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Trent Robinson knows the history the Sydney Roosters can create if they defend their NRL premiership, but it hasn't been a talking point for players in 2019.

Trent Robinson understands the hype around the notion of elusive back-to-back premierships.

If he wasn't the Sydney Roosters's coach, he'd be excited by it too.

He knows too well that no team has defended their title in the NRL-era.

Just eight days out from the grand final, his team is within two wins of breaking that streak beginning with Saturday's clash with Melbourne.

But as has been his mantra since last November, he won't let his players entertain that thought or let it drive them.

"Even though I think it's great (theatre) ... we're in the field of action. So we've got to make sure we're on the task of what's happening right now," Robinson said.

"Our focus has been like every other team's in 2019 - to do our best this year. And we're still on that.

"All that stuff is history-book stuff. And we're in the present. And our present is winning the next game."

From the outset, the Roosters' title defence has seemed very different to most other teams' pursuit to back up their crown since Brisbane did so in 1992-93.

While most others have staggered along the journey, the Roosters have enjoyed relatively clear sailing with only three straight losses in May their only hiccup.

Injuries and suspensions have hit but Robinson has been able to mask them with the rotation of his squad enhancing the depth of his bench.

Notably too, players haven't outwardly discussed the prospect of going back-to-back, with Robinson learning from his own doomed title defence in 2014 and others since.

"It's logical," he said.

"We weren't going to try and have the same year as last year. No two years are the same. We were about 2019.

"It's a completely different season. And it's been that way, so our focus has been on what's in front of us. Not on how good we're feeling or what the external talk is around.

"I know we're in entertainment. But our talk is: 'What are we going to do (against Melbourne)'. That's it."

Robinson's players have bought in too.

Armed with 174 matches of finals experience among the 17 who will play Saturday night, eight of them had a shot at defending a title before and came up short.

"It shouldn't be our main focus," captain Boyd Cordner said.

"If you look too far ahead in things in general and in life, you lose the present and what is important then.

"There's no doubt about it, we would love to be premiers again. That's why we play footy.

"But if you get too caught up in thinking about that, if it takes up your mind space, you skip over the things most important at this point in time.

"And at the moment that's the Melbourne Storm."