Roosters playing for Fittler: Shackleton - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Roosters playing for Fittler: Shackleton

By Ian McCullough 31/07/2009 02:56:08 PM Comments (0)

Shane Shackleton says the Sydney Roosters players will doing everything in their power to send outgoing coach Brad Fittler out on a high.

Fittler has just six NRL games remaining at the helm of the Roosters and Shackleton, who will also be leaving the club at the end of the season to join Parramatta, said the team are determined not to finish with the wooden spoon for the first time since 1966.

Fittler will go head-to-head with Brian Smith, the man who will take his job in 2010, on Saturday when he takes his side to Newcastle, and although Shackleton admitted it will be a strange situation, he said there has been no talk from the players about impressing their new boss.

"The boys are not too worried about impressing anyone and if we play as we know we can then we will be alright on Saturday," he said.

"We definitely want to win our future games for Freddie, it is unfortunate the circumstances he is leaving on, but for the team, we want to get together and finish on a high."

Fittler has accused Smith of throwing last week's game against Manly, where the Knights produced their worst performance of the season to lose 44-20, but Shackleton said the former NSW and Test five-eighth's mood in the lead up to the game has been no different to normal.

"Freddie is a very professional bloke, the season has been a bit topsy-turvey so he has not been on edge any more this week than any other week," he said.

"We have prepared well for the game like every week and we have done a bit of video on the Knights' game against Manly and we have highlighted a couple of weaknesses we hope to exploit and do some damage."

The Roosters will hand a first-grade debut to winger Iwi Hauraki, the cousin of Parramatta Weller Hauraki, and the quietly-spoken 22-year-old said it will be a dream come true to pull on the tricolour jersey.

"I supported the Roosters as a kid and my hero was Anthony Minichiello and to be playing alongside him is amazing," Hauraki said.

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