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Matt Lodge grew up idolising new teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and his desire to emulate the prop may just have saved the Sydney Roosters' season.

Matt Lodge and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves have started together for the Sydney Roosters only three times, but you could say their front-row partnership was 13 years in the making.

As he dreamed of a career in the NRL, Lodge grew up idolising Waerea-Hargreaves, who made his first-grade debut in the weeks before his eventual teammate turned 14.

Coming through the grades, Lodge devoted himself to emulating the physicality and competitive attitude of Waerea-Hargreaves.

"He was a front-rower idol to me," Lodge told AAP.

"Obviously I've grown up now and we're both adults but you still get that little bit of excitement playing with him."

Lodge, 27, first had the chance to run out alongside his childhood hero against Newcastle in round 19, after joining the Roosters from the Warriors mid-season.

"It was definitely a good feeling, I made that pretty clear (to Waerea-Hargreaves)," Lodge said.

"From day one, when I got here, he reached out straight away and was really helpful. He was very welcoming, along with everyone at the club."

Lodge's years of studying Waerea-Hargreaves began paying off immediately: Master and apprentice have combined to become the form front-row pairing of the competition.

Lodge and 33-year-old Waerea-Hargreaves have produced a total of 853 run metres in their games starting together at prop, laying the platform for three big wins that have all but confirmed the Roosters will play finals football.

"We like to play the game in a similar way," Lodge said.

"He loves the physicality and the challenge.

"There aren't too many big fellas around who play like that anymore."

The physicality and competitive spirit were enough to hook the young Lodge on Waerea-Hargreaves' game, but there was one quality about the Kiwi hardman he admired most.

"The best thing about him as a fan when you're watching is that he's a big-game player," he said.

"It's very hard to have 26 amazing rounds and finals and grand final in one season.

"(But) any time they've needed him when there's a big game, he's stepped up and led the way. When he plays well, they win."

Lodge may need to draw from the Waerea-Hargreaves playbook a few more times as big games loom in the finals.

After losses to Melbourne, Parramatta and Penrith before the bye and with a tough draw beckoning, 2022 looked a strong chance to be the Roosters' second year without finals under Trent Robinson.

Fast-forward six weeks and the Roosters have won five consecutive games - a streak that has coincided with Lodge's arrival at the club.

Lindsay Collins and Sio Siua Taukeiaho's impending returns will ensure the Roosters have the front-row stocks to push deep into September.

But Lodge, whose only two finals appearances resulted in big losses at Brisbane, is not getting ahead of himself.

"I'm just really enjoying playing in this team," he said.