The Sydney Roosters are targeting a return to their impregnable defence of last season as the key to reinvigorating their hopes of back-to-back NRL premierships.

The Tricolours set a new rugby league benchmark in their title winning season in 2014, recording a record six shutouts of opposition sides and conceding just 13 points per game.

A crucial factor in the club’s 13th first grade premiership, the Roosters defence came to be dubbed “The Bondi Wall”.

But this season the wall has deteriorated with the Roosters conceding 17 points per game.

The eastern suburbs-based club’s defensive frailties were brutally exposed in their upset last-start loss to last-placed Cronulla, the biggest lead the club has given up in its 107 year history.

Prop Sam Moa has been one of the Roosters best this year and says the team is determined to turn things around starting with Saturday’s round-19 clash with top-of-the-table Penrith at Allianz Stadium.

“We have spoken about our defence and that is something we really pride ourselves on and as a club,” he said.

“We are working towards improving that and getting on the same page and getting a bit of confidence back in our performances.

“We have really worked hard on that.”

The Roosters enjoyed last weekend’s bye and spent the week in camp at Avoca on the NSW Central Coast in a bid to get their season back on track.

“It was refreshing to have a bye and not stress about the game on the weekend, we got to hang out with each other and we were on the field every day working on things we need to work on,” Moa said.

The Roosters NSW and Australian representative back-rower Boyd Cordner believes the Panthers represent a litmus test of the premiers’ title credentials.

“We have had a couple of losses now, which is not a good thing, but it is a good wake up call,” Cordner said.

“Penrith will go a long way to see where we are at.

“They have been unreal this year. They have showed week-in-week-out what they can do, they are a really disciplined side.

“We are looking forward to that test and looking forward to showing what we can do.”