There is one item Roosters veteran Craig Fitzgibbon is desperate not to take with him when he departs the NRL for the UK Super League in October – the club's first wooden spoon in 43 years.
The Roosters sit in last spot with 10 rounds remaining in 2009 and have been backed heavily to collect rugby league's most unwanted prize.
But ahead of Friday night's meeting with co-competition leaders St George Illawarra at WIN Jubilee Stadium, Fitzgibbon has his sights set a lot a lot higher than last spot.
"We haven't mentioned that word (wooden spoon) and we are just talking about improving our performances and if we keep doing that we will be fine," he said on Thursday.
"It is looking pretty unlikely that we will make the eight, which is obviously where I would like us to be in my final year before going to England, but I want to go out with some optimism and stir a couple of those top teams up."
First on the list is the in-form Saints.
The Dragons thrashed the Roosters 29-0 on Anzac Day, with Jamie Soward ripping the Chooks apart in scoring 21 of Saints' points.
Fitzgibbon is fully aware of the danger his former club presents.
"It's a huge (challenge) – we're at the bottom, they're at the top," he said.
"They are the most consistent team thus far in the season. We know what we are up against – there is no use avoiding (the fact) it's going to be hard night – but we're out there in with a shot."
"We've got to unsettle them a little bit and be unpredictable and throw a bit of footy at them and hopefully get them out of their comfort zone a little."
"If we let them control the game we won't be good enough."
On the Soward threat, the Roosters skipper said: "On Anzac Day the ball seemed to bounce for Jamie and we had a fractured kick-chase line on occasions."
"Hopefully there are no fractures in the defence line and if he wants to run back from kicks we'll have a wall in front of him."
Not for the first time this year, the Roosters head into a game following a week of drama.
Rookies Jake Fiend and Sandor Earl were both been charged with assault following an incident at a Sydney nightclub last weekend, but will line-up against the Dragons.
Asked if it was a distraction, Fitzgibbon replied with a rueful grin: "No, not really. There is always something going on around here."
"We're a pretty resilient bunch. It's been an up and down year and digging ourselves out of the hole we've been in football-wise has been a challenge enough, let alone the other distractions."
"They don't enter our mindset and it's not something I will be thinking about after five minutes of footy on Friday night."