Wooden-spooners last year, the Sydney Roosters will challenge for a place in the NRL grand final after a crushing 34-12 win over an injury-decimated Penrith on Saturday night.

The Todd Carney and Mitchell Pearce show rolls on as the Roosters booked a date with Gold Coast at Suncorp Stadium next Friday night, outclassing a Panthers outfit which lost big names Michael Jennings and Luke Lewis before the game was half an hour old.

Already without international second-rowers Trent Waterhouse and Frank Pritchard, Jennings injured his left ankle in just the fourth minute when it twisted under tackler Nate Myles and tried to play on before limping off in the ninth minute and disappearing up the tunnel.

Lewis copped a head knock in the 24th minute and groggily left the field soon after, returning with 20 minutes to go but unable to spark a revival.

It didn't get any better for Penrith when second-rower Gavin Cooper limped off in the 37th and they were down to one man on the bench.

But there was no denying the Roosters another chapter in their stunning season turnaround under Brian Smith as they put 100 minutes of sapping football last week behind them and put away their 2003 grand final conquerors.

Their brilliant halves scored a try each, while Pearce laid on two others and captain Braith Anasta also scored one and was involved in a couple more.

Despite the Panthers' woes, they had made the Roosters work hard for their 12-0 halftime lead, which came from a long-range try to Pearce in the 12th minute and Anasta's effort in the 33rd.

But it was 16-0 six minutes after the break when a superb Pearce pass got Shaun Kenny-Dowall on the outside of his man and the Kiwi centre sent Sam Perrett over and 18-0 when Carney added a 55th minute penalty goal.

A comeback looked possible when a break and smart flick-pass from Panthers halfback Luke Walsh resulted in Adrian Purtell crossing in the 62nd minute.

But two tries in three minutes, to Anthony Minichiello and Carney, snuffed out the Panthers' hopes.

Penrith benchman Wade Graham and Perrett added late four-pointers.

The Panthers' frustration was typified by pint-sized five-eighth Travis Burns' decision to scuffle with Roosters hardman Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, only to receive some advice from referee Shayne Hayne.

"He's a lot bigger than you to start with," Hayne offered.

Roosters coach Brian Smith was far from overjoyed at his side's performance.

"It was a bit hard to measure really because I think Penrith came pretty busted up and they were very busted up within 10 or 15 minutes," he said.

"I'm a very tender, soft, caring person but when it comes to footy I want my teams to be a bit more hard-nosed than we are at the moment.

"We have got a lot of young players in our team and they need to learn. They only learn in the arena.

"It's a long painful lesson when you lose a playoff game 'cause you've been sloppy."

Smith's Panthers counterpart Matt Elliott was left wondering what might have been had more of his players been available.

"I think the determination showed we would have been a handful," he said.

"When you lose your two key strike players for most of the game it makes it a little bit difficult ... it wasn't ideal."

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