Back-to-back title quest not impossible: Keary

Sydney Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary has laughed off suggestions from Penrith and NSW No.6 James Maloney that the quest for back-to-back titles is a near-impossible endeavour.

Maloney recently said the mission facing the Tricolours would prove too difficult given no side had achieved the feat since 1993.

Keary, who was part of the Rabbitohs team that was unable to make it back-to-back titles in 2015, said the Roosters are in with a fighting chance.

"If you go in with the attitude it's like that [impossible], then you're not going to be able to do it," Keary told NRL.com.

"It's definitely not impossible, you've just got to put yourself in the position to do it. It hasn't been done in a while because it's so hard to do.

"It's what makes our competition so close. The salary cap has made it what it is and that's kind of a good thing but we'll give it a crack.

"It was no difference to last year, we didn't get it handed [to us] but we put ourselves in a position to win it."

The Tricolours' preparations leading into the 2019 Telstra Premiership season has gone in reverse from a trials perspective with most of their full-strength side getting game time in the World Club Challenge win over Wigan before being rested last weekend.

Any thought of fatigue from the overseas experience was quickly hosed down by Keary.

It's definitely not impossible, you've just got to put yourself in the position to do it

Roosters five-eighth Luke Keary

"It was a good trip, we've got to do something you don't get to do very often," Keary said.

"You get a lot more out of it than people think. We also got two less weeks getting flogged at training and got to play a game and get some life experiences."

In a frightening thought for the opposition, Keary is confident the side's attack can improve on last season.

The Roosters were ranked fourth in attack overall during the regular season at 22.6 points per game.

"We haven't looked back too much but we've looked at technical parts of our game and we definitely didn't get to where we wanted to be," Keary said.

"I don't think our attack got anywhere near where it could've got to. We are working on different aspects that will hopefully make us a better attacking team.

"Defensively, I thought we were very good but defence is an attitude thing and if you don't turn up it becomes tough."

Keary said his own personal game, which earned high praise in the finals series and saw him win the Clive Churchill medal in the 2018 decider, also had room for improvement.

"I had a couple of injuries in there that set me back a little bit," he said.

"I had to adapt and change my style from Junior [Mitchell Pearce] to Cooper the year before but thought I progressed.

"It didn't go to plan in other areas but I've been working on them."