The Roosters’ hopes of extending their playoff streak to a ninth year are looking decidedly shaky heading into the new NRL season after a comprehensive 48-10 flogging at the hands of Newcastle on Sunday.
After a lacklustre trial loss to the Dragons a week ago, the Roosters turned in an even worse performance to suggest they will struggle when the real stuff kicks off for them in 12 days.
North Queensland have no such problems with their young guns adeptly filling the holes left by some veteran departures with Jaxon Purdue and Tom Duffy starring in their pre-season victory over the Storm.
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy is already without Ryan Papenhuyzen for Round 1 and he could also be without his back-up fullback, Sua Fa’alogo, after he limped off in the second half at Casey Fields.
Roosters 10, Knights 48
Fletcher solves pivotal problem
Roosters coach Trent Robinson has less than two weeks to clean up a long laundry list of problems after they were towelled up by Newcastle in embarrassing fashion at Gosford on Sunday afternoon.
They looked well off the pace from the opening whistle and were staring down the barrel of a cricket score in the summer sun when they went to the break trailing 36-4.
Thankfully for the Roosters, the Knights eased off in the second half rather than the Tricolours improving any great deal.
But the damage was done against a Roosters line-up likely to be very similar to their Round 1 squad.
The new halves combination of Sandon Smith and Chad Townsend struggled for the second straight match in the pre-season after they were dusted by the Dragons last weekend.
Poor old Townsend looked old with his pace and poor with his tackling technique as Sharpe burnt him a couple of times on the edge as the Novocastrians piled on six tries in the first half alone.
Fletcher Sharpe. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Sharpe, who is listed in his official Knights profile as “a natural outside back” is being entrusted with solving the club’s long-running halves dilemma, or at least half of it.
After filling in at fullback and wing in his rookie season last year, he looks to have finally given coach Adam O’Brien a dynamic option in the playmakers.
He scored two tries and set up another down the left edge in a brilliant all-round performance.
Newcastle have lacked a secondary spark in attack outside of Kalyn Ponga and Sharp could be the answer to their one-dimensional dramas.
Jack Cogger stepped in at halfback after Tyson Gamble was a late scratching and he did his chances of a Round 1 start no harm by doing the organisational work to allow Sharpe to flourish on the edge of the ruck.
For the Roosters there was nothing but bad news.
Spencer Leniu was sin-binned after just three minutes for a high tackle and was in the peculiar situation of also spending another five minutes off the field as he underwent a head injury assessment.
While he was in the bin, the Knights ran in three tries with ease.
The Roosters’ defence was porous in the middle and pedestrian out wide and Robinson has very few options up his sleeve apart from the players who ran out onto the park at Gosford on Sunday.
They will start underdogs against Brisbane at Allianz Stadium in Round 1 and unless they can pull up their red, white and blue socks they appear to be on course to miss the finals for the first time in nearly a decade.
Easts still have plenty of talent in their side with James Tedesco at fullback, Daniel Tupou and Dominic Young on the wings, Lindsay Collins and Leniu up front, and Angus Crichton, Connor Watson and Victor Radley in the pack, but without injured halfback Sam Walker, they are less than the sum of their parts.
One bright spot was the performance of Mark Nawaqanitawase at centre.
The former Wallabies winger threw a clever one-handed pass for Tupou to score the only Roosters try of the first half and he looks up to the task of starting the season at centre alongside rookie Robert Toia with Billy Smith hampered by a hip problem.
Robinson’s team was expected to take a step back in 2025 with Joey Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Luke Keary, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves bidding the club adieu but with Walker out of action for half the year and Brandon Smith unlikely to suit up at, all their prospects look bleak.
Depth will be an issue if injuries strike and out of the finals teams from last year they look the most vulnerable to finish among the also-rans.
Newcastle, who were first-round exits from last year’s playoff series, have reason for optimism if Sharpe can continue to thrive in his new role.
His combination with hooker Phoenix Crossland was slick, allowing Ponga to pick and choose his moments, such as late in the first half when he set up and finished off a long-range try down the left edge with a clever pass out wide.
