 Now under the direction of coach Ricky Stuart, the Roosters finished the regular season in fourth place, followed by finals victories over the Sharks, Knights and Broncos to reach the Grand Final.The 16–12 triumph over the Brisbane Broncos in the preliminary final was particularly pleasing to fans, who witnessed the Foundation Club overcome injuries to key players Luke Ricketson and Simon Bonetti to reach the decider.The Grand Final was the culmination of a 9-game winning streak to end 2002, with the club surprising their critics to take out the 2002 premiership with a 30-8 performance against minor premiers, the New Zealand Warriors.