premiership on grand final day. The winning team is handed the trophy featuring that iconic embrace between Norm Provan and Arthur Summons - that's what teams and players are remembered for.
Yeah, it's a great achievement finishing on top of the ladder and it's a concern when you're beaten by 52 points leading into the finals, but we're entering the business end of the season and the form goes out the window.
Steve 'Blocker' Roach always used to say on 2GB's Continuous Call Team, "Beware the bounce-back factor", and that's been ringing in my ears ever since the Roosters were thumped by South Sydney.
The Chooks have got a trip out to Penrith in the opening week of the finals and they're up against the Panthers, who have won 15 consecutive matches and boast the best winning record since the St George Dragons in 1959.
Will it be the Panthers or the peak-hour traffic that proves the biggest hurdle?
Jake Friend is being monitored after a head clash last weekend and they welcome back Brett Morris, Joseph Manu, Isaac Liu and Lindsay Collins, who were given a rest by Trent Robinson.
Surely the coach has a trick up his sleeve just like 2018, when they played ducks-and-drakes with the media before Cooper Cronk won them a grand final with a broken shoulder.
Never underestimate a modern-day genius like 'Robbo', who we're already talking about in the same breath as Wayne Bennett, Jack Gibson and Craig Bellamy.
The other statistic that some people are forgetting is that you've got to finish in the top-four to win the comp and the Roosters have earned themselves that all-important second chance - the question remains though, will they need it?
I think we're in for one hell of a ride over the next month and well done to the NRL for reducing the price of the tickets, as a thank you to the supporters in what's been an interrupted season for professional sports like rugby league.
If you cast your mind back to the ill-fated day when ARL Commission chairman Peter V'landys announced the competition was being suspended because of COVID-19, who would have thought we'd make it through a challenging year and be gearing up for another finals series?
LEVY'S WEEK-ONE FINALS TIPS: Penrith, Canberra, Melbourne, South Sydney.
I look forward to your company over the weekend on the Continuous Call Team and tune into Wide World of Sports radio from 6pm Monday-Thursday on 2GB 873am in Sydney and 4BC 1116am in Brisbane.
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