NSW Origin centre Bradman Best monstered Toia in their individual match-up which augurs well for Newcastle in their ability to in their mission to become more of an attacking threat after finishing with the second-worst record last year.
They travel to Campbelltown in the opening round to face the rejuvenated Tigers and have a decent chance to start their playoff campaign on the front foot with a home clash against the Dolphins and a trip to the Gold Coast also on their schedule in the first three rounds.
The Roosters have a tough start to the year with their first-up clash with Brisbane followed by trips to Penrith and Auckland to tackle the Warriors.
Storm 24, Cowboys 36
Young guns stake claim for Round
North Queensland will enter the season full of fire after two of their most promising young prospects staked a claim for Round 1 in their impressive trial win over the Storm in Melbourne on Sunday.
Jaxon Purdue was dynamic for Todd Payton’s team at left centre and will get first crack at the spot vacated by Valentine Holmes’ departure to the Dragons in the off-season.
Tom Duffy was also a standout performer for North Queensland at halfback and after Chad Townsend’s exit to the Roosters, he will be in competition with Jake Clifford for the No.7 jersey in 2025.
Clifford is doubtful for the start of the season due to recent hernia surgery so Duffy looks set to partner Kangaroos five-eighth Tom Dearden for their trip to Brookvale to face Manly.
The Cowboys clicked for the entire 80 minutes on Sunday and after trading early tries they led 18-10 at half-time before going on the job in the second stanza. Melbourne made the final margin a flattering one for them with a couple of late consolation tries.
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater showed why he is one of the best attacking weapons in the NRL by scoring two tries in the first half either side of a Purdue four-pointer.
If the Cowboys are to make the jump from finals contenders to legitimate title hopefuls, Drinkwater needs to become better at the defensive end of the field.
He will never be an elite tackler to match his attacking prowess but he cannot be the turnstile that he was on several occasions last year.
Dearden scored a solo try with a trademark show-and-go while Duffy was strong in both his organisational play and kicking game with a well-weighted high ball to the corner presenting Braidon Burns with a try in the second half as the Cowboys kicked clear.
Melbourne used one of their favourite plays from the past, the old Cameron Smith to Cooper Cronk touch-pass back inside to a flying Billy Slater, with Fa’alogo playing the Cronk role to set up a try for Nick Meaney.
The Storm were up to another one of their old tricks when they continually stalled the ruck while defending their red zone, leading to five straight six-again set restarts.
The off-field official in charge of raising the alarm at Casey Fields was ringing the cowbell more than a Will Ferrell SNL skit but referee Chris Butler did not see the funny side.
He sin-binned Harry Grant after the Storm skipper deliberately delayed a play-the-ball – like the recent roll ball crackdown, this is the kind of no-nonsense approach that the refs need to adopt throughout the season when teams push the envelope when they are under repeated goal-line defensive pressure.
Fa’alogo had appeared certain to start the season at fullback for the Storm with Papenhuyzen troubled by knee and ankle complaints – he scored a try in the first half but was replaced midway through the second with concerns over a hamstring injury.
He has a fortnight to prove his fitness before the Storm put their peerless opening round record on the line against Parramatta at AAMI Park.
Despite the lopsided scoreline against his team Bellamy was even able to crack a smile in the closing stages after prop Stefano Utoikamanu scored a rear front-rower’s try.
The former Wests Tigers powerhouse will be integral to Melbourne’s title chances in 2025, particularly with Nelson Asafa Salamona sidelined for the first two rounds due to suspension.
Dally M Medallist Jahrome Hughes was rested for this game but is on track to play in Round 1 while his halves partner Cameron Munster made a successful return from major hip surgery.
Munster had a couple of forgettable moments in defence but made up for it with some clever touches in attack. If Fa’alogo is out for the season opener, Munster could be shifted to fullback with super sub Tyran Wishart promoted to the starting line-up or Bellamy could switch Meaney to the No.1 jersey.