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Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson will not enter debate around the set up of his halves, but concedes his team were too sideways against St George Illawarra.

Trent Robinson has conceded the Sydney Roosters played too sideways on Anzac Day, but is adamant there is no confusion over the set up of his halves.

The Roosters fluffed their execution in the 14-12 loss to St George Illawarra, having the better of the attacking chances but failing to take them at the SCG.

The tri-colours had several sets on the Dragons line in the first half but failed to crack it once outside of an obstruction, before falling short in the second.

The club have happily admitted at times this year their attack has been clunky, with Luke Keary on return from an ACL injury and partnering Sam Walker for the first time.

"Definitely (too lateral)," Robinson said.

"We weren't going to go around them. They kept covering that. We needed to go through them and we just couldn't execute.

"It's just a bit of work. It hasn't been there this year. We're getting there on that. It hasn't been in flow yet.

"But I am really pumped around some of the areas of the game where we're doing really well. But we haven't really nailed points well this year."

Robinson praised his club's second-half defence as the best in his nine years at the club, only for their execution to let them down with the ball.

The attack prompted the club's former consultant Andrew Johns to claim in Nine's commentary that Walker should be in the No.7 and Keary No.6, with Walker the go-to man in quality ball.

But Robinson has long been insisted that Keary as the senior player should have the keys to the attack, with Walker to emerge as a better player from the freedom given to him at five-eighth.

"Joey can have his comments. That's his job is to comment on that, not to coach our team," Robinson said.

Meanwhile there was clear upside in the performance of teenage star Joseph Suaalii, with the Roosters keen to leave him on the wing for some time.

He sent Joey Manu over for one try with a flick ball and produced a crunching try-saver on Jack Bird in just his second game of the year.

"He's got his own thoughts for a young kid," Robinson said.

"He goes after moments. He's not sitting waiting or timid after a couple of games,

"We've got to offer him more opportunities to play that way."