The Sydney Roosters are bracing for a Cronulla side with nothing left to lose.

The premiers face a Sharks outfit that represents something of an unknown at Allianz Stadium on Saturday night, after one of the most tumultuous weeks in the club’s history.

Key playmaker Todd Carney was axed just 48 hours after one of the Sharks’ greatest wins (a 24-22 comeback victory over Brisbane), with caretaker coach Peter Sharp jumping ship 24 hours later.

The Roosters are keen to bounce back strongly from their round-16 loss to premiership frontrunners Manly, but Kiwi winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck admits they don’t know what the embattled Sharks are likely to toss up.

“Our coaches have came up and said we don’t really know what to expect from the Sharks,” he said.

“We just have to go back to us and work on our game and make sure we come up with the right strategy.

“That is the tough part, anticipating how they are going to come out, how they are going to play.

“We need to find our game; we didn’t go too well last week.

“We had some good wins before that and we thought everything was back on track and going good.

“But we eased off the pedal and that is why Manly got us, the efforts from the boys were too casual at times and we just didn’t execute right.”

Both teams will be without their State of Origin stars with rookie three-game pivot Fa’amanu Brown to take the place of Carney in the Sharks’ halves.

“They will be keen to put it behind them and concentrate on playing a tough 80 minutes,” Roosters forward Frank-Paul Nu’uausala said.

“In 2009 and 2011, we had a couple of incidents and stuff got out in media and, when that happens, it is about pride and playing for pride, pride in your club and the teammates and the fans. They will be playing for themselves and for Toddy.”