‘Incredible’ Tedesco stars in Roosters comeback win
Jasper Bruce |
Trent Robinson has lauded “incredible” fullback James Tedesco for inspiring the Sydney Roosters to a 38-24 come-from-behind defeat of Newcastle on Justin Holbrook’s return to Allianz Stadium.
For a third consecutive game, the star-studded Roosters trailed at halftime only to claw back to victory, and will finish round seven higher on the ladder than at any point this year.
Shifted to left centre by the Knights amid Dylan Brown’s return from injury, Fletcher Hunt nabbed a hat-trick and made two try-saving tackles to put last year’s wooden spooners up 24-12 at the break on Sunday.
But the home team ran in 26 unanswered points thereafter, denying ex-Roosters assistant coach Holbrook and playmaker Sandon Smith an upset in their first game against their old team.
As State of Origin selection talk begins to heat up, former NSW captain Tedesco was the architect of the second-half domination.
Even All Blacks legend Israel Dagg, a guest of the Roosters on Sunday, was blown away by the Roosters veteran.
“(Dagg) said it was amazing to watch him live,” said coach Robinson.
“I was in the middle of the game, about 60 minutes in, just sort of watching. If there’s a play that has to be played, he is always there. I said to the team, it’s not sometimes, it’s not most of the time. It’s always.
“He was incredible to watch.”
The Roosters were back on level pegging after captain Tedesco poked a grubber through the line that helped left centre Hugo Savala seal a try-scoring double.
After Mark Nawaqanitawase was held up on the right, the Roosters shifted left and Tedesco stepped inside ex-teammate Dom Young to score his own four-pointer.
When Tedesco threw a quick pass to Nawaqanitawase from a scrum play, the ex-Wallaby had the first of two tries and the Roosters were storming home.
Tedesco finished with 270 run metres, 19 tackle busts and had earlier thrown the last pass for Siua Wong to open the scoring.
The Knights lost Thomas Cant to a calf injury on game day, while winger Greg Marzhew left in the final 10 minutes with what Holbrook thought was a head knock.
Newcastle’s Hunt was on fire early with his first NRL hat-trick, completed when Cant’s replacement Francis Manuleleua tore down the left and found the centre in support.
Hunt also did just enough to tackle Nawaqanitawase into touch as he crossed the line in the first half, before holding Wong up in the shadows of the break.
But Holbrook was left to rue a second-half collapse.
“We just gave them too many metres. They were charging down the field and putting in attacking kicks the whole second half,” Holbrook said.
“We couldn’t wrestle it back. We’ll learn a lot from that.”
AAP