Stuart concedes 'shellacking' is not a one-off Ricky Stuart feels for long-suffering Eels fans but warns shellackings like the one they copped from the Roosters will happen again during the club's rebuilding phase. The Eels suffered their biggest-ever lost to the Roosters, a 50-0 hammering which highlighted the difference between the NRL's top and bottom teams. Stuart said his players did their best - "I can't get cranky and upset at a football team trying their hardest" - but conceded that there would be more dark days until he could improve the quality of his roster. "When I got here I knew it was going to be a tough assignment and this shows it": Stuart. "When I got here I knew it was going to be a tough assignment and this shows it," Stuart said. We keep talking about a journey. I can't say this won't happen again, it will. This will happen again. It's how we react and how we handle it. We're in a very important rebuilding period and as much as we all want to hope and think it will turn around very quickly, it ain't. It's not going to. We've got a very big job on our hands and this just shows it tonight. I've said I will be patient, I've asked the players to be patient and I'm asking the staff to be patient. The patience of the supporters, still waiting for their first premiership since 1986, is wearing thin. However, the drought won't be broken any time soon. Asked on Twitter, if it would take five years for the blue and golds to come good, former NSW coach Phil Gould replied: "Hayne, Sandow, Norman, Loko, Hopoate .. Good start .. Maybe 3 years. Stuart admitted there is no quick fix. "I feel sorry for our supporters," he said. I feel sorry for the fact we are losing games and have had a tough 2-3 years. I can't do anything about the past, I can only work on where we will be at the end of the day. That's what I'm working on and that's why I've got to be patient. We've got to keep building on our roster because our roster is not at the level of other rosters. There is nothing wrong with the quality of the Roosters roster. Adding Sonny Bill Williams, Michael Jennings, James Maloney will do that to a side. Another signing, Luke O'Donnell, has done his penance and is likely to return to an already intimidating pack to replace the injured Frank-Paul Nuuausala. Such are the standards set by new coach Trent Robinson that, despite keeping the opposition scoreless for a second consecutive week, he still rebuked his team for some lazy options in defence. "We took some short cuts, which we talked about as a team," he said. As the wins are notched, the inevitable questions about representative football are fired at James Maloney. There's talk of about eight five-eighths at the moment [for NSW], so it's not that big a deal.