The Sydney Roosters' jack of all trades Drew Hutchison is looking to build upon the side's recent winning run as they return to the SCG to celebrate the 2002 Premiership heroics.
Following the enthralling match against the Brisbane Broncos in Round 5 - one that saw the side claw back from multiple deficits to record a 24-16 victory - Hutchison believes that it is the perfect win to begin to find their identity.
Hutchison : "We Have to Find Out What Works For Us"
Upon reflection, the 27-year-old insisted that his side needs to find out what kind of style they want to bring to the table to set their season up.
“You can’t copy what everyone else does or what other teams have done,” Hutchison explained.
“We’ve had to find the way that we play and what works for us. We can’t copy what the Panthers or Melbourne do, we have to find out what works for us.
“The weekend was character building, coming from behind and it’s such an early point of the season that it sets your year up in the right way.
“People say winning ugly but I think Brisbane played really well and to smash the game when it wasn’t going our way, it’s a testament to our leaders and the strong players we have that stand up when things aren’t going well.
Crichton : "We're Discovering Who We Are as a Team"
“It gives the boys encouragement to keep going in the way that we approach our footy.”
After a fortnight in Queensland the Roosters return to the SCG on Sunday for the 20th Anniversary celebrations of the 2002 Premiership when they take on the New Zealand Warriors.
For Hutchison, not only will it signal an opportunity to pay homage to one of the greatest Premiership teams in the Club's history, but it will be a worthy challenge against a Warriors side that has claimed three consecutive victories.
“They’ve started the year so well,” he said of Sunday’s opponents.
“They’re a big, physical side and all their players are humming at this time of year. We definitely need to be on.
“We’ll take our lessons from the weekend. There are some errors that we need to fix up and I suppose we’re going to a game plan going into the game but it’s about us executing.
“I think it’s definitely a good day for the Club to represent that 20-year anniversary and I know the boys are looking forward to it, especially on such a weekend like Easter.
“It’s well-known at the Club how successful that era was. They made four Grand Finals in five years and that’s unheard of.
“While they don’t bring it up themselves, the players are well aware of how successful that side was.”
I think it’s definitely a good day for the Club to represent that 20-year anniversary and I know the boys are looking forward to it
Drew Hutchison On celebrating the 2002 Premiership
Hutchison also spoke about his newfound role in the middle of the field after sharing hooking duties with Connor Watson, proof of both his team-first mentality and his ability to fill in where required.
“It definitely makes it easier when we’re winning and sort of playing the way that we like to play," he said.
"It’s a different position that I’ve had to learn and something that I’m really enjoying at the moment. “You get your nerves and doubts about it but again but you want to put your best effort in for the team.
“Obviously Sam Verrills had a broken thumb at the start of the year, and Robbo sort of came to me with the idea of playing there and it’s something I’ve really enjoyed.
“So far I’ve really enjoyed doing it and again I’ll be looking to do that for the rest of the year wherever they want me to play.”
