SYDNEY Roosters fans calling for co-captain Jake Friend to be axed might want to reconsider — the tough-as-nails No.9 has been playing the past month with a cracked sternum.

While some of the Chooks faithful have gone as far as banging on the glass of coach Trent Robinson’s box at Allianz Stadium calling for Friend to be hooked, the latest injury development puts a vastly different perspective on the hooker’s start to the season.

Friend has been having pain-killing injections into the sternum prior to every game for the past month as pre-season premiership-favourites the Roosters have been up-and-down in terms of finding their rhythm.

Round 20

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There was talk about the club shifting up its attack after the Anzac Day loss to the Dragons, but there seemed to be only subtle changes in the round nine victory over Manly.

When it comes to playing with a cracked sternum in rugby league, numerous players have attempted to push through the injury that has a standard recovery time of 10 weeks.

Braith Anasta played the 2004 grand final victory with the Bulldogs wearing a motocross guard for protection, also requiring several pain-killing injections to take the field.

Cracked sternum: A ‘10-week’ injury that Friend has been playing through. Source: Getty Images

“I did mine twice. It’s a very painful injury and the only thing that will heal it is time and rest,” Anasta said.

“It’s a punish. You wake up the morning after a game in all sorts of pain.

“I imagine it would be hard playing out of dummy-half because when you’re bending over to pick the ball up all the time the guard you’re wearing could get in the way.

“It’s a tough injury to play with.”

Champion Panthers halfback Craig Gower played the majority of the 2003 season with the same injury, requiring regular needles.

Playing through pain: Jake Friend. Source: AAP

The Panthers won the premiership the same season and Gower was the best player in the competition that year.

On Saturday the Roosters will get a fair reading on exactly where they sit in the premiership pecking order when the play the Warriors in New Zealand.

The Tricolours arrived in Auckland on Wednesday and are bunkered-down looking to avenge the round four ambush at Allianz Stadium.

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