Mitchell Pearce believes Parramatta's nightmare 2010 NRL season will serve as a warning to the Sydney Roosters this year.

Inspired by NSW halfback Pearce and Dally M Medallist Todd Carney, the Roosters reached last year's grand final in sizzling fashion, only to go down to St George Illawarra 32-8 at ANZ Stadium.

Twelve months earlier, with Jarryd Hayne hitting the form of his life, the Eels just missed out on a premiership before flopping spectacularly the following season, finishing 12th on the ladder, with coach Daniel Anderson paying the price for the failure with his job.

"There have been a lot of clubs who have won a comp or got to a final and struggled badly the next year, we don't want to be one of those," Pearce said.

"You go into every season not knowing how you are going to go, but if you do all the work you give yourself every chance to play well.

"We think we have a good side and everyone here has the right heads on their shoulder and is ready to play well and that is all we can do."

The 21-year-old admits the adductor injury to Carney, which will see the playmaker go under the knife on Wednesday, is not ideal.

The surgery will rule Carney out of the team's pre-season preparations and potentially the round one clash with South Sydney.

But Pearce said he and his teammates are focused on working hard in their build-up to 2011 and he is confident the Roosters can cope with the pressure of being one of the teams to beat this year.

"People will be expecting more from us because at the start of last year most didn't really think we would do much as we had such a bad season the year before," Pearce said.

"But that added pressure is good for us, as teams are going to come after us more which will suit us."

Pearce said the defeat by the Dragons has not haunted the squad and there are no lingering effects going into the new campaign.

"It didn't take too long to get the grand final out of our system, we were disappointed obviously, but life goes on and you move on pretty quickly and it is not something I think about too often, but hopefully we can go one step further next season," he said.

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