Then he woke up on Monday morning, and it was already on his mind.

Less than 12 hours after becoming the first team to go back-to-back since Brisbane in 1992-93, Robinson was thinking about three in a row.

"You'd like to switch off for a few weeks, re-energise and get going again," Robinson said.

"But the honest truth is you get up this morning and you start thinking about what's got to happen this week.

"What does pre-Christmas look like? What does the travel look like? Are we going to England (for the World Club Challenge), are we not?

"All of that stuff starts going through your mind so you can't switch it off.

"But that's why we're standing here again, that's the group that we are."

If they did so, they would be the first side since Parramatta in 1981-83 to pull it off.

The Roosters themselves haven't won three straight since the 1930s.

But as Robinson has shown this year, that kind of challenge has instilled very little fear in his team.

"Every team hunted us, every team wanted to beat us," centre Joey Manu said.

"It was tough. It's definitely been the toughest year. Injuries, everything.

"We still believed in what we can do, there are so many good individuals that make up a great team.

"We always believed in ourselves no matter what happened, we always knew we weren't going to get distracted."

The Roosters have already been installed as $4 favourites for the 2020 title, despite them facing a far more significant challenge in next year's title defence.

Cooper Cronk's departure is as big as any hurdle any club will face this summer.

But his presence around Bondi has made every player so much better for his two-year tenure.

None signify that better than Luke Keary, who Cronk has no doubt is ready to step up and guide the team without him.

"It's a lay down misere for me (that he's good enough)," Cronk said.

There's also plenty of established young talent too.

Boyd Cordner, Keary and James Tedesco are already among the biggest names in the NRL, but are all aged 27 or younger.

Latrell Mitchell is just 22, Manu 23 and Victor Radley 21.

And while Cronk is the biggest departure imaginable, there is no reason why the rest of their 17 from Sunday night won't be back again in round one.

"We definitely have the club and the squad to do that (three-peat)," Tedesco said.

"So I don't see why not."

Australian Associated Press