Connor Watson claims the Sydney Roosters' early-season struggles cannot all be blamed on the form of Chad Townsend as the axe hovers over the struggling halfback.
The 34-year-old Townsend and England Test winger Dominic Young loom as potential casualties for the club's daunting Friday night away trip to face Brisbane as Trent Robinson looks to spark the Tricolours' stuttering 1-4 campaign.
Townsend has battled to find his groove since joining from North Queensland as a stop-gap measure with the Roosters waiting for Sam Walker to return to full fitness from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The veteran playmaker had a night to forget in last week's loss to South Sydney, but the biggest issue has been his inability to get the Roosters over the line in tight games alongside inexperienced five-eighth Sandon Smith.
Over the last three weeks the Roosters have led or been trailing by just a score come the hour mark, before falling short.
"Being a half, when you win the games, you get the credit," hooker Watson said.
"But when you lose the game or the side is going bad, it's your fault.
"We need to do a better job for our halves. We need to give them a better platform, and making errors out of our own end isn't helping them.
"As a team, we can sort that discipline out and it'll make the halves' job so much easier."
Watson said Townsend seemed unflustered by speculation he could be dropped, with rookie Hugo Savala pulled out of Sunday's NSW Cup clash with a view to him playing a full 80 minutes of NRL on Friday.
"Chad seems good. He's been around a long time, he's done so much in the game and he's got so much experience, so it's been a joy having him," Watson said.
"There is external noise, but whether Chad listens to it, I'm not too sure."
Young is also shaping as the odd man out after a testing start to 2025.
Mark Nawaqanitawase would likely take Young's start on the wing after missing last week's loss to Souths with a calf injury.
"It does put the fire in any individual who's trying to earn a spot," said veteran winger Daniel Tupou.
"It's all good competition, and everyone knows it's a team sport, it's about whatever's best for the team."
While Victor Radley will return to stiffen up the middle against a Broncos side who put 50 points on the Roosters in round one, Robinson will be without Australian Test prop Lindsay Collins for the next six weeks with a medial ligament injury.
"He's vital to this team because he's been there and done everything in the game and it's disappointing to lose him," Watson said.
"One of the good things is we've given these younger guys the opportunities to play first grade."
