The Roosters surged into 3rd position on the ladder with a commanding 36-18 victory over the Dragons.
MATCH DETAILS
The opening 20 minutes was a Roosters onslaught, scoring 3 tries before the Dragons knew what had hit them. Some lazy goal-line defence just on the stroke of half-time saw Ben Hunt stroll in for a try to ease some scoreboard pressure.
It mattered for little though as the Roosters carried on from where they left off. Latrell Mitchell bagged two tries in a 6 minute period to complete a hat-trick while Tedesco and Ferguson scored to make it a 7-try tally for the day.
FOUR POINTERS
Roosters attack has clicked
Scoring 7 tries against a Top 4 side so late into the season demonstrated how dangerous the Roosters can be at their attacking best.
Tedesco had a great performance. He ran for 220m, scored a double and combined with Cronk to produce a try for the Roosters halfback. Latrell Mitchell was also a standout as he nabbed a hat-trick including an impressive solo effort to power past 3 defenders and plant the ball down.
The Roosters are building form at the right time of the year and there may be some even better performances ahead.
Luke Keary injury sours win
Luke Keary fell awkwardly in a tackle and left the field with a leg injury early in the second half. Trent Robinson stated in the post-match presser that he didn’t believe the injury would be long-term. Keary is set to miss at least one match though, ruling him out of next Saturday’s clash with the Cowboys.
Late defensive lapses a minor flaw to fix
Last week despite scoring 56 points, the Roosters also leaked 24 points. Against the Dragons they were guilty of being complacent at times again.
30 seconds before half-time Hunt scored his try after Lindsay Collins fell asleep at the wheel and let him stroll past without even attempting a tackle. ย The lack of effort earned him a death stare from Cronk.
Their intensity in defence also dropped in the last 15 minutes as the Dragons added another two tries. Coaches always talk about putting in 80 minute performances. The Roosters have been too good for it to matter but those little errors are what big games are won and lost on.
Dragons clueless
For a team that dominated the early part of the season, the Dragons looked completely bereft of ideas against the Roosters. Ben Hunt’s kicking game was getting them nowhere and they had no idea what to do when presented with opportunities to attack the goal-line.
The Dragons didn’t play a terrible game. Matt Dufty was very strong on kick returns and Hunt’s running game produced results but across the park they were outplayed and outclassed.
The Dragons do need to rediscover some of their early season magic though to remain in the Top 4. With the Dragons on 28 competition points and three teams below them on 26 points, they can’t afford many more losses.
THE RESULT
Roosters- 36
Tries:ย Latrell Mitchell (7m, 48m, 54m), James Tedesco (9m, 62m), Cooper Cronk (21m), Blake Ferguson (70m)
Goals: Latrell Mitchell 4/7
Dragons- 18
Tries:ย Ben Hunt (39m, 67m), Tariq Sims (75m)
Goals:ย Gareth Widdop 3/3
