SYDNEY Roosters coach Brad Fittler is looking forward to taking a break from the game after his first full season in charge of the National Rugby League club petered out to a disappointing finish.

A season that promised so much — with the Roosters in the hunt for the minor premiership until the last couple of rounds of the regular season — delivered so little.

Friday night's 30-13 defeat at the hands of the New Zealand Warriors sent the Roosters spiralling out of the finals with back-to-back losses.

And much like the tired side that failed to score a point in the second half of both of its finals, Fittler admitted he was in need of a rest.

"I'm ready for a holiday now," he said. "I love it, it's a great job. Because the players are having a crack, it just makes it so much more enjoyable.

"There's times there where it's tough but I don't think any job's worth doing if it's not tough, at times."

Despite the obvious disappointment at the way the season finished, Fittler — who took over midway through last season — said there were plenty of positives to come out of the year.

"Overall, the last 14 months has been a big learning experience for most probably our club really … we just lacked that hardness I think," Fittler said.

"We got a bit soft at a few crucial times over the last couple of weeks and it's something you have to work on. I don't know how you work on that, I suppose you've just got to train a bit harder, become a bit more resilient."

One player looking to build is teenage half-back Mitchell Pearce, who admitted he exceeded his own expectations by holding down the Roosters' No. 7 jumper all season, not to mention making his NSW debut in the state-of-origin series decider.

But if the Roosters are to take the next step and challenge for the title in 2009, Pearce knows that he has to improve.

"It's still pretty disappointing this year that it ended like this, it was a missed opportunity with a couple of boys going next year," Pearce said.

"It's just the way it goes, we'll come back better, me and Braith's (five-eighth Braith Anasta) combo is getting better and everyone else will improve next year, learn from his year, but it's still just so disappointing the way it ended."

The NRL is awaiting a report from Mt Smart Stadium, but will have no hesitation banning anyone found guilty of throwing bottles at players in Friday night's NRL semi-final. The Warriors' win over the Roosters was marred by allegations of bottles being thrown at Roosters players camped in their own in-goal.

NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley, who was at the match, warned of dire consequences for any guilty parties.

"If they've got any way of identifying those concerned then we haven't hesitated in the past to issue bans and we'll do the same in this case."

Roosters full-back Anthony Minichiello revealed one of the bottles just missed him.

"One nearly got me actually and then another one I saw fly around the other side," Minichiello said.

Minichiello dismissed reports he was keen to move to either French or Italian rugby union next season.

Speculation surfaced this week claiming Minichiello was hoping for one last big payday overseas, with serious question marks over his long-term future in the NRL due to recent back troubles.

"They're just rumours, I'm under contract (for 2009)," Minichiello said.

AAP