Six-again speed won't slow Friend's tackle rate down

No one at the Roosters will be telling hooker Jake Friend to tone things down a bit in the tackling department so he can conserve some energy in this six-again NRL world.

There is a theory with the upswing in speed around the ruck and through the middle that hookers can tire themselves out more quickly by trying to keep up their usual quota in defence.

Friend regularly makes 50-plus tackles – he made 54 in his 64 minutes on the field in the 28-12 win over the Rabbitohs at Bankwest Stadium.

Certainly, Friend was interchanged with Sam Verrills to share the hooking role, and Friend did score a try in the 74th minute.

But if he was convinced to make 20 less tackles in a bid to ease his fatigue a little, surely that would elongate his effectiveness as a ball distributor in the faster-pace games.

"Every team will go in with a different strategy there, but we're quite happy with Jake making 50 or 60 tackles each week," Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary said.

"He's done that for the last 10 years so he'll just keep doing it, and will still keep coming up with player for us like he did in the back of that [Rabbitohs] game.

"Strategically we've also got Sammy on the bench too and he proved to us last year he can play 80 minutes. So I'm sure they'll manage the situation across the year depending on how Sammy and Jake are going."

Back-rower Angus Crichton says it'd be hard to break old habits in such a hard worker like Friend.

"He can make as many tackles as he needs – that's what his role in the team is. He's a strong, defensive player," Crichton said.

"He doesn't have to make that many tackles but that's what he's been doing for a long time.

"He's one of the best hookers in the game – we love Jake's defence and I definitely won't be telling him to make any less tackles."

Another of the team's defensive machines in No.13 Victor Radley may not be there when Trent Robinson's side faces the Broncos on Thursday at Suncorp Stadium.

The club has opted to fight Radley's dangerous throw charge at the NRL judiciary on Tuesday night.

Keary had a light-hearted approach to the dilemma, believing it could bring some relief for players from Radley's talkative nature.

"It'll be good not having him chatter at us on game day … just kidding," Keary said.

"We've got players like Siosiua [Taukeiaho] and a few of those boys on the edge there who will come in for him if need be."

Alongside Taukeiaho, Isaac Liu and Nat Butcher have played that middle forward role for the Roosters.

"We've got a few that can play that lock role," Butcher said on Sunday.

Whoever it is will need that express-train mentality as Crichton identified the forwards as an area where the new six-again rule would find out those not as fit as they should be.

"I really like it. It's sped up the game. It holds players accountable. Now you have to be fitter if you want to play 80 minutes," Crichton said.

"If you want to be a good player you can't have those quick bursts of energy if you're going to be tired the next set.

"It's tougher for us as players but as a fan watching the games it's good viewing."