Braith Anasta is more concerned with reviving the Roosters' flagging fortunes than resurrecting his representative career as he prepares to face fellow State of Origin aspirant Jarrod Mullen on Saturday.

The Roosters currently sit second from bottom on the NRL ladder with just three wins from nine games, while the Knights have enjoyed six victories and currently occupy fourth spot.

Five-eighth Anasta was omitted from the initial Blues 40-man squad, but could still be a bolter for Origin selection if he plays well at the Sydney Football Stadium this week.

"I know it's a bit of a challenge there, shut down Mullen and the likes of Kurt Gidley, but we've just got to start winning games and those one-on-one battles are really not a concern to us at the moment," Anasta said.

He also feels time is running out for the Roosters, who are already four points adrift of the eighth-placed Panthers.

"We've got to start winning and we've got to win a lot and this week is where it all begins, it's almost a must-win for us," Anasta said.

He identified discipline and mistakes as the major bugbears for the Roosters this year.

"We got penalised I think nine penalties in a row (against Melbourne in the last round) and I think we probably won maybe two or three penalty counts in the last year or so," Anasta said.

"It's obviously our problem. We've just got to keep working on it and work with the referees and it's something we've let ourselves down.

"Errors as well. We've made too many errors, so there's two key components of the game."

The Roosters have the worst defensive record in the competition, conceding 216 points at an average of 24 per game.

"You can't keep winning games conceding more than 20 points. At times our defence has been great, at times it has been pretty ordinary," Anasta said.

Anasta endorsed coach Brad Fittler retaining the job once his current contract expires at the end of this season.

"Since he's been here he has done such a great job, he's basically turned the team around from a couple of years ago," Anasta said.

"Sure we've had a slow start to the season, but I still think he's done a great job with the team and with the club and there's a long way to go this year."

Fittler was renowned for taking a laid-back approach last year, but Anasta noted his coach's demeanour had changed a little this year.

"When the pressure is on and you lose a few games, I suppose it's hard to be relaxed," Anasta said.

"It's your job, it's your livelihood, it's your passion, something you feel very strongly about.

"Obviously he's a little more intense than what he was at the start, but I think anyone in his position would feel that way."

He praised the Knights, suggesting they were the surprise package of the season.

"They have been on fire this season, I suppose they have snuck under the radar a bit, they are definitely one of the in-form teams of the comp," Anasta said.

